I have spent these few days reading the book that Vivi lend me. It's about The holiness of God. A little unsure about how and where to begin this review, but here it is. I had mentioned my fears about reading this book in my previous post that I would arrive at the conclusion, feeling dejected because the book reminded me the obvious which is my inability to meet His standards. After reading it, I must say I am glad the book didn't make me feel that way.
This book points us the ineffectuality of our own deeds to be holy (we are utterly helpless) and that we are absolutely, absolutely dependent on His grace. He is never unjust to mankind. Never. Justice means that we all cease to exist, punished because of our sins. Instead, we have existed always receiving his justice and his grace.
When the Israelites were asked to wage war against the inhabitants of canaan. He was not unjust when He allowed the Canaanites to be eliminated from the earth. The Canaanites are not without sin against God. They received His justice but the Israelites received His mercy. He is not obligated to show mercy and he has the right to choose the recipients.
We do not deserve His mercy but we have always thought that we have the right to His mercy. Our failure and arrogance is when we claim to be worhty of his mercy, feeling sufficiently righteous, not realizing that our righteousness come from Him. He had been patient (slow to anger) and gracious in the OT (Old Testament), where many alleged Him to be a wrathful and cruel God. The OT shows the Israelites' persistent depravity and God's continual mercy for them, saving them from the oppresive power that He had allowed. The right question to ask when many people died from disaster is the reason why we do not perish like them instead of accusing God for being unfair. His hands keep us every moment from the fierceness of hell's fire, only only His hands that prevent us from eternal damnation.
His holiness is pure, sanctifying all His attributes. Because of His holiness exposing our flaws, we can not stand Him and hate Him. Yet, we enjoy and long to be in His presence once we encountered Him. This might explain that we are creation and He is our creator.
How then shall I live?
At first, I was uncomfortable to know the fact that I have to be totally dependent on God for my transformation. I'd like to rely on some of my own strength incase my faith in God is failing and my patience is lost. What foolishness! Again, I will survive in this sanctification period by God's grace alone.
Christians are those who believe that Christ came into the world to allow His righteousness to cover them so they can approach God in His Holiness. They received justification by their faith in Jesus. Through faith, God's grace and mercy are poured out to us. Grace and mercy given are not just nor unjust. I am yet to understand fully how in executing His grace, His justice is also served. When we received righteousness, a summon to approach His throne with confidence basically he gave what we do not deserve.
Knowing that He has granted us peace with God. Peace that can not be taken away. I should live day to day relying more on His grace, trusting Him to transform, and revering God, indebted of His mercy rather than continually sinning. Can we love him with all our heart? the answer is no, because we still have sinful nature. It will require a great deal of God's grace to pierce our very heart until we can not do anything else but to love Him. The Holy Spirit helps us.
