Sunday, 28 March 2010
-
How Grace Overcame Justice
Karma. The idea that every action has a natural, inescapable reaction. Every choice will be met with an inevitable consequence.
Justice. The way through which actions are answered. Rights are rewarded and crimes are punished and morality identified and made clear.The very basic principles of karma do ring true, and we can trust that true justice will always set (or keep) things as they ought to be. Yet, for many of us, that's a scary thought. For we know that, according to justice, we deserve some very severe consequences for the wrongs we have committed. And no matter how much we wish we could change what we have done, we cannot, and thus, we cannot change the punishment due to us.
This natural fact, whether we believe in God or not, is so ingrained into our very lives that the idea that we might somehow be spared from the dire consequences is like believing we can breath in space without a space suit. We are very aware of the fact that there is a right and wrong; even those who try very hard (and some very successfully) to believe that they are somehow exempt from the law still find themselves bound by this universal rule of existence. And the awareness of that fact is what scares us all the most: not one of us are exempt from the Ultimate Consequence: death.
Spiritual death. The loss of one's self. Whether you think that we will simple cease to exist entirely as if we never existed at all or that we will live in Hell in endless suffering, one thing is for sure: no one who understands the value of life truly wants to die. Why is it that we fight so hard for life even while we know our end will come eventually? Even the elderly, though healthy yet still a few steps away from their last days, do what they can to LIVE their lives. Those who contemplate suicide often do so with fear. It seems that we want to live! Yet we know that death is the final answer.
Or is it?
If karma and justice are - more or less - part of the unmistakable equation, how can we possibly have any hope?
Many people will likely respond with Jesus' death on the cross. And they would be so right! But take a look at Psalm 103:9-14.
He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor His anger forever; He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.
Even with this revelation straight from the Bible, many people will still find it hard to believe. We are so used to justice being handed out in a similar way that karma is sure to "get us". But here we see that God actually chooses to withhold His hand instead of implementing justice deserved.But what is this thing that God is doing? What is it called? My fellow humans, it's called "grace". For a basic answer, The Free Dictionary says grace is "a favor rendered by one who need not do so", and it is "divine love and protection bestowed freely on people." It is also "mercy", "the free and unmerited favor of God shown towards man".
It is in this way that God set us apart - sanctified, as the Christian term goes - from the doom of Hell. This is ultimately shown by Jesus' death on the cross, where Jesus suffered the ultimate penalty for sins He did not commit - He was completely blameless (unless you blame Him for doing good, in which case He is guilty).
But you see, God's grace does not extend solely to the ultimate consequence - that which would separate us from His presence and love. God's grace also protects us from the dangers that often come our way...even those of our own doing.
David said this in prayer to God:
LORD, don't hold back Your tender mercies from me. Let Your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me. For troubles surround me—too many to count! My sins pile up so high I can't see my way out. They outnumber the hairs on my head. I have lost all courage.
Please, LORD, rescue me! Come quickly, LORD, and help me. May those who try to destroy me be humiliated and put to shame. May those who take delight in my trouble be turned back in disgrace. Let them be horrified by their shame, for they said, "Aha! We've got him now!"
But may all who search for You be filled with joy and gladness in You. May those who love Your salvation repeatedly shout, "The LORD is great!"
As for me, since I am poor and needy, let the Lord keep me in His thoughts. You are my helper and my savior. O my God, do not delay (Psalm 40:11-17).Consider also this passage:
In Your unfailing love, spare my life; then I can continue to obey Your laws (Psalm 119:88).And in another instance, as found in Numbers 12, Miriam and Aaron, the older brother and sister of Moses, criticized Moses for something they thought was wrong but they didn't bring the issue up with Moses or God directly. God heard them talking amongst themselves. He then called all three together to the Tabernacle. God scolded both Aaron and Miriam for their critical hearts, and when God left their presence at the Tabernacle, they found Miriam struck with leprosy.
When Aaron saw what had happened to her, he cried out to Moses, "Oh, my master! Please don't punish us for this sin we have so foolishly committed. Don't let her be like a stillborn baby, already decayed at birth."
So Moses cried out to the LORD, "O God, I beg You, please heal her!"
But the LORD said to Moses, "If her father had done nothing more than spit in her face, wouldn't she be defiled for seven days? So keep her outside the camp for seven days, and after that she may be accepted back."
So Miriam was kept outside the camp for seven days, and the people waited until she was brought back before they traveled again (Numbers 12:10b-15).Do you see? Especially with Miriam and the grace God gave her. And there are many other examples, too.
