O! To be saved from hell and that place from which our own works entitle us, is indeed a too marvelous thing. And any so saved will surely never cease to consider Him Savior.
But the place to be entered, where what could have been cannot enter, remains to be entered.
It is the all of God’s work delivering us into His very presence and fullness through Christ. In Christ. With Christ. Even for Christ. For He is worthy of all His inheritance.
And there, where we must learn that what could have been must in every way be let go in God’s being and doing. There is no “this might have happened” with God, no but what if, likewise…for God is, and has eternally been, and in such being always doing His will and purpose…no matter what we may construct of “but what if” other. He has never sat precariously on the edge of His seat…wondering what may or could happen. We may at times…even for what appear to us as long times, but God…? “What if” is as foreign to Him as “But what if” may be common to us.
And may God help us to not be silly enough to say “I have found a thing God cannot do…be ignorant or unseeing!” For that again only betrays our own ignorance. For just as God does not lie…He is well able (and has told us so) to send a spirit of strong delusion…even as such that is in service to His being the all true God. And so any delight in our calculations, computations, arguments (and God sees such matters have a great shininess to us) must also be turned to all dullness and dung-ness, in our sight. Yet if they seem not, even so, God’s truth is served for His right judgment against the pride they so often engender.
And if one doubts he may ask a man with many stripes if this is so. But the problem is here, that if one does not themselves already know this…they could never recognize even who to ask in such estate, anyway. Yes, God locks us in to Himself for any and all…light. Just as Jesus said “all who are taught of the Father shall come to me” even so, it remains that only those can recognize one another. They are marked to each other in a kinship also secured to them. They see who has laid His hand upon them.
No, this is not some exclusive club based upon some exclusion. It is an inclusive family made of God…yet quite peculiarly exclusive. None may enter but by one way, one door. And that door Himself suffered many stripes, though not for Himself nor His own doing…but for the sake of those called to enter. And none would deny His markings for their sake, received in service to His Father. Yet, and likewise, none would even in such recognition…even in such recognition of their necessity ordained of God His father, dare consider their own markings in any way equal to, or consequent to, the perfect obedience He displayed in their receipt. He alone remains the Christ of God, never necessity of being disabused of delusion…but us? Not so much.
Yet he treasures also these markings upon us…for He knows they have come in same ordaining and from the Ordainer of all…and of His devotion and love of that Father He will not be separated. His hand upon us in many chastenings that no less mark us…is just as precious to that Son as those which were received in His obedience…for it, and they, have been ordained of that very same Hand. The very Hand that delivers to Him, His Christ, all of His inheritance…even marked for Him.
And I do consider myself somewhat of an authority, as even an expert…in pride and presumption and its consequences. Even something of an expert in matters pertaining to shame as consequence to many doings. Yet, I speak. Prompted even. For such claim of authority and expertness holds of itself some measure, or possible occasion of pride to it…of being the the pinnacle of a something…or approaching it. Who would suffer one to go on so? God? (Do you say…”God forbid”?) But I have heard Paul (have you?) lay hold to being the very chiefest of all to himself, and I am not afraid of his company. Are you?
A wonderful part of my testimony, as God is witness to me in its wonder, is that Christ has never beaten me to death. On the contrary “but what if He did not withhold His hand?” must be surrendered to the light of “thanks be to God He does not withhold His hand!”. O, but yes…Christ’s patience with me is something I dare not despise nor enter hope of ending…and God knows to what extent I have tried it. And to the measure I may declare it inexhaustible is no less to the same measure I do not recommend going about to try it…but rather seek its inexhaust-ability, for there we will find more than enough of which His patient hand is more than willing to disabuse in any and all misapprehension(s). Yes, He is (I pray you find) far more patient than what we of ourselves would consider “very patient”…and of which we must be disabused for such delusion(s). By a hand.
And I have so easily thought (in all presumption) that the reaching the end of my patience…was no less the same, and right in experience and justification (to myself) as signal He has reached the end of His. Ha! What God may bear I have so often and presumptuously thought linked to all experience of my own…imputing my own patience to Him, rather than receiving the light of His. But wisely He has chosen (I also declare) to make the consequences of such awkward and erroneous calculations and suppositions hit a place they are not easily forgotten…a place where I live. And live only because…Christ has never beaten me to death. Thanks be to God!
So often gratitude is in response, or directly related by some proportionality to, or against such things we so hoped against happening. We are often grateful to some measure for the thing that appears to us as could happen…but didn’t. The roof could have collapsed, the car accident could have been fatal.
Or as in my recent writing…the black dog could have not been one foot from my bumper while cruising in the dark at 50mph. And God knows there is nothing wrong here…some measuring of gratitude for what did not, but could have happened. Even with experience of some cringe of sorrow at what could have been real (yet in that instant it really was quite real in that cringing). And against such…I began to consider my own “reaction” of gratefulness.
But something must be surrendered. Yes, the salvation from the hell that all my (and every man’s) own works deserve and merit is greatly to be marveled at. And grateful for without contradiction. And we might never stop in such “reaction” were it not again of some necessity of hand laid upon us…even as it was upon me in those after moments.
For where we are headed by this faith is prepared of uncreated making, not that place made “in reaction” to another, and where true gratitude (as true patience) is not at all dependent upon the measures of our own experience which is always to some, and any limit of my own consciousness.
It is not merely beyond comparison, but all that will not suffer comparison.
And so, I learn…how little I know of true gratitude that often comes only as consequence to me for the things I may see measured to me…and must learn…even if today be first start…of Him who is immeasurable.
How patient is He! Deserving of all gratitude…even if He beat me to death.
I can be shown hypocrite and liar, and would be liar if not declaring He has shown this of me.
But of His Christ?
See what He shows of Him!
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