The Faithful God
October 9, 2022
We are often concerned about our sinfulness, and how that affects our status or relationship with God. We are very concerned about our guilt, and whether or not God has forgiven us. Our primary concern is often whether or not our sins are forgiven. Our primary gratitude is toward God/Jesus for forgiving us our sins.
That’s not the way the Old Testament works. They know about sin and guilt and forgiveness, but they are not overly concerned about them. They sin, they offer sacrifices, and their sin is dealt with. Forgiveness is not hard to acquire; God wants to forgive. They understand that God is vastly beyond us and our righteousness. If he wanted to nitpick our sins, it would destroy us. God doesn’t want us wracked with guilt and fear all the time, so God doesn’t nitpick us (Isa. 57.16).
In the Old Testament, sin is a reality, but God deals with it. The bigger concern is whether or not God would fulfill his promises made to Abraham and his descendants.
For us Gentile Christians, outside the sacrificial system, the mechanism for our forgiveness is not clear in the Old Testament. This is one reason why the New Testament spends so much time talking about the forgiveness everyone in Christ receives, whether Jew in Christ or Gentile in Christ. But because this grace is so sure and effective, we do not need to hold onto guilt about our sin.
We do need to be concerned about God’s promises. We do need to notice that they are slow in coming. Why has the Messiah come, but the world is not set to rights? Why has the Messiah come, but injustice is still so prevalent? Why has the Messiah come, but God’s reign isn’t everywhere evident? Is God not faithful?
Here we embrace the words of Psalm 77—has God abandoned his promises? Has God changed (Vs. 7-10)? Here we also find solace in Isaiah 59—God has seen there is no one to bring about his promises, so he will do it himself. Looking back now, we see God has worked this mighty work in Jesus, even as we wait for the fulfillment of it. God is, indeed, faithful! Here we are commissioned by Ephesians 6.10-17—we are a means by which God does this work. We are not merely recipients of blessing, but conduits of it.
Let us never forget or understate the blessed gift of forgiveness of sins! But let us also not downplay the compassion of our God—forgiving us is one of the most natural things for him to do. And let us be especially concerned for the concerns of God’s people in the Old and New Testaments—when will God fulfill his promises, and, if he’s fulfilled them in Jesus (Lk. 1.54-55, 72-75), why is the fruit not more evident? This helps lead us to God’s big concern for us, that we should be transformed into conduits of healing and blessing.
—John Coffey