There are countless things we have done that deserve the natural consequences our choices produce - karma, if you will. But because God is judge and has the authority to determine and issue our sentencing, He can also choose to see beyond the mere cause-effect situation. God is moved also by a humble heart, by compassion, and love. It is not His desire that we should suffer, but He does let us suffer sometimes in order that we should learn that our way is not the best - oh, how many times must we learn that lesson over again?
And yet here we see God stepping in and saying, "Though you should reap the suffering you have sown, I will give you a harvest to bless you, instead." God does this so you will know that He is not just a God of justice, but also a God of mercy and kindness; He recognizes our suffering even when we earned it and is moved deep in His heart. He sees our tears and cries with us. In this, He fulfills His own message given through Paul, "Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep" (Romans 12:15).
Karma is cold and merely reactionary.
Justice is fair but can result in still more suffering.
But grace allows for restoration and reconciliation.And that same grace was shown when God saw that we were doomed to suffer in Hell and immediately set in motion a plan to save us. He sent His Son, Jesus, to take our place, and Jesus willingly went, and died for us so we wouldn't have to. Karma had its way: a bad action was done that caused a negative reaction to come about. Justice was served: the punishment deemed appropriate was fulfilled with someone's death. Grace was given: Jesus died willingly so we did not have to.
This entry is part 3 of a 3-part series. Click here to read it all.
If you knew your worst mistakes or crimes could be and are forgiven by God, would that help you in how you live your life? Do you think there is anything God will not forgive you for? What does the Bible have to say about our sins and their consequences?
Related Posts
Post a Comment
- Back to revelife's Revelife Site!
- Note: your comment will appear in revelife's local time zone: GMT -05:00 (Eastern Standard - US, Canada)
About the Author
-
- From: NaitoOfNarnia@xanga
- Name: Michael
- Location: Marysville, Washington, United States
- About Me: Fun-lovin' - quiet - playful - supportive - Jesus Freak - singer - lyric writer - aspiring recording artist - single - video game nut - eldest/big brother to my two brothers - son to a loving mother - encourager - listener - future husband to a Lady of beauty - future father to unconceived children - SON OF GOD, FRIEND OF JESUS... FORGIVEN
-
True
Stats: This Week All Time Posts: 0 22 Views: 0 9409 Comments: 0 242 View all posts by NaitoOfNarnia@xanga
Comments (14)
I love justice and karma, but I'm still not too familiar with the term "grace." I don't really consider using that word except maybe in the "graceful" sense as in elegance, which I don't quite think fits under the meaning its being used here.
for sin atonement, I'm not sure what good karma can do for me? as for justice, punishment is obvious. I suppose punishment can be lessened but more likely heightened, and most definitely inevitable. however, I don't really see death as a horrible punishment.
Im not so certain this post is giving a true representation of Karma. It is actually worse that depicted here. In it's full meaning it is completely opposed to Christianity. For a good study on what it fully entails go here (www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/karma.htm). You will see that karma is in no way compatable with the Christian faith.
yeah... i'm not particularly afraid of death. i don't see it as punishment, but simply a natural end to life. every other living thing dies... why should i be any more special?
no wonder the Christian concept of salvation means nothing to me.
"Do you think there is anything God will not forgive you for?"
apparently, He'll never forgive me for not worshiping Him.
@too_pretty_to_die@xanga - You've spoken about being a Christian at one time, and I don't know how that went but apparently not too good. And I know you'll just tear me a new one if you respond to this, but it just saddens me to read such hostility directed at the God who loves you.
God is not demanding that you love Him... He wants you to. He wants to see all barriers removed between you and Him, and the main barrier is your (and my) sin nature. It doesn't matter how big or small your sin is, the fact remains that no sin of any sort can exist in God's presence. That's not God being mean, it's just the nature of reality... call it spiritual physics.
God has made the way for you and me to be cleansed and reconciled to Him - through His Son Jesus, who He sent into the world for this very purpose. He has also made that way known to both you and me. You have said before that the ball is in God's court if He wants to show you He exists. No! He has shown you; the ball is in your court, and mine.
Any intelligent person has lots of questions - What about those who never hear the gospel? What about all the "errors" in the Bible? Why is there evil in the world if God could stop it? Why doesn't God provide "proof" He exists?"
If all you do is keep throwing out questions and objections and saying, "The ball is in God's court," what do you expect Him to do? He has made himself known in both general and specific ways. He has honered His Word which says, "Seek me and you will find me, if you seek me with your whole heart."
