02/10/23 EVIL REALITIES

02/10/23 EVIL REALITIES

Imagine an almighty sovereign who has the power of life and death, choosing to pardon and adopt a few of those anarchists who openly defied him, blasphemed him, conspired against him; and imagine the sovereign ruler did it to magnify himself and show off his power and authority, rather than because he was motivated by love, kindness, compassion, mercy and self sacrifice for his rebellious subjects.

Now imagine an Almighty Sovereign Who has the power of life and death, choosing to pardon, adopt, enrich every repentant usurper who willingly and contritely calls on and trusts the Sovereign; and imagine this Sovereign Ruler provided reconciliation, at His Own expense, for the benefit of His enemies, rather than from selfish aggrandizing motives. Also Imagine that His act of reconciliation was afforded to "whosoever" and regardless of the crimes of the whosoever. Imagine that it was made available, not by caprice or fiat or on the basis of personal value, talent, exceptionalism.

You don't have to imagine, the loving, self sacrificing regent because the God of the Bible has provided salvation for, whosoever will.

Where sin did abound (in the rebellion of Adam in the Garden), the grace of God did abound in the Garden of Gethsemane, on Mount Calvary and at the empty tomb.

The work of redemption is the act of a loving God, not the act of a vindictive power hungry ruler. 

Romans 5:6-21
6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.