Growing up, I didn't really watch movies much. Sure, there were some movies on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and "movies of the week" on TV, but we only had six channels on our old TV set. That was before the days of big-time cable TV (only local stations then), so what was on was what you watched. My big escape other than TV? Mad and Cracked magazines (they were much, much tamer then) and COMIC BOOKS. One of my favorites was Marvel Comics, and of Marvel Comics, Iron Man was one of my favorites.
Comics were all about "super heroes". Each super-hero has his or her one thing that makes them vulnerable; their "kryptonite" to borrow from the Superman theme. But super-attributes aside (usually great strength or super-durability), what makes them special is that although they are flawed they give for the "greater good" and defend the innocent against evil and evil people.
Last week, we discussed God in creation, His Omni Attributes. All of creation, and time and space, exist within God who is omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing) and omnipresent (everywhere at the same time). God, in His ultimate power, created everything. He had the knowledge on a super micro basis to make the smallest molecule down to the protons and electrons, and quarks and dark matter, and on a super macro basis made the all creation. He knows everything about us, every move we make, every word we speak and even the intents of our hearts (our deepest thoughts and motives).
This week, we will discuss the eleven moral attributes of God. These moral attributes are:
Truth: Agreement and consistency with all that is represented by God Himself
Justice: Perfect in justice, plays no favorites
Righteousness: God's truth applied to relationships; God's law and His actions are exactly right
Holiness: Righteousness and perfection that is set apart from all other beings; God is sinless.
Perfection: All of God's attributes never falter, do not need any addition or subtraction to be correct
Mercy: The tenderheartedness of God, show in the grace of God in Jesus Christ
Goodness: Benevolence, mercy and grace combined together
Love: God seeks the highest good of humans at His own infinite cost
Veracity: God speaks the truth and is trustworthy
Faithfulness: God keeps his promises
Persistence: God is long suffering and patient
This week, we will see how these moral attributes cause a problem for the people of earth, but how they are attributes of the greatest Super Hero that ever lived and how He came on the greatest rescue mission ever.
He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He. Deuteronomy 32:4 (NKJV)
The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Psalm 19:7-10 (NKJV)
Truth, Justice and the American Way!
Ever see the old 1950's era TV version of Superman? Yeah, it was pretty cheesy, especially by today's standard. But the one thing that I can remember about the opening credits of the TV show, other than "look!...up in the sky, it's a bird, it's a plane...no...it's Superman!" was the line "standing for truth, justice and the American way!" The old Superman series promoted Superman as wholesome, just, honest and true--"The Big Blue Boy Scout" as one website promoted him.
Let's look at five of the "moral attributes" of God, ones that show God (including the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) as being so different from us that we cannot approach Him as unsaved people.
Truth: Agreement and consistency with all that is represented by God Himself. John 14:6, shows that not only does Jesus (and the Father and the Holy Spirit as well) speak truth but He is truth. God's word is perfect, (Deut 32:4) which means it is true and without question.
Since this is the case, we are judged by the truth of God's Word;
Righteousness: God's truth applied to relationships; God's law and His actions are exactly right (Deut 32:4 and Ps 19:7-11 above). God is morally upright and never waivers. We sin, as revealed in particular in the Ten Commandments.
Perfection: All of God's attributes never falter, do not need any addition or subtraction to be correct (both passages). God's work is perfect, thus He is too!
Holiness: Righteousness and perfection that is set apart from all other beings; God is sinless. The Greek word hagios is translated as "holy": "It is predicated of God (as the absolutely "Holy" One, in His purity, majesty and glory)" [Vine's]. God's is refereed to as "holy, holy, holy" (Isaiah 6:3; Rev 4:8); God is "triple holy". God is more different in holiness from us as humans are different in intelligence from a flea; we cannot stand in the holy presence of God (Is 6:5).
Justice: Perfect in justice, plays no favorites. Deuteronomy 32:4 above shows us that "all His (God's) ways are justice". God is all about justice; there is no time when God judges unjustly. God uses His truth, which is perfect as the standard of His justice. Sooner or later, God judges all sin--yours included no matter how small. This perfect justice and other attributes above cause a huge problem for us.
One common denominator of superheroes is that they have super powers to save people that are in peril. Tomorrow we will see how Jesus is THE Superhero!
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. Ps 103:8, NKJV
In brightest day, in blackest night, No evil shall escape my sight
Let those who worship evil's might, Beware my power...Green Lantern's light!
The motto of the Green Lantern above fits God's attribute of Omniscience, but the last part expresses the attributes of God's mercy toward those in peril. However, the fictitious power of the Green Lantern--no matter how inspiring and thrilling--pales in comparison to that of God.
However, we have a problem. One of God's attributes, we learned yesterday, is perfection. God's justice--even in the smallest issue--cannot be compromised. God's truth--His Word--cannot be compromised by allowing justice to be warped to allow the smallest "white lie", the theft of a quarter, the hatred of people, the sassing of a parent or the lustful look upon someone other than your spouse. In short, those attributes are a comfort in that God does punish those sins against you but He also punishes those sins you do even in the smallest degree.