You are not rejecting God because of your intelligence. You're quite smart - smarter than me no doubt - but there are individuals smarter than both of us who not only believe God exists, they know Him through Jesus Christ. And no, they aren't all deluded or weak minded or brainwashed, any more than you are. Something else is compelling you to resist and deny and scoff at God. I don't know what it is, but God stands ready to welcome you nonetheless. Always remember this - the ball is in your court, and the only thing stopping you from knowing God is you.
@CitizenDon@xanga -
"And I know you'll just tear me a new one if
you respond to this, but it just saddens me to read such hostility
directed at the God who loves you."
not at all. but i think you need a new definition of hostility. as a teacher of mine used to say, the opposite of love is not hate... it's apathy. i don't care enough about God to be hostile to Him. it's difficult to have real emotion directed at anything when you're unsure of its existence. it makes as much sense as saying i hate the character of Bella as though she is a real person i met on the street, because i don't like Twilight.
"You have said before that the ball is in
God's court if He wants to show you He exists. No! He has shown
you; the ball is in your court, and mine. "
the Bible doesn't call to me any more than any other religious text. actually, in comparison to other things i've read, it calls even less. so what exactly has He shown me?
"If all you do is keep throwing out questions
and objections and saying, "The ball is in God's court," what do you
expect Him to do?"
um... answer my questions? how is it my fault if He never does? that's like blaming a student for failing a class when the teacher never answered any questions he had about the homework.
the only thing i object to is the notion that my questions, and the lack of answers, shouldn't somehow affect whether i have faith. if i walked into a French class and the instructor couldn't explain how to conjugate a verb, i'd walk right out and find an instructor who can.
"Always remember this - the ball is in your
court, and the only thing stopping you from knowing God is you. "
if the ball is in my court, it's already a lost cause. if He's never going to reveal Himself in a way that actually affects me personally, then i doubt He loves me that much.
Did I just read that Jesus' death was karma?
@Cliffycliffz@xanga - Well, when you consider that God created us with the express design of living, death is contrary to His original design. Death isn't something God designed, either. It's the natural result of cutting off our connection with Him. The old analogy is when you unplug something from the power source...it dies. God is the source of life - all of creation for that matter - so without God, you're dead. And things don't get better from there. No, you live on, but it'll be endless suffering.
However, God basically set it up so that you can avoid that consequence: Grace. It's not deserved. In fact, it's a gift given willingly. God is subverting the natural consequence away from you. That is what grace is when it comes from God.
@MC_Shann@xanga - I actually used that web site for part of my series - see here: KARMA, Justice, & Grace - and I only gave a basic explanation of what the different schools of thought seem to agree on regarding karma. I wasn't trying to explain karma as far as it goes as a religion so much as explain what the karma means in terms of daily living...in this case, the cause-effect of choices/actions. In other words, karma without the religious aspect is just an explanation of how the world works. Since this post is actually the 3rd in my series, I didn't want to do a full review (since I had already done that in the link I provided you).
In it's most basic form, karma does exist - God tells us even that when certain things are done, certain things will, indeed, happen. But karma as a religion, as you stated, is completely contrary to all things Christian. So I most certainly agree with you on your point. But it wasn't karma as a religion that I was referencing at all and I will never say that it's compatible or complimentary to Christianity.
@too_pretty_to_die@xanga - The thing is, Jesus already forgave you. Forgiveness was offered to you long before you EVER knew you sinned. Before I say more, I have not forgotten the questions you asked me in the private message (I do apologize, I've been VERY busy this week - I will get you the answers you were seeking). @CitizenDon@xanga definitely spelled it out very nicely, though. God won't force His way into your life, but He has made it clear that He is real and He loves you. However, it's clear that something happened that left you feeling quite the opposite. So I'll ask you about that later on.
I'm sure Don will reply to you and he'll give you the best and clearest answers he can, but I'll also try to provide clarity for you in response to what you've told me as well. It may not be easy to see at first. In fact, some things might get even more confusing...but, if you truly want answers, I promise I'll do all I can to try and work through it all with you. I just hope you won't give up when things get frustrating. I promise, I won't leave you and walk on by...I'll help you as best I can.
How does that sound? :)
@tst08@xanga - Uhm, no, I don't know where you got that idea. I didn't say anything about karma being the reason for Jesus' death. What did I say that seemed to give you that impression? Maybe I can clarify. :)
@too_pretty_to_die@xanga - I appreciate your civility :) The thing is, God has answered those questions to some degree, and many others. I suppose it's a question of how detailed an answer is sufficient for you. We are talking about an infinite, eternal being - and already we run into qualities that can only be understood as theoretical concepts. Can we expect to fully understand His wisdom and purpose and reasoning? For every question He answers, we ask two more.
