When a man is bitter who can console him as the burden of slight is followed and corrupted by the of contorted hope, compassion and song? When people truly believe that God is an angry Sovereign punishing out of spite they will never seek redemption, freedom from sin and salvation. Without a recognition of the wonders and love of God man is bereft of his greatest need. A walking infection of the heart a man who having been hurt refuses to accept the healing cure offered for the pains of our own making.
When we review John 3:16-21 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
If there is a desire to understand we may become equipped with the reasoning and the need for salvation, without which we may continue to view God as a mean spirited Father toying for extreme purpose with His Creation. Though it is hard for me to comprehend the level of necessary pain to arrive at those conclusions I can acknowledge misdirected anger associated with the transgressions of the world being blamed on the Creator. However, though impossible by recognition we must still attempt to reach even the most contorted heart or desperate thinking. I fully acknowledge without intervention of the Holy Spirit there neither was hope nor power at outset to convert this level of bitterness to Peace.
A man who is a nice man, by my estimation, continues to hit me with “Gotcha” questions each time we have the opportunity to chat. I pity this pattern of communication for it demands an association born of and reflecting the bitterness in his heart for which he feels that I am due contempt. I must enter each conversation not in my flesh but in full display of the Fruits of God’s Holy Spirit. Neither my compassion for the wrongs done him nor the contortion of bitterness tainting his heart may be rectified by blaming the Almighty. What men have done to us must be attributed to the sin of men, not blamed on God each time we have the opportunity to view and account for our own wrong doing.
This form of communication continues that anger, spite or ignorance to the fact that we alone created our own predicament. Without recognition of my culpability it is impossible to convince me of the need for and the delight in recognizing God’s Gift of savior. In fact, this will be compounded by my bitterness and blame of anyone or anything else but my own sin. Hating God for my problems or man’s fallen state is exactly the opposite of my need and in fact assuring that helplessness and certainty of separation.
In my opinion the church is failing at its primary function. We are meant to tell the story of the need for and the fulfillment of man’s eternal dilemma with Jesus. That is the entire reason for God’s Gift of the Ten Commandments to the Jews in the desert. Without a clear view of contemptuous behavior before God man has no idea of his plight. Thus viewing God as mean or questioning His intention for mankind demonstrates an absolute spiritual blindness to the entire plan and reason for redemption. It is easy to understand at that point why a person in this state would avoid any conversation about the Goodness of the Gospel nor pursue the cure for their spite/skepticism by searching the Gospel, praying to God or listening for the guiding hand of His Holy Spirit.
Why do I dislike this type of interaction from outset? I love this man and pray for His relationship with the God. However, the scripture is clear and no amount of thinking, works or philosophy is going to rectify is misalignment with God’s Plan of Salvation and Redemption found only through Christ Jesus. I am not meant for argument or persuasion. I am not meant for the odd pleasure of “Zinging” my neighbor in momentary embarrassment. I do not win by expressing the Gospel of my own vain imagination nor do I speak the Gospel to somehow win a door prize. This man matters to God and consequently to me. Therefore, though the attempts and expectations of the flesh aside to convince or transform must be put aside, I know that God has put us together because of His love for this man in front of me.
Shall I depart, give up or avoid the opportunity to reach him with God’s loving intention? Shall I give in to his momentary and temporary expectation associated with the brief wins of spiteful argument? Shall I do neither and remain in a paralytic position without prayer or works? Shall I become frustrated as is my fleshly nature at having failed at my human attempt to reach him without asking the Holy Spirit to miraculously intervene? Shall I leave him in his bitter, fallen and contorted state to most certainly find his end in Gehenna? What would a man with a heart for God do in this circumstance? What if any is the duty of responsibility to a Loving God?
Is the objective to be viewed in love by this man who is not known by Jesus? Perhaps indirectly. For in knowing Jesus and being known by Him would give this man, spiritual sight and seal him with God’s Holy Spirit converting him to a stone in the Earthly temple of God’s habitation. Then he would see me through the eyes of God’s understanding and reflect the love that would direct, convict and demand similar understanding. That is the reason for our endurance and perhaps worthy of any frustration. I must acknowledge that God will direct a time when decision is beyond His miraculous Hand. Until such direction I will continue to pray that he meets God and offer encouragement, rebuke, council and fellowship as Christ directs knowing fully that even in the frustration of my own fleshly inadequacy, God may defy all expectation and bring this man to Calvary’s Cross. In Jesus’ name.