Sin, Holiness and Wrath

The following are excerpts taken from John Stott's book "The Cross of Christ", from the chapter entitled The problem of forgiveness.


"The Bible takes sin seriously because it takes man (male and female) seriously... To say that somebody 'is not responsible for his actions' is to demean him or her as a human being. It is part of the glory of being human that we are held responsible for our actions. Then, when we also acknowledge our sin and guilt, we receive God's forgiveness, enter into the joy of his salvation, and so become yet more completely human and healthy. What is unhealthy is every wallowing in guilt which does not lead to confession, repentace, faith in Jesus Christ and so forgiveness."

"That God is holy is foundational to biblical religon. So is the corollary that sin is incompatible with his holiness. His eyes are 'too pure to look on evil' and he 'cannot tolerate wrong'... Closely related to God's holiness is hi wrath, which is in fact his holy reaction to evil."

"What is common to the biblical concepts of the holiness and the wrath of God is the truth that they cannot coexist with sin. God's holiness exposes sin; his wrath opposes it. So sin cannot approach God, and God cannot tolerate sin. Several vivid metaphors are used in Scripture to illustrate this stubborn fact."

1) Height - "Frequently in the Bible the God of creation and covenant is called 'the Most High God', and is personally addressed in several Psalms as 'Yahweh Most High'. His lofty exaltation expreses both his sovereignty over the nations, the earth and 'all gods', and also his inaccessibility to sinners... The 'high' exaltation of God is not literal, of course, and was never meant to be taken literally... The biblical writers used height as a symbol of transcendence, just as we do. It is more expressive than depth... When thinking of the great and living God, it is better to look up than down, and outside than inside ourselves."

2) Distance - "God is not only 'high above' us, but 'far away' from us also. We dare not approach too close." Examples include, the curtain in the temple/tabernacle, Moses putting limits for the Israelites from approaching Mt Sinai. "Sinners cannot approach the all-holy God with impunity. On the last day, those who have not found refuge and cleansing in Christ will hear those most terrible of all words: 'Depart from me'."

3 & 4) Light and Fire - "'God is light', and 'our God is a consuming fire'. Both discourage, indeed inhibit, too close an approach. Bright light is blinding; our eyes cannot endure its brilliance, and in the heat of the fire everything shrivels up and is destroyued. So God 'lives in unapproachable light' ; 'no-one has seen or can see' him. And those who deliberately reject the truth have 'only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God... It is a dreadful thing to fall in the hands of the living God.'"

5) Vomiting - "The fifth metaphor is the most dramatic of all. It indicates that the holy God's rejection of evil is as decisive as the human body's rejection of poison by vomiting. Vomiting is probably the body's most violent of all reactions... When Jesus threatens to 'spit' the lukewarm Laodicean church people out of hi mouth, the Greek verb literally means to 'vomit' (emeo) The picture may be shocking, but its meaning is clear. God cannot tolerate or 'digest' sin and hypocrisy. They cause him not distate merely, but disgust. They are so repulsive to him that he must rid himself of them. He must spit or vomit them out."

"All five metaphors illustrate the utter incompatibility of divine holiness and human sin. Height and distance, light, fire and vomiting all say that God cannot be in the presence of sin, and that if it approaches him too closely it is repudiated or consumed."

Meaning...

Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.
~ Ecclesiastes 12:13 ~

Like a Child

Like a Child
~ Jars of Clay ~

Dear God,
Surround me as I speak,
The bridges that I walk across are weak
Frustrations fill the void that I can't solely bare

Dear God,
Don't let me fall apart
You've held me close to you
I have turned away and searched for answers
I can't understand

They say that I can move the mountains
And send them falling to the sea
They say that I can walk on water
If I would follow and believe
With Faith Like a Child

Sometimes,
When I feel miles away
And my eyes can't see your face
I wonder if I've grown to lose
The recklessness I walked in light of you

They say that I can move the mountains
And send them crashing to the sea
They say that I can walk on water
If I would follow and believe
With Faith Like a Child

They say that love can heal the broken
They say that hope can make you see
They say that faith can find a Savior
If you would follow and believe
With Faith Like a Child

To the Mother Country!!!

My parents that is... not me...

