Grace Doesn't Erase Consequences - Day 101 Month 4-11 Week 15-3
Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year)
Numbers 14:20-15:13 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers%2014%3A20-15%3A13&version=NASB1995
Psalm 80 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2080&version=NASB1995
Jeremiah 3:1-10 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%203%3A1-10&version=NASB1995
Luke 12:35-59 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2012%3A35-59&version=NASB1995
Grace Doesn’t Erase Consequences
1. God will fulfill His plans with or without us. Although, forgiveness does not necessarily mean life goes on as it would have.
I should preface what I’m about to say. Through Jesus, justice has been served for our sin, so we can become part of His kingdom. As we confess our sins (recognize to God that we have not followed His ways in our daily lives) our sin is remembered no more, and repent (change our minds about our wrongs and change our direction)
God forgave the people for their sin. But with the forgiveness, there was a change in God’s plan for the people. The 10 spies who provided the bad report died of a plague, the Israelites were delayed 40 years from entering the promised land (1 year for every day the spies were spying in the promised land) and none of the numbered men (men 20 and over) apart from Caleb and Joshua would entered promised land (they all died in the wilderness). In recognition of their sin the people mourned greatly and many of the people decided to take over the promised land anyway and because God was not with them they failed greatly. There are a couple of thoughts I have from this.
Forgiveness does not mean things go on as they did before the wrong was committed. If someone has wronged you once or maybe has wronged you over time or belittles you. When you forgive that person, it does not mean things need to continue as they did. It simply means you’ve offered forgiveness. Sometimes it means the relationship changes. Sometimes it means the relationship ends. On the other hand, if you have wronged someone, just because you ask for forgiveness and they grant that forgiveness, it does not mean the relationship continues as before. It may but it may not.
When we make personal decisions in our lives, God’s plan is still accomplished even if we don’t do what God originally directed. God delayed Israel’s entrance to the promised land by 40 years on account of their sin. His plan would be accomplished but it was delayed. Decisions we make on our own without God does not mean that He won’t accomplish His plan through us. It sometimes may make our lives harder but He will still accomplish His plan. I typically jump ahead of God when I make decisions. As an example: In 2013, we went to buy a used car with a strict budget in mind. While waiting for a salesperson, a shiny new Toyota Matrix caught our eye. The salesperson used some clever "sales lingo" to steer us toward the Matrix, arguing that the used car actually had a higher interest rate and a larger monthly payment. Without praying or even discussing it, we impulsively agreed to a seven-year loan for the new car. Looking back, we could have paid off the used car in just two or three years. I believe the wiser choice would have been the quicker payout, but we were distracted by something shiny and new. The end result? We ended up carrying a bigger debt over a longer period of time. God still continued His plan with us but we had a debt to deal with that would make life harder.
2. In Luke 12:42-48 Jesus tells the parable of the good steward. Jesus talks about the steward (manager) who has been left in charge of the master's servants. The good steward makes sure the servants' needs are looked after and he treats the servants justly. He will be given much (all) of the master's possessions to oversee. A poor steward does not treat the master's servants with respect and abuses them. Meanwhile he lives off the excesses of the land. When the master comes back and surprises the bad manager, the bad manager is punished and thrown outside of the master's kingdom. Jesus finishes the paragraph with “But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” (NIV) This is a warning to leaders of His church. Steve - use another version to explain this last saying of Jesus. The words are old and not contemporary therefore hard to read.
When church leaders intentionally abuse their power, mistreat their people and live life to excess for themselves they will need to answer to God. When church leaders are living their role in humility with a goal to nurture and strengthen those who have been entrusted to them, God will trust them with more responsibility. I don’t know a lot of pastors who live life to excess if they are looking after those that God has provided them.
A note to you the reader. If you are reading these blog posts and something does not seem right, it’s important to make me aware of it. I want to build and nurture rather than abuse this platform that God has given me.
Have a great day!
Steve
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