“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” [1]
You should always be suspicious of the one who claims superior knowledge. Should he claim to know the deep secrets of God, RUN! Don’t debate the issue, just run! There are things that God has chosen not to reveal. You don’t know the time of your death, nor the means by which you’ll die. You have no control over those events. No person knows the timing of Christ’s return, though we are assured that He shall return. We cannot know the state of an individual’s heart, though we are responsible to be discerning. How a person lives does expose their character, but character can change.
There is so much about God, about what He does, that we do not know. What we do know about God is what He has chosen to reveal. However, God has hidden from us much about which we might be curious. How could it be otherwise? God is infinite; we are finite. God has called all things into being; we are able only to think His thoughts after Him. We cannot anticipate what God will do—much less imagine why He chooses to do the things He does. If we attempt to reason through the challenge of knowing God’s actions, we discover, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God.”
THE SECRET THINGS — I’ve already mentioned some things that God has not revealed—the timing of your death, the means by which you shall die, the timing of Christ’s return, and the state of another’s heart. There is so much that we don’t know, so much that we cannot know. God knows, but He has not revealed to us those matters. Undoubtedly, there are many other things that we cannot know. And we should take time to consider why it