SortingBeans

People are preserved, God is Predominant

Again, my readings in Ezekiel take me to the sovereignty of God. God is so big, so amazingly powerful, and so incredibly in control there are times I think my brain freezes from “awe overload.” This time, I am in “awe overload” in relation to God’s electing grace to His chosen people. God wants to make His name famous, and how does He let the world see? Through people who have no rights for justice, no legitimate fairness, no truly righteous deeds, no heart after Him, and no goodness of their own.

Even still, God redeems

I have had multiple conversations with others about the sovereignty of God in the salvation of people. By this I am referring to God’s electing grace – His predestinating foreknowledge. There are some I talk with who are currently seeking this doctrine out, while others may be less inclined toward it. Like I once was, there are some who are possibly even offended by it. But why was I offended? Answer: because of my idea of fairness.

I thought it only fair for every person to have a “right” to salvation

Show me one who is perfect and I will show you one who is either mad, or who is the person of Jesus Christ Himself. The truth is, no one has a right to it. No one deserves salvation. Man deserves the very reward of that which he has earned by his own merit, which finds itself not without the accompaniment of death. What has any one done to deserve the mercy and grace of YHWH?

This is exactly the point in Ezekiel 36. Israel is irreverent and blasphemous toward God. They profaned His name.

in Ezekiel 36 God compares the deeds of Israel (cross reference Isaiah 64:6-7) to the “uncleanness of a woman in her menstrual impurity” (Eze. 36:17). Then later on, God says He scattered them among the nations as a result of their heinous acts against Him. Because of Israel’s rebellion, other nations profaned His holy name (Eze. 36:20). To this God says, “But I had concern for my holy name . . .” (Eze. 36:21).

God decides to act on behalf of His name

Says God, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name,” and just to make sure they (Israel) completely understand He finishes out the sentence by reminding them, “which you have profaned among the nations to which you came” (Eze. 36:22).

In verse 23 God says that all nations will know that He is the Lord, when “through” them He will “vindicate” His holiness (Eze. 36.23). The following verses then describe what God’s vindication will look like: He will gather and bring Israel into their own land (Eze. 36:24); He will sprinkle them with clean water (can someone say ‘Holy Spirit’?) and utterly cleanse them from all uncleanliness (Eze. 36:25); He will give them a new heart and a new spirit (can someone say ‘Regeneration’?) and remove their heart of stone (Eze. 36:26); He will put (this time the “s” is capitol) His Spirit in them and cause them to walk in His statutes and obey His rules (Eze. 36:27); He will be their God and they will be His people (Eze. 36:28).

And guess what?

He tops it off with saying that “It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord God; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel” (Eze. 36:32). Wow. Because God chose to make His name known, and chose people to accomplish it through, those people get to experience the grace and mercy they never deserved. If this is not love in its fullest, I don’t know what is.

God is here practically saving people without a merit of their own — without even holy repentance! — JUST FOR THE PURPOSE to make His name FAMOUS! Man is but a RECIPIENT of the grace of God in salvation. Is this not love? Is this not agape? Is this not the most extreme display of compassion—that by God glorifying Himself in the believer through His Son Jesus, would chose to love people for ever?

Is this not what we see in the cross?

We should be driven to humility, rather than arrogant boastfulness as if we have the right to, or deserve something so wonderful. Or have we forgotten that we were cleansed from our former sins?



- Jonathan J.