Grace and Judgment

Recently, the question of imputed (or accounted) righteousness versus imparted (or practiced) righteousness was brought to my attention. Which is more important? To be called righteous or to actually BE righteous? The answer is both! Without be called righteous, we will not receive what we need in order to BECOME righteous! You can't get good to get God! But when you get the true God, you should follow Him and become transformed into His image, which is always Good. 


What a wondrous and glorious subject! The issue of imputed Grace and righteousness is one that can be highly misunderstood. Yet, once conceived in the mind of the hearer, can never be forgotten. It is the singular fact of propitiation that causes the lost, weary, frustrated and fatigued to become refreshed and worshipful of the Great God who supplied it. 


However two issues that stick out are 1) The question of exactly when Grace became available. My opinion is that Grace began before time existed in the plan and mind of our Creator. The sacrifices of the OT and the journey of Israel were all contingent upon Grace's eventuality of manifestation. This Grace appeared on the Cross at Jesus' death when the veil was torn in two and thus was significant of the newly available entrance by sinful men into the Presence of a Holy and Just God. The mere fact that it was not fully understood by the church at large begs the question of why Ananias and Sapphira received their harsh punishment. My opinion is that they had a greater revelation of Jesus than we do today, having been either part of the first wave of disciples after the Day f Pentecost, or very close in sequence to it. They knew the disciples first hand and were recipients of great revelation of the demonstrable power of God. To whom much is given, much is required. As we seek God, we become accountable to the revelation He imparts to us. 


And that leads me to subject # 2) The application of Grace which imparts righteousness in degrees, after it has been imputed in its fullness. This is where the issue of Ananias comes in. Having known first hand the power and magnificence of the risen Christ, he chose still to disobey and conceal his fault from God. The bible tells us to boldly approach the Throne of Grace. The faith in Christ's substitutionary sacrifice is the only way we, as sinners, could possibly overcome our fear of approaching God's Holy Throne. Grace empowers us to know our status as Mercy's subjects and to use that access to ask God for Grace's overcoming strength.This strength is now no longer imputed righteousness that is intended as a covering, but imparted righteousness that is intended for a practical and evident transformation from the old creature to the new. This is why we cannot judge one another or compare amongst ourselves. We are all in different areas of the metamorphic process. 


The danger is that many, like Ananias, will forgo the impartation because they have received the imputation. This lacks faith (which is the means of justification through which Grace is complete) and requires God's Judgment of sin according to that lack of desire to please God. So, in conclusion, the covering of Grace is intended to grant us access to that which would transform us into a state of righteous practice rather than simply having righteous status. And as we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus, we should walk according to faith and the desire to be worthy of the calling of righteous His Blood applied to our undeserving souls.

Why do good people suffer?

2 Corinthians 1
 3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

A friend of mine who is not in church asked me the other day, "Why does God let good people suffer?" It is a question asked a million times over by the human mind. In essence, it asks if God is truly as good and loving as Scripture proclaims. Why would a Father allow His children whom He loves (even the disobedient ones) to go through pain and agony? The answer, I believe is found in this simple principle: You never know how good God is until you need His Mercy and Grace.

Without a need, there is no seeking of a solution. Without a desperate circumstance, there is no savior required. Just like God allowed the children of Israel to fall into the hands of their neighbors time and time again, only to deliver them through a judge. They had to go through the bondage of Egypt in order to be willing to follow Moses. Abraham had to offer up Isaac before he could know that God was both Jireh (provider) and M'kadesh (Righteousness).

For the past couple of years, our family has gone through many difficult times. Money was short, food was scarce, clothes got tattered. We felt alone, isolated, forgotten, at times confused. We went through betrayal, disappointment, false accusations. We made mistakes, paid dearly for them, and were made to endure some very serious hardships. All the while, Jesus was faithful. Never did we actually go without. Never did we lose the things that are most valuable: our health, our family or our faith.

As we are now seeing God's Hand bringing us to the borders of our promised land once again, we are now more like the generation that followed Joshua than the one that followed Moses. We have more faith in God's ability to keep and secure us. We are ready to fight and possess the land. But in order for us to truly be able to walk in our destiny, we had to be tried and purified by the fire of difficult circumstances.

So it is in each of our lives. Sickness, poverty, slander, whatever.....it all comes for s purpose. When the comforter comes and delivers us out of our mud pit, we are able to walk in the manifestation of His Mercy, not just the revelation of its availability. Maybe a better way to put it is this: it is practice and not just theory.

So in the midst of your trials and tribulations, just remember that God will bring you out of your suffering, but you will know how to encourage others with your testimony afterwards! This is the reason for suffering: So God can show us His goodness through His deliverance!