i had this moment on tuesday's late afternoon preparing bible study for
that night. it was in the rush and tiredness of four hours sleep and
friends having a baby and looking after a little girl who had just
become a big sister and praising God that he had brought a new little
boy into the world safely and soundly.
i was delirious and knew i needed (so much) help. and He taught me!
once again, in His gracious consistency, He helped me to learn something about his consistency through time and space and people and places.
we are studying romans chapters one to five, and we were looking at the second half of chapter one. i was a bit afraid and apprehensive about how the study would go. we are spending the next three weeks looking at judgement and wrath and i struggle with the heaviness of those things. i struggle to not just be sad about them and for my response to them to not stem from fear rather than a holistic appreciation of all of the tensions of the gospel.
but in reading and praying through that passage i came to a small realisation which has helped me to appreciate the congruity of the wrath of God with His kindnesses and mercies, not just for the jews but also for the gentiles, from the beginning of time. the nature of general revelation and its consequences in romans one reflect that God’s grace is shown
through general revelation as a means to reveal sin in the hearts of the gentiles in a way that is similar to the grace God shows the israelites through the covenant law as a
means to reveal sin.
and, i mean, general revelation and the law are obviously different. but it's not like God just ignored the rest of humanity.
i forget that they ignored Him.
it's been easy for me to subtly shift the blame for the sinfulness of humanity's hearts, for the ignorance of my unbelieving friends and family, to God. to make it out like they haven't had any other choice. but they have.
and rather than being frustrated by the limitedness of His general revelation, i should stop being so lazy and realise
the unlimitedness of the power of the gospel of Christ to save.
i had forgotten that i carry that unlimited power around with me in my handbag everyday and sleep with it sitting on my bedside table.
