My friend Brad writes that God's holiness is like a security fence that surrounds Him. He put it there for our protection.
In the Old Testament, cross that fence and you die.
In the New Testament, there's actually a gate that allows you to go through that fence, in effect, and not face immediate extinction: the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
This is why Peter in the New Testament, for example, can challenge Christians to "be holy, as God is holy."
But this fence of holiness around God is still very dangerous. Yes, Christ is the gate into His holy presence, and this Gate takes away the barrier.
But it does not take away the danger.
So:
In reading Brad's post, I see another fence in my mind's eye, a second one. This fence surrounds the fence that is the holiness of God.
Around this second fence I see ... I see something. In fact I see lots of things:
I see festivity; I see commotion; I see lots and lots of people milling around, most of them -- the overwhelming majority of them -- dressed casually. And having a good time.
It's a fair!
Over there is a booth selling buttons with "WWJD" designs on them. (That would be What Would Jesus Do? buttons).
There are many booths selling self-help books: Christian investing, Christian dating, Christian this, Christian that.
And then there are booths where experts sit and speculate on the future: there's a Pre-Mil booth; a Post-Mil booth; one is a Preterist booth that's getting lots of attention.
And look! Over there is a booth selling a big ticket item: jumbo-trons!
I see in my mind's eye the people getting hungry and looking for food.
And all they seem to be served are hot dogs and mustard.
Hey, by the way, where is that gate?
Where is that dangerous Gate?
Logos2Go
Exodus 19.12 Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, 'Be careful that you do not go up the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.
John 10.9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.
Matthew 7.14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
1 Peter 1.15-17 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.
The fair at God's fence
Posted by
David Wang
Jul 27, 2009
3 comments:
Sorry I haven't been following you these past several days. I'm swamped with one week left before the week long Old Testament Theology course.
This is so true Dave. It is a dangerous gate. The warnings are still posted along the fence and at the gate.
I really apprieciate your thoughts here and your continuation of the fence & gate picture I presented at my blog, but I have to admit I don't exactly get the second fence. I get the distractions that keep us from knowing the location of the Dangerous Gate. I get the casual fair atmosphere, the low quality fast food all surrounding the fence, but why the second fence? Well maybe I do. Is the fair created by Christians around the fence, around the gate, THE second fence?
Brad: You are right: the second fence is not quite clear. I simply meant the fair itself that surrounds the first fence -- although my description of the fair as being "around" this second fence is confusing. I hope I didn't do too much damage to the points you were making in your very good post. But while reading it, I just got this picture in my head about how casually God's holiness is sometimes taken by us.
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