Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
Romans 11:33
There is nothing that compares to the knowledge of God, yet in our modern times we treat this greatest of knowledge with little esteem. The knowledge of God, knowing His nature, is a matter we tend to give little weight to, instead focusing on the benefits of God. Yet when God is revealed, His nature and who He is correctly and fully, from Scripture the Holy Spirit who lives in us, the regenerated Christians, our hearts burn with fiery passion.
They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
Luke 24:32 (NIV)
As we preach and teach about the nature of God we must reveal both sides of God. To only reveal one part and not the other is to malign His character. It is making an idol of God, one that is a lesser version of who He is, one that is either more tolerable to us or easier to digest to the masses.
Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to
those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his
kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.
Romans 11:22 (NIV)
Paul compels us through scripture to consider both the kindness and sternness of God. We may prefer kindness over sternness, but to not reveal both sides of the holy and perfect Creator is an injustice to who He is and to those to whom the knowledge of God is being revealed to.
According to statistics from the Barna Group, over 80% of Americans claim to be Christian but have beliefs and live as unregenerated, not born-again believers. Many only have heard or only want to hear about the kindness of God and have no knowledge of His sternness, and therefor have no understanding that they have already been “cut off.” They live as if sin has no consequence and there is no sternness in God but only endless mercy.
For others, they have only heard of the sternness of God and live in constant fear with no knowledge of His kindness and mercy. They still live under the mindset of the Old Covenant and the law, believing that their actions determine their righteousness and not what Christ has done on the Cross. They too are unregenerated, and are trying to be good by their own power, not by power of the Holy Spirit.
Not preaching both the kindness and the sternness of God produces either an unregenerated, rebellious people that believe they are in right standing with God that they’ve made in their own image, or a religious pharisaical group of people that try to make themselves holy and forces their religious laws on those around them.
Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”
Galatians 4:6 (NIV)
But for the born-again regenerated Christian, the Holy Spirit within them cries out, ‘Abba, Father,’ and there is an unquenchable hunger for the wisdom and the knowledge of God. The desire to know God fully and for God to be fully revealed is the passion of the Holy Spirit alive within.
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
“Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”
“Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.
Romans 11:33-36 (NIV)
Tony Nobles Ministry 