Come, and let us
return to the LORD;
For He has torn,
but He will heal us;
He has stricken,
but He will bind us up...
Let us know,
let us pursue the
knowledge of the LORD
His going forth is established
as the morning. He will come
to us like the rain.
Hosea 6:1,3a
Parents have a tremendous responsibility in raising their children to become mature adults. At the very best all they can do is guide them and inculcate into them a knowledge that they have learned from their years of experience. It is up to the child as they grow to use that knowledge. Some do well, others not so well; but the love of the parents is not determined by their exercise of that knowledge, it is intrinsic in the parent to love their children. To do otherwise, love is not present. How do parents show love to their children? Often, as any parent will admit, they must chastise their children: "Don't cross the street without looking" and when they see the child not following that instruction, they scold and chastise the child. It is love for the child that is the reason behind that scolding, and chastisement. God is not different and as a parent He chastises those He loves. Are you going through some form of chastisement? God is there and using that event to mature you in Him and in His Son. The writer of Hebrews quotes Proverbs: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for who the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives" (Hebrews 12:5b-6; cf. Proverbs 3:11-12). God knows the limitation of man, just as a good parent knows the limitation of their children. God knew that man was made in His image and that image was and is sufficient for them to obtain knowledge of Him and of His Word, the incarnate Jesus Christ; this giving of His image to man is a true example of God's grace. Due to the grace of God man is without excuse in knowing of Him and something about Him by means of His works of creation. God knew of the frailty of man and provided more for them. He provided a Law and this provision was and is a safeguard for them and for us. God sent to man prophets, men who they knew. Man can look up to the immense heaven and by pondering upon the creation of heaven obtain knowledge of God. Man can look into the heavens and seeing the majestic works of God come to know its ruler, the Word of the Father the one who makes known the Father to all. Men could converse with holy men and come to learn and to know God, the Father of Christ. Today we have Church where this same knowledge can be learned, we have Bible Studies, Sunday School, a place where man, woman, and child can come to know that their worship of false idols are just that; false and not truth. Here is an important notice: It is the responsibility of Church leaders to be teaching the truth; therefore, as a congregant we must demand that our leaders speak from God's word and not just give their opinions, or allegorize their sermons. Many Church leaders, pastors, give great advice and the sermon is more of a self-help seminar; nothing more than some psychological counseling session. This form of teaching does no good for the congregant, oh, you might feel better but all this form of false teaching does it to incubate a lukewarmness. We need leaders that are willing to chastise lovingly the flock that they have been called to lead. Blessing come when a person is led away from just a "good life" and are taught to know the Law; the provision God has given so that we can know Him, and His purpose for the incarnation. Follow the Law, and your life will be good; not without problems, not without persecution in one form or another; rather knowledge of God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit, and the purpose God has for His children.
The love of God can be seen to be great, and good, and yet, men bow down to pleasures of the moment, by frauds, and illusions, by the influences of the evil spirits. Man from the beginning did not lift up his head towards the truth and burdened themselves and his progeny, due to their wickedness; they ceased from reflecting the very likeness of the Word. This fact begs questions for us all: "Are we allowing the world to influence us? Secondly, are we reflecting the likeness of the Word, the incarnate Son of God? What are we teaching our children? How do our neighbors, co-workers, see us, as just another religion, or do the see the resurrected Savior in our lives?
It has been written, the question as to what was God to do in face of all this corruption and dehumanizing of Man? Was He to keep silent? Was He to allow man to go on being deceived? Was He to keep men in ignorance of Himself? No! If any of those questions could be answered yes, then what was the use of creating man in the first place? Why make man in His image? What was the use of their having knowledge of Him in the first place? Would it not have been better if God had not bestowed such knowledge to man, especially if He had known that man would deem it unworthy to receive it? What profit could this be to God? Why make them to be able to worship Him when He knew that they would worship others, other things? This would be tantamount that He made made man for other things than for Himself.
Our God loves, is Love and has not left man destitute and unable to know Him. He sent men who were devoted to Him, men who under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote letters explaining and exhorting them to follow God, to know His Son. He has sent friends to visit them and to recall them to their allegiance, rather than let His work be undone. God is patient, but do not misunderstand, God's patience is not His permission, yet painstakingly with love, with His creatures so that they may not be led astray and give service to those that are not worthy of their worship, nor are they truth leading men astray and into ruin. He is present, He sent His Son to those made in His image. It is not right that those who once shared His image should be destroyed.
God being so loving and merciful, a Father who chastises His children, Who has sent His only begotten Son to become sin, to take upon Him the sin of this world, Who has salvation for all those He has chosen, and has given His Word so that His children may know Him and become mature in their knowledge of Him and their exercise of His law in their lives; what does all that mean to you? What holds your devotion? What things are giving to you enjoyment for your senses, your emotions, and not having such enjoyment due to your devotion to Him, to His Son? Are you living for an eternity with Him, or for this temporal world? When we stand before Him on that last day, the day of judgment what questions will God ask you and me? Is it the love of God that impels you to love others, to enjoy other things, because God is in the mix? The Hebrew writer in his letter gives this advice: "Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled" (Hebrews 12:12-15).
Behold what manner
of love the Father
has bestowed on us,
that we should be
called children of God.
Therefore the world
does not know us, because
it did not know Him.
1John 3:1
To God Our Savior
Richard L. Crumb
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