Faith, Fear and Flames

I wrote the other day about the certainty of an appointed time for all man and the uncertainty of that time for all except God.  Yesterday I came across a post on another blog that ties in with what I have been reading in Jeremiah and the certainty of a day of judgement that is coming.  The blog is Fire and Hammer and the post was a morning devotion on Malachi 3:2 by Chalres Spurgeon.

Malachi 3:2 simply asks "Who may abide the day of His coming?"  This is speaking of when Christ will return and should cull fear in all who are apart from Christ.  Reading thru it strengthened my fear and awe of God and thankfulness that I will abide and be found thriving in that day for my hope and salvation rests in Christ alone.   But for those who have not received the gift of His salvation, Spurgeon goes on to question how they can even stand thinking of that day .... and I think the truth is they can't and that is proved out in the rejection of the truth of God's word, shown in the pride and stubborness of the hearts of men who reject the Truth - they can't and won't face it.  But that doesn't change the fact that the day will indeed come.

I also read thru chapter 36 in Jeremiah.  Thru this chapter God continued to speak the truth of a coming day of wrath and judgement, but also of His continued desire to show compassion and bring healing.  In verse 3 He asks, will they not fear me and turn from their wickedness, I will forgive them and heal them.  I don't know to the extent that they heared and turned from wickedness, but some did hear and were struck with fear - see verse 16, but when the message was brought to the king it was rejected entirely as he cut up the scroll and threw it in a fire as quickly as he  read it.  How sad?  Here was a message of love, an offer of forgiveness and healing, a message of mercy and grace being poured out by God.   Here where God's foretold wrath is more than just, God is offering to take those practicing wickedness and heal them and forgive them and bless them.  Yet this message is flat out rejected.

This story is played out over and over each day when someone rejects the Gospel, when someone turns from what is right to practice evil, as if God doesn't see or that it is ok - they are above and beyond the reach of God.  Rejecting God is played out when we sin, period.  Yet He continues to show mercy and grace - He sent His Son because of our rejecting Him, He sent Christ to die for our sins when we were His enemy.

All who have trusted in Christ have been saved from the wrath of God and given the Righteousness of Christ that fully replaces the stains of our sin.  We are in the process, God's process of being sanctified and need to continue to encourage one another, spurring each other on toward good deeds and walking in the manner that is worthy of our calling to holiness.  We need to be prepared and diligent in sharing with others, what awaits all who are apart from God and and the hope that is in Christ, the message of His Grace that was poured out at Calvary, flowing with His blood that cleanses completely.

Some may hear, fear God for they see Him for who He is and how desparate we are without Christ and turn to Him for the forgiveness and healing He offers.  For those that do place their turst in Christ that flames of fire are only for our refining.  For those that do not accept the message, but choose instead to ignore, I fear for them.