I was "raised in the church" as we are wont to say. It may not be a completely accurate way of expressing it, but we all know what it means. My parents were Christians and I have been in a meetinghouse with the saints since I was old enough to be carried there. I grew up going to Bible classes and memorized all the lists—the books of the Bible, the apostles, the judges, the sons of Jacob, etc. And I grew up hearing various proof texts so often I could recite them to friends at school. I will not demean any of that because, frankly, I wonder if I would have ever heard the Gospel any other way in our culture. In fact, I know others who heard it the same way I did, but who left it as soon as they were adults. That should tell us something—there is more to it than hearing it all of your life. You have to see it every day in the ones who teach you and I certainly did.
As I have grown older and more versed in the Scriptures, especially the context of passages I have always used completely out of context, I have come to a deeper understanding of things. Some of those things might cause others to squint their eyes in consternation or even be ready to denounce my being a "true" Christian. But really, if they would seek the context of who and what I am after all these years, surely they would be more charitable—or maybe not. That is one thing I have realized over the years—we are not only uncharitable to people, we sometimes go out looking for things to be uncharitable about. We are ready for a fight with anyone, even those who do not wish to participate in one.
Remember this passage? For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says Jehovah (Isa 55:8). Of course you do. Like me, you have probably used it to counter any and everyone who does not agree with us on any and every issue. That is not what that passage is talking about. Look at the immediate context. My ESV uses the heading "The Compassion of the Lord" at the beginning of Isaiah 55. Of course it is Messianic and is talking about the kingdom to come, which will no longer be Jewish only, but will contain peoples of all nations. "Nations" is what the Jews called Gentiles, just as "goy" is the Yiddish word for Gentile and literally means "nations." Verse 5 begins Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel… (Isa 55:5). And in that context we have this: Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isa 55:6-9). The higher thoughts God has are thoughts of mercy and forgiveness. Ours are so often judgmental, even damning, instead.
Before anyone jumps in, I do realize that this context also includes repentance (verse 7), but I have seen us set ourselves up as judge of whether even that is sincere or not. We go on and on about whether a deathbed confession will work, about whether someone who has failed more than once in the same way truly means it "this time." I passed on the good news of an apology once only to have it snorted at because "she didn't really mean it" when the "snorter" wasn't even there to hear it. Unlike our Father, who is anxious and ready to forgive, who looks down the road hoping to see his lost child return, we are all too ready to chuck anything that doesn't meet our own specifications as a confession, a repentance, or an apology.
I was taught all my life that it was wrong to think God could ever save anyone who was a sinner. Why it took me decades to figure out that if such were the case it would mean not a single one of us, not even those of us who think we are doing fairly well, could be saved either, I am not sure. Not a single Bible hero, as we call them, was without sin. Some were pretty awful, in fact. But because God is the one who decides these things, and His thoughts are higher than ours, we find that they are among the saved, the forgiven. Look at the sermons in Acts. Look at Hebrews 11 and Romans 4 and so many other places where those people are used as examples we should follow.
And because of that, I am willing to pray for mercy toward those many would tell me I have no right to pray for. If I am to have thoughts like my Father's shouldn't I do that? Or will we continue to be so far beneath His thought processes that we pray for judgment instead? Perhaps that is why so many of us think we have no chance at salvation unless we see death coming and can shoot off a fast prayer for forgiveness. But even that proves we understand the point—God forgives when man so often does not. Shouldn't we, as children of God, be better than that?
Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O LORD! (Ps 25:6-7).
Dene Ward
As I have grown older and more versed in the Scriptures, especially the context of passages I have always used completely out of context, I have come to a deeper understanding of things. Some of those things might cause others to squint their eyes in consternation or even be ready to denounce my being a "true" Christian. But really, if they would seek the context of who and what I am after all these years, surely they would be more charitable—or maybe not. That is one thing I have realized over the years—we are not only uncharitable to people, we sometimes go out looking for things to be uncharitable about. We are ready for a fight with anyone, even those who do not wish to participate in one.
Remember this passage? For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says Jehovah (Isa 55:8). Of course you do. Like me, you have probably used it to counter any and everyone who does not agree with us on any and every issue. That is not what that passage is talking about. Look at the immediate context. My ESV uses the heading "The Compassion of the Lord" at the beginning of Isaiah 55. Of course it is Messianic and is talking about the kingdom to come, which will no longer be Jewish only, but will contain peoples of all nations. "Nations" is what the Jews called Gentiles, just as "goy" is the Yiddish word for Gentile and literally means "nations." Verse 5 begins Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel… (Isa 55:5). And in that context we have this: Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isa 55:6-9). The higher thoughts God has are thoughts of mercy and forgiveness. Ours are so often judgmental, even damning, instead.
Before anyone jumps in, I do realize that this context also includes repentance (verse 7), but I have seen us set ourselves up as judge of whether even that is sincere or not. We go on and on about whether a deathbed confession will work, about whether someone who has failed more than once in the same way truly means it "this time." I passed on the good news of an apology once only to have it snorted at because "she didn't really mean it" when the "snorter" wasn't even there to hear it. Unlike our Father, who is anxious and ready to forgive, who looks down the road hoping to see his lost child return, we are all too ready to chuck anything that doesn't meet our own specifications as a confession, a repentance, or an apology.
I was taught all my life that it was wrong to think God could ever save anyone who was a sinner. Why it took me decades to figure out that if such were the case it would mean not a single one of us, not even those of us who think we are doing fairly well, could be saved either, I am not sure. Not a single Bible hero, as we call them, was without sin. Some were pretty awful, in fact. But because God is the one who decides these things, and His thoughts are higher than ours, we find that they are among the saved, the forgiven. Look at the sermons in Acts. Look at Hebrews 11 and Romans 4 and so many other places where those people are used as examples we should follow.
And because of that, I am willing to pray for mercy toward those many would tell me I have no right to pray for. If I am to have thoughts like my Father's shouldn't I do that? Or will we continue to be so far beneath His thought processes that we pray for judgment instead? Perhaps that is why so many of us think we have no chance at salvation unless we see death coming and can shoot off a fast prayer for forgiveness. But even that proves we understand the point—God forgives when man so often does not. Shouldn't we, as children of God, be better than that?
Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O LORD! (Ps 25:6-7).
Dene Ward
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