Romans 9: 2-4
That I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I wish I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises.
Do you have anyone important to you? Family members? Friends? Love ones? How would you feel if that person is drenched in problems that you faced before, and you know that no one can face alone.You also know that if that person does not seek help, it will worsen by the day. God forbid, to a point of no return. Worse of all, that person does not intend to seek help. Because of your concern, the person now distance themselves from you. How many times have you felt this? It stinks does it not, this feeling? As matters gets worse and worse, what which was hope can find itself crashing and after time transformed into despair. Its funny how most of the most painful despairs that we faced are caused by external factors relating to people we hold close. Doesn't need to be a person we are in a relationship with, just needs to be someone important.
I have been watching Kamen Rider Wizard. I enjoyed the show so far for its plot and line of story. A basis of understanding to those wanting to watch, here is some information so you don't get lost in the show. Dun worry it is not spoilers. In fact, it will make sure you don't get lost in the show. This show focuses a lot on hope and despair. Everyone has a peculiar attachment / dream. Its like an underworld, personal and deep to each individual. The monsters in the show's mission is to displace that hope. Once hope is displaced, despair comes into its place and transform the person into a monster. The Mask Rider (Kamen Rider in Japanese) is a person who succeeded over despair by finding hope through his despair thus gaining his powers. the rest is a show about teaching people how to find new hope in him.
Now, here is a question then which springs up all the more larger quantities of despair pertaining to this topic. We all know how powerful, almighty and divine God is. All to clear, to be able to create an entire human race and earth, universe has to warrant him something. In Romans 9:15, it is said "... I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." What does this says? I doubt you need me to explain it. Its just the words sounds so unjust to our ears. Not to mention does that means those who rejects him are people he never chosen to be saved in the first place? Are they forever rejected from God? In fact, verse 19 :"Will you then say to me then, "why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?" thus pointing to the relevance of such argument. In fact, it does shows that this has been a train of thought. Not new either to the christian world. Listen to the response of verse 20 " But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, Why have you made me like this?" And we have it. The tricky part of discussion that I have finally entered.
Tricky is it not? Now in your mind, your probably wrestling with the idea of whether your prayers are worth anything, what is the reason for praying for these people, is God bias? At the same time, despairing for the people you love. Does it means that they will never be saved? Does it means God will not save them thus they reject him? Or the other way round? It suddenly feels like we are boxes of toys in a store. And our salvation feels like chance. God happened to picked up our box on that very day. Our friends were the unlucky ones. Worse of all, God tells us to not question his decision making.
When we focus our thoughts on justice, on righteous, we get no where. And at the end of the day, we arrive at despair. Pain. We try to make sense out of the law. We do get sense back. But with condemnation as well. Romans 3:19-20 "now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world MAY BE GUILTY BEFORE GOD. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin." This is what it means to follow the law. Gods law. Being guilty. And you and I have not a choice. Its not a matter of whether your a christian or not. Its a matter of whether your a human or not. and so long as you are, within the boundaries of what is right and wrong, judgment falls on us all. And without the grace of God, 1 word - screwed. Thus the despair for people without God by the Christians.
All these questions. Questions. Questions. Time to mind blow you all. Romans 9: 25-26. As He says also in Hosea: "I will call them My people, who were not my people. And her beloved, who was not beloved." And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, You are not my people, There they shall be called sons of the living God." How easy it is to forget the grace that first save us. Now as I close, allow me first to say this to you. Do not for 1 moment dare forget what grace was afforded to you to be saved. Neither should you forget what grace is given to you now that you remain saved.
The picture that the bible wanted to paint is not one of a call to righteousness. It is one that says the law has condemned the whole world to bits and pieces. But God is love. If you come back to him, he has in his hand, no measuring stick to measure you worth. Just arms wide enough to hug you.
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