By: Jim Umlauf
In the book of Isaiah, God gives his prophet a vision concerning the downward moral spiral of Israel. In the first chapter, surrounded by warning and righteous accusation, God says something very interesting: “Come let us reason together…” Though the message is immediately to a rebellious nation Israel, that statement tells us something about redemption.
Though the Christian faith requires just that—faith—at the same time we do not suspend rational thought. While we do believe in an unseen God who is spirit, we can see some of his attributes in the world around us. Though we can’t see a giant courtroom in the sky, there is a pressing need for justice deep in our being. Though there is great beauty in life, love, family, country, and work, we know that all of the good has been somehow negatively affected, so that the world is a sad caricature of itself.
The virgin birth. Wow. That’s quite a thing to believe. Oh, and God coming to earth and taking on a human nature and body. Not to mention Jesus’ healings, control over the created order, and his resurrection from the dead. Yes, those are things that require faith (glad God gives it as a gift!). But come, let us reason together.
God’s nature is so pure that the sinless heavenly beings shield themselves in joyful wonder. They cheer his attributes when in his presence. Any impurity is instantly jettisoned from God because his eyes and nature cannot receive it. In fact, God—limited only by his own perfections—MUST judge sin, thus he is a consuming fire.
Why does he love sinners? I don’t know. They’re dirty, but he acts in love by sending Jesus, the very righteousness of God. Instead of pouring out consuming fire on sinners, he pours it out on Jesus, so that sinners may be as clean as Christ, and Christ would be as guilty as us. The wages of sin is death, and Jesus paid the wages. He then rose from the dead, victorious, exalted, and gloriously reigning over those he paid for forever.
So, come let us reason together. Though we do believe in that which is unseen, we can at least grasp the elements of justice, debt, and redemption.
Then again, why, oh why, does God love the sinner!?
