Justice, Grace, and Joy

The Holiness of God, by R.C. Sproul, page 128:

It is the confusion between justice and mercy that makes us shrink in horror when we read the stories of Nadab, Abihu, and Uzzah. When God's justice falls, we are offended because we think God owes perpetual mercy. We must not take His grace for granted. We must never lose our capacity to be amazed by grace. We sing the song, "Amazing Justice." Our lyrics tend to go like this:

Amazing Justice, cruel and sharp

That wounds a saint like me:

I'm so darn good it makes no sense -

The tower fell on me!

...Since it is our tendency to take grace for granted, my guess is that God found it necessary from time to time to remind Israel that grace must never be assumed. On rare but dramatic occasions He showed the dreadful power of His justice. He killed Nadab and Abihu. He killed Uzzah. He commanded the slaughter of the Canaanites. It is as if He were saying, "Be careful. While you enjoy the benefits of my grace, don't forget my justice. Don't forget the gravity of sin. Remember that I am holy."

If I find I am lacking a joyful, content, and humble heart, I have found there is no better place to turn my eyes than to contemplating the holiness of God. When I see God rightly, see his righteousness and justice, then I see myself rightly before him and am utterly amazed at his grace and kindness. The good news of the gospel can become sweet to my soul once more and Christ more dearly my treasure, when I make God the starting point and not myself.

What beautiful anticipation should fill my heart, as I contemplate at day's end the glorious undeserved privilege of walking out my next day as a redeemed child of the Holy Almighty God. He should cause me to quake and tremble in fear. But he has adopted me as his own and delights to show himself as a gracious and loving Father, in a myriad of ways each day in details great and small.

Our God is great, and greatly to be praised. May I rejoice in the God of my salvation and be amazed by his holiness and grace in each moment of each day.

photo: a view from home; November 22, 2010