Dropped them off at the airport today for their first real extended holiday together since they've been married. Can you believe that! Their first REAL holiday in their 26 years together!!! Geez...

3 whole weeks of the hustle and bustle of Beijing, the country sights and smells of Xian and other provinces, the company of each other... oh and the intrusion of my sister too! :P

My sis has been studying in BJ since last Sept, so this is their "family reunion"... trust them to go without taking me!!! :P

Helped them pack the car and their luggage yesterday, and geez... is my sister going to be spoilt!! Because China doesn't have as strict quarantine laws as we do here, mum's bringing over soooo much food for her! Curry puffs, cakes, biscuits, STEAK!! the list goes on and on!!!....

I reckon a large percentage of their luggage is just food for my sister!!!

Every time my family has gone away without me though, mum has always packed the freezer full of food for me... And this time is no different, even though I don't live at home anymore! :P

Takeaway boxes of chicken curry, bolognaise, beef, chicken and fish...
Dunno how if I can finish it all in that time!!!

Gotto love her work! :)

Thanks Mum and Dad!! Have a fantastic time! I'll try not to trash the house too much! :PPP

Can't we be friends??

I really like this take/twist on Jamie Cullum's album on an old Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald classic...

I think it's something that every guy (and gal) can relate to at one point or another!! :P

It's light, and funny and excellent jazz.... :)

Can't we be friends?
Jamie Cullum
Twenty Something


I thought I’d found the girl of my dreams.
So it seems, this is how the story ends:
She’s goin’ to turn me down and say,
Can’t we be friends?

I thought for once it couldn’t go wrong.
Not for long! I can see the way this ends:
She’s goin’ to turn me down and say,
Can’t we be friends?

Never again! I'm through with love,
I'm through with them!
They play their game without shame, and who’s to blame?

I thought I’d found a girl I could trust.
What a bust! Now I see the way this ends:
She’s goin’ to turn me down and say,
Can’t we be friends?

Never again! I'm through with love,
I'm through with them!
They play their game without shame, and who’s to blame?

I should have seen the signals to stop,
What a flop! Now I see the way this ends:
I let her turn me down, and say,
Can't we be friends?

I thought I found the girl of my dreams,
So it seems, this is how the story ends:
I let her turn me down, and say,
Can't we be friends?

Chasing Hard

"My soul followeth hard after thee:
thy right hand upholdeth me."

~ Psalm 63:8 ~

"To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul's paradox of love, scorned indeed by the too-easily-satisfied religionist, but justified in happy experience by the children of the burning heart."

"If we would find God amid all the religious externals, we must first determine to find Him, and then proceed in the way of simplicity. Now, as always, God discovers Himself to 'babes' and hides Himself in thick darkness from the wise and the prudent. We must simplify our approach to Him. We must strip down to essentials (and they will be found to be blessedly few). We must put away all effort to impress, and come with the guileless candour of childhood. If we do this, without doubt God will quickly respond."

"The man who has God for his treasure has all things in one. Many ordinary treasures may be denied him, or if he is allowed to have them. The enjoyment of them will be so tempered that they will never be necessary to his happiness. Or if he must see them go, one after one, he will scarcely feel a sense of loss, for having the source of all things he has in one all satisfaction, all pleasure, all delight. Whatever he may lose he has actually lost nothing, for he now has it all in one, and has it purely, legitimately and for ever."

Excerpts taken from Chapter 1 (Following Hard after God) of A.W. Tozer's The Pursuit of God.

Below is a prayer from the end of the chapter which I have made my prayer.

"O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, that so I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, 'Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.' Then give me grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty low land where I have wandered so long. In Jesus' name. Amen"

podding away



Woot!!!!!
I've been set free from the slings and arrows of smutty radio crap!!! And joined the growing trend of people living in their own secret little world. People only identifiable by the most distinguishing white pieces of plastic plugged perenially plugged in their ears! :PP

Thanks to a most generous good friend of mine (who shall remain nameless), birthday has come early for me!! Thanks C!!! Love your work! Though, i was quietly hoping for a hot pink one.. :P

But, who am i to complain?! I LOVE IT!!! Now I can listen to quality music ALL day long!

Bring on iTunes!!!! :)