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Sunday, May 1, 2011

Stark Alternatives

I do not understand how it is possible to know You and not worship You. Knowing You includes comprehending, at least to some extent, Your perfect wisdom and justice. Knowing You includes acknowledging Your mighty power and infinite grace. Knowing You includes accepting Your covenant and sacrifice. You cannot be known apart from any of them, but if You are known, Your worthiness to be worshiped must follow and our awe for You is a forgone conclusion.

Observing this in myself, however, does not allow me to judge it in anyone else. I must take a merciful view of both sin and knowledge of God in other people and a strict view of it relative to myself. You have firmly satisfied and established salvation for everyone in perfect righteousness, but its judgment is for You alone. I cannot judge even my own salvation, much les any else's. I can, however, take responsibility for my own actions, for my attitudes, and for my obedience. Doing this, in fact, is mandatory.

It is often said that loving is Your first command. So it is. Loving You above all, which is the natural outgrowth of knowing You, then loving people. Take me captive, Lord. If I cannot cast myself into your lap, I have no hope for anything. My judgment of other men and my concern regarding my position before them is a grievous sin. Let me today care only about my position before You.

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