Orange Moon Tuesday, July 11, 2023 "True To Himself"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…

"True To Himself"

   

"He is faithful to us, most certainly.  He is most faithful, however, to His character, nature, and way."

                                  

      Every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ sometimes wonders "Why?"   That is, God's working in our lives, the lives of others, and in the world flummox us.  The Psalmist felt such confusion, and on a number of occasions questioned his Lord.

    "Why standest Thou afar off, O LORD?  Why hidest Thou Thyself in times of trouble?" (Psalm 10:1). 

    Of course, God does not hide Himself in times of trouble.  "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1).  David, however, felt as if the Lord had turned far away, and thoughts coursed through his mind that for all the world seemed to confirm that God was anything but "very present."  Among the reasons he could feel and think this way, as do we all at times, God's integrity provides one primary answer.

    "Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God, to declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of Him which believeth in Jesus" (Romans 3:24-26).

    In fulfilling His great desire to provide salvation from our sins, our Heavenly Father had to remain true to Himself and His character.  He could not forgive us by fiat, but rather by fury.  Sin had to be judged, the righteous wrath of God against it expressed, and someone had to suffer and die for mercy to be offered and received.  Our Lord had to remain "just" in order to righteously be our "justifier."  The LORD is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works" (Psalm 145:17).  This led to the horror of Calvary, where God smote the Son of His eternal love with fiery judgment against sin and sins (II Corinthians 5:21; I Peter 2:24).  Yes, of all the truth communicated by the cross, none more sounds and resounds: "True To Himself."

    The principle applies in everything God does.  His desire to bless us with happiness must always correlate with the maintaining of His holiness.  In our present life, this means He will often act in a manner beyond our understanding, and beyond our natural perception of blessedness.  Our Father has a lot of irons in the fire, as it were (trillions of them, in fact).  All have to flow with the current of righteousness in what He does and how He acts.  Thus, He must sometimes allow and/or administrate challenges in our lives that will elicit "Why?" in our minds, and even more, painful perplexity in our hearts.  If ever for a moment our Father acted sentimentally rather than righteously, allowing for even the briefest compromise of His character (an impossibility, thankfully), He would no longer be who He is.  And we would have no hope.

    "Just and the justifier."  In our salvation, God revealed to us the moral integrity that governs His every protocol and action.  He will forever be who He is, and He will forever act accordingly.  Presently, this will often mean difficulty rather than delight in our lives.  It will also confirm to us a truth unsurpassed in importance.  "God is faithful" (I Corinthians 1:9).  He is faithful to us, most certainly.  He is most faithful, however, to His character, nature, and way.  Amid the pleasant and painful times of our lives, let us remember this truth that will accentuate the blessedness of His blessings, and assure us when His hand administers and allows trials and tribulations.  

"He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself."

(II Timothy 2:13)

"As for God, His way is perfect."

(II Samuel 22:31)

Weekly Memory Verse

    "Knowledge puffeth up, but charity (love) edifieth." 

(I Corinthians 8:1)

    

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