If you really are apathetic toward God, and apathy implies no real concern one way or the other, do you see a problem here - "Seek me and you will find me if you seek me with your whole heart" ??
What is the one, biggest question you want God to answer? And how would He have to answer for you to be satisfied?
@CitizenDon@xanga - An extremely good question. Have you written something about that already?
@MC_Shann@xanga - "...karma is in no way compatable with the Christian faith."
That's very true. We Christians have to want people to get something they don't deserve -- mercy over justice -- just like Jesus willed.
Non-Christians must think us odd, and, yes, it is un-natural, but then part of us (our soul) is something other that just natural. So we proudly say mercy over justice!
@NaitoOfNarnia@xanga - No, but I am curious what a person is looking for when they say God dosn't answer their questions. I have questioned God and received answers, and have learned in the process how to better discern His voice from my own thoughts or other distractions. So what do people want or expect?
@monobeam@xanga - Like I was telling MC, karma as a religion is not at all compatible, I agree. But if you go back to my site you'll see that this post is part of a series. Karma at its most basic level is simply a system of consequences. We can see that in the very way God designed the world. When we toss something up, gravity takes hold and the effect is that that something comes falling back down. When we sin, we suffer. And so on. God even said, "The consequences of sin is death." So in that light, we do see where the cause-effect principle of karma is actually very real. But when it comes to other religions, karma is as far out there as the rest. God is where it's at.
@CitizenDon@xanga - You should write a post on it then. I'd be glad to see your thoughts on the matter.
@CitizenDon@xanga -
"I suppose it's a question of how detailed an
answer is sufficient for you."
well, it's more about whether it makes sense. you can't explain calculus to a student who never learned 2+2=4, after all. and that's kind of where i stand. when i ask questions like that, i'm still playing Devil's Advocate to an extent and letting people assume that i believe something i don't: that God (or at least, the Christian god) exists. perhaps the answers already offered would be satisfactory if i did (it seems that most of them need to be taken with a grain of salt... aka faith), but i'm still waiting on evidence or persuasion for that simple reality before i can really begin to ponder the specifics.
"Can we expect to fully understand His wisdom
and purpose and reasoning?"
true. but i'm not really interested in dedicating my life to anything i can't understand, religious or otherwise. would you go skydiving before learning the mechanics of a parachute or the theory of gravity?
"If you really are apathetic toward God, and
apathy implies no real concern one way or the other, do you see
a problem here - "Seek me and you will find me if you seek me with
your whole heart" ??"
it seems to me that that verse addresses people who already believe in Him and wish to know Him better, not non-Christians. how can one seek something in earnest if one does not believe of its existence?
"What is the one, biggest question you want
God to answer? And how would He have to answer for you to be
satisfied?"
well, as i said above, the starting point would probably have to simply be showing me He exists in any concrete way. i'd be lying to myself if i ignored the simple truth that, having given up belief of God, my life became a billion times better. and regardless of what may be revealed to me, i could never agree with the notion that faith of any kind is an absolute. to me, the value of faith is personal and 100% subjective... if it makes someone happy and doesn't prevent anyone else from having whatever faith they like, go for it. but faith should always be a blessing to your life, and i think it loses whatever goodness it may have had the second the individual becomes miserable but still believes as though there is no other option.
so...
question: is God real?
answer: the best way for Him to answer it would be to show me that having faith in Him would genuinely change my life for the better. but, after having precisely the opposite happen, He has His work cut out for Him.
@NaitoOfNarnia@xanga - "God saw that we were doomed to suffer in Hell and immediately set in
motion a plan to save us. He sent His Son, Jesus, to take our place, and
Jesus willingly went, and died for us so we wouldn't have to. Karma had
its way: a bad action was done that caused a negative reaction to come
about. Justice was served: the punishment deemed appropriate was
fulfilled with someone's death. Grace was given: Jesus died willingly so
we did not have to."
Karma had its way, sin was in the world as the result of negative action. God saw that karma had taken over, trapped the world in its constant struggle for freedom from sin (or required, further, negative action).
Someone had to die. Jesus did so willingly. So, Jesus willingly caved in to karma, to save the human beings who were caught underneath it.
I suppose you didn't say exactly that Jesus' death was the result of karma, but that His death was what set the world free from karma.
Upon thinking about this, I don't have a problem with your argument, if that's what it is.