In short, God's attributes mentioned are at tension--or at odds--with those listed below. God's justice cannot be violated by God's mercy or love. Let's see how God's mercy and love provided the ultimate--and only solution--for us.
Mercy: The tenderheartedness of God, show in the grace of God in Jesus Christ toward us. It's important to remember that God should send each and every person on earth to Hell. His attributes of truth, righteousness, holiness and justice demand it, and as said above, his absolute perfection requires it. If mercy violated these attributes, then God would not be God as He would not be perfect.
Goodness: Benevolence, mercy and grace combined together. God is the source of all goodness. Each and every good thing is at the hand of God, and all the good things we enjoy are from God. On the other hand, Hell is a place where good does not exist; God does not want to send people to Hell but his perfection would not just allow the evil acts we do, even in the slightest, to just "slide by".
Love: God seeks the highest good of humans at His own infinite cost. Paul wrote in Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
You see, you and I could not make peace with God on our own. No, because of the sin we do, we are criminals in God's court system. Let's not be so naive to think we have violated God's law "just a little"--which would be enough to send us to Hell--but we have broken each and every one of God's Law--the Ten Commandments. And one sin condemns you to Hell. More tomorrow.--JH
The TRUE Superhero
For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8 (NKJV)
Of course, superheroes are mere figments of the imagination in the likes of Stan Lee and others. However, we must understand that there is one thing that sets apart Jesus Christ from these fictitious characters: Jesus died for the ungodly.
Let's look at the key scripture for today, Romans 5:6-8. While there are stories of superheroes dying and coming back to life, that is mere fiction. Jesus said He would do just that, and did. But what is remarkable is that the rescue mission--rescuing men from their evil selves and from Satan--is unique.
You and I, before we were saved if you have Jesus as your Savior, had no moral strength; we were helpless to save ourselves because we were criminals in God's court system! We were "still without strength"; sin was the best thing that we could do on any day because the sin we committed infected every good thing that we did. However, Christ died for the ungodly.
In verse seven we see that it's rare for someone to die to save a person that lives a right life, and maybe--just maybe--someone would die for a morally good person. But that is the key word: MAYBE. You see, our love is dependent on reciprocation; in other words, we love others because they love us. Yet, God shows His love toward us--his agape love, the love for the unlovable, the love for the sinner who cannot stand by himself--while we were STILL sinners.
God does not expect us to get better by ourselves, and "work on getting right with God". No, Jesus died on the cross to take away the penalty and punishment of sin, and He took it upon Himself on the cross. He died for dirty, rotten sinners like you and me.
And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Colossians 2:13-14 (NKJV)
Because of the mercy of God, God the Father sent his Son to the cross to die for us. Our sins were nailed to the cross that day, each and every one. Jesus said "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13). But Jesus took that love one step further--dying for the ungodly--for you and me. Because of the goodness of God, we not only were saved but were adopted into the Father's family as a loved child. No superhero ever did this much in a fiction work, let alone the real world.
Rise
It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man. Psalm 118:8
God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. 1 Corinthians 1:9
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 1 Peter 3:20
My son's favorite superhero is Batman, and I like Batman as well. In the last Batman movie, "The Dark Knight Rises", Batman (Bruce Wayne) loses a fight with Bane, the chemically enhanced muscle-man-evil-villian. Bruce Wayne, with broken body, is sent to the same hole in the ground prison as Bane inhabited. The only way out was to climb out of this pit prison, and to leap from one ledge to another. After fighting hard to recover, and suffering two failures in escaping, Bruce Wayne rose out of the prison and went back to Gotham City to save the day.
What we can take away from this story about Batman we will see in later in the devotional, but first let's look at two of the last three of the attributes of the Morality of God: Veracity and Faithfulness
Veracity: God speaks the truth and is trustworthy "...In hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, (Titus 1:2, NKJV)
God is truthful with each and everything He says, and can be trusted. We live in a world today where a man's word is worthless; people want it in writing. God gave His word, His truth...and it is written in the blood of Jesus. (also see Ps 118:8 above)
Faithfulness: God keeps his promises. If God did not keep his promises, then He would be a liar. God is always there. We may not see Him, we may not feel him, but He is faithful and will always be there and will always forgive us when we confess our sin (1 John 1:9).
Persistence: God is long suffering and patient. God's plan of the redemption of mankind began when the foundation of the world was formed. As we saw last week, God is never taken by surprise, and God is in no hurry to accomplish His will. He is not under a time constraint, because He set time and space into being. God is long suffering--which means he is patient with us. God does not stop loving us because we have acted, well, like moral idiots. God, like the father of the Prodigal, waits for us to come around.
What can we learn from this? Jesus rose from the dead and conquered sin and death and Satan. But He took His time with you. He set circumstances into motion that brought you to Him if you are saved. And, we can rise from the pit prison of slavery to sin and come to Jesus Christ in faith. Because He is faithful, trustworthy and persistent, He will not ever let a child of god go. Join the good fight of spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ to EVERYONE
