Friday: Further Thought – The Crisis Continues
Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us
(1 John 3:16). No doubt we can look around in nature, in human relationships, and in the marvels of the creation itself and get a view of God’s love, however much sin has damaged that creation as well as our ability to appreciate or even read it correctly.
Image © Kevin Carden from GoodSalt.com
But at the cross, veils were torn off, and the world was given the starkest and sharpest revelation possible of that love-a love so great that it led to what Ellen G. White called the sundering of the divine powers.
–The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 924.
The sundering of the divine powers?
So great was God’s love for us that the Godhead, whose members loved each other from eternity, endured this sundering
in order to redeem us. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
(Matt. 27:46) is the clearest and most powerful expression of that sundering,
of what it cost to save us. Here, we can again see the pain and suffering the Lord has endured because of our sin.
No wonder, then, that we love because he first loved us
(1 John 4:19, NIV). Of course, as fallen humans we only imitate that love, and even that imitation is often warped by our own selfishness and sinful desires. God’s love transcends ours; we reflect God’s love the way an oily mud puddle reflects the sky.
Discussion Questions:
- Though, many of us today don’t worship animals or things in nature the way the ancients did, in what ways are we still in danger of making an idol or a god out of nature itself?
- What is the role of repentance in the life of a Christian? That is, outside of one’s initial repentance in the course of first accepting Jesus, what role does repentance continue to have in the life of faith?
- Try to wrap your mind around the idea of the
sundering of the divine powers.
How are we to understand this? If nothing else, what does this tell us about just how deadly and costly sin is?
(19)
1). Though, many of us today don’t worship animals or things in nature the way the ancients did, in what ways are we still in danger of making an idol or a god out of nature itself?
a). Career, Spouse, Special Friends, Materialism, Philosophy
b). Self Centered; self righteous; hatred; unforgiving hearts;
c). Licentiousness; gluttony; malice; gossip; jealousy;
2). What is the role of repentance in the life of a Christian? That is, outside of one’s initial repentance in the course of first accepting Jesus, what role does repentance continue to have in the life of faith?
a). Important for we cannot accept God's Gift in Christ on Calvary and in Heaven as our Attorney and Judge if we do not repent; Romans 2:4 "Or despises thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leads thee to repentance?". Also see 2 Cor. 7:10 "For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world works death." And also see 2 Timothy 2:25 "In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;". So we see here it is the work of the Holy Spirit and it is serious business.
3). Try to wrap your mind around the idea of the sundering of the divine powers. How are we to understand this? If nothing else, what does this tell us about just how deadly and costly sin is?
a). I always marvel at God's Grace for one another. Let me paraphrase this in my own perception and stand corrected or edit;
(i). Proverbs 8:1-29 Jesus Christ is THE WISDOM OF GOD.
(ii). Proverbs 8:30 "Then I was beside Him, as a master workman;
And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him,". First of all this text explicitly states that Jesus was The Creator or The Word who created all things (John 1:1-4); Colossians 1:16-19. Secondly, Jesus was Yahweh's or God the Father's Delight. Thirdly, Jesus was also rejoicing before His Father's presence. So imagine the sundering to both of them,the pain and homesick of Jesus when here 35 years of separation and to me the bible text that states that to God a day is the same as 1,000 years and 1,000 years same as 1 day, then Jesus away from heaven was like 35,000 years of mourning in Heaven for His incarnation here on Earth and how was it unbearable pain and loneliness of Yahweh or Heavenly Father of Jesus away from His presence let alone the loneliness and hurt of the Angelic Host of their Commander here treated with contempt, malice, poor and rejection.
(iii). However, it is imperative that I bring this up also so we will understand the reason Jesus volunteered to come and die in our place so we understand why God took countless ages to accept Jesus proposal to come should mankind sin for SOP stated that and I have forgot the book and page number but God The Father or Yahweh eventually relented to Jesus and thus creation begun; Proverbs 8:31 "Rejoicing in the world, His earth, And having my delight in the sons of men.". Firstly, on the text verse 31, we see that even though Jesus rejoicing in the world (for it was creation), for he knew it was His earth, but also having His delight in the sons of men. So it would be sad for Jesus to see the plight of men and volunteered to come to die in our place so we can be free and go to heaven. Secondly< see how costly it would have been to Jesus.
b). the other important point here if Jesus had failed in His mission, He would have lost in Sin like us, so what an universal sacrifice, threatening His life as one of the Trinity Godhead.
c). We see here that he had traded His All Ever Presence or Omni-Presence so we can have immortal bodies in the Resurrection Morning (1 Corinthians 15: 35-58" and another interesting sacrifice of His Divinity is that when our bodies will be renewed like Jesus immortal Body in the 2nd Coming or Resurrection Morning, He will still retain His Scars inflicted at Calvary from His sides, hands and feet.
d). How caring is the Father towards you and I, especially me as I always stated before in these SSNet and SSLesson site, "who am i a worthless creature as good as a worm like King David stated that God would ever want to redeem and die in my place, a piece of garbage or cow dung? It is because of Jesus who is not only my Creator, but a very compasionate, loving caring Savior, Redeemer, Sustainer, Comforter , Attorney and Judge but the Soon Coming King of Kings who is worthy to receive our praise and worship, Hallelujah.
The cross reminds me that God's love for his people it's so great that human pen or vocabulary can not define it. It also reminds me of the great privilege granted to me to have come to the knowledge of his holy word. And last but the most important that sin it's not something we should play with, because the price that was paid to undo the damage of sin was too great. The whole heaven was placed at risk to save unworthy sinners like you and me. Glory be to our God for ever and ever! AMEN!!
the idea of the “sundering of the divine powers.”
In a way the Bible is never ending story about separating and bringing together. Of broken/healed relationships. Of Jehovah setting apart his people for himself and of the people getting together with the nations. Of Jehovah separating the water above & below the land and bringing them together again in the flood.
My choice: with whom & what will I get together?
In order for God to have a harmonious creation, the "problems" with free will would need to be confronted. As creatures, none are independent in life though we are allowed to be independent in thought and are given the ability to live as if independent in life. Only by having the genuine love of such creatures could God find eternal happiness. This created a risk which God's foreknowledge saw, and the ONLY possible remedy was conceived to meet it, and it happened on this world, and we are making our choice in the matter with each decision we make that affects us or anyone else for good or evil.
The separation in the Godhead this crisis brought about reveals the genuine regard God holds toward His creatures, and the willingness to risk an eternal separation shows the eternal importance of God's law regarding the only true source of lasting peace, joy and happiness for all. Any other pathway will result in the ruin of all. In short, the way we would be treated by all others is how we should treat them. Isn't this what God (all 3) demonstrated in the life/death of Christ?
Our comprehension of these things is dim at best, yet it is a starting point and adequate to guide us in our daily choices as the flood of light from Calvary illuminates our individual paths. Most will not love the truth, but will find pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thess 2:10-12) and will believe the lies of Satan, and thus perish with him though each one was wooed by the Spirit of God daily.
What makes the difference between the lost and saved? Faith and repentance. Until the presence of sin is no more, repentance will be our "fight of faith". It is shown in the daily surrender of our natural will and tendencies that exists after generations of transgression, and will be a great struggle for all who exercise genuine faith in the knowledge of God, and Jesus Christ whom He sent. If we would live like Jesus, a cross is required.
Anything that leads us to lay that cross down is an idol.