33:13
God calls on both those who are near and those who are far off to observe what He has done. One of the unique features of the Bible compared to most other religions that were around is that it saw God as God of all creation, of all the earth. Christians are often criticised for saying that Christ is the only way to God, for claiming a uniqueness. Such thinking is man-centered thinking, not God centered thinking. And the uniqueness of God and of Christ is good news for all, for it means His salvation is for all. All people can be saved by believing in Christ. It is significant here that God calls on both near and far to acknowledge Him. He calls on those nations that did not know Him, but the nation that should have known Him was utterly ignorant of Him.
33:14
If the people in Zion did recognise their sinfulness then they would be terrified, for they would know that they had sinned against the Lord. Those who were far off would recognise the greatness of God, and so they would tremble. There would be a right fear of God, knowing that He is great and holy, and we are not. So much of what passes for evangelism today is preaching a cosy gospel, being afraid to mention sin and guilt, for it might scare some away. This is not a Biblical approach, for Biblical preaching will sometimes confront people with the reality of sin.
No comments:
Post a Comment