He spoke to Israel from the pillar of cloud, and they followed the laws and decrees he gave them. O LORD our God, you answered them. You were a forgiving God to them, but you punished them when they went wrong. [Psalm 99.7-8]
God's character is pretty clear for all to see. Why do we make it so complicated?
God is forgiving - but He does punish wrong. What is so difficult to understand about that?
I think the answer to that question is found in all the goofy theology and doctrines we have concocted about God when we try to explain suffering, sickness, and disease. Instead of understanding that "the curse causeless shall not come..." (Proverbs 26.2), we instead proudly declare our innocence and thus are borne doctrines that do nothing but slander God, confuse mankind, and justify man.
I am coning around to the truth that my suffering is because of sin. Whether it's mine or society's, the burden lies upon me to repent. Yes, there it is - repent.
And, to address "Grace"... Please understand that even grace does not cover the sin of unbelief. Grace is powerless to overcome the lack of faith. Faith is the door through which grace enters. That is precisely why Jesus was so emotional about faith.
So, even if we managed to live perfectly (which we can't), we could still fail to have faith. And, "Without faith, it is impossible to please God..." (Hebrews 11.6) - in other words, it is sin. And, if the very grace we claim is not obtained with faith, it is therefore non-existent and has no application to our situation, but the curse of the Law does.
Why am I so adamant about our need to repent? Because, regardless how hard well-meaning people try to make the un-miraculous look like the miraculous, our walk with God still does not look like our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We still don't do the "works that He did" - let alone "greater works." It's a hard thing to accept, but Jesus was our model.
Father, there is much we need to consider, learn, and change. But first, we need repentance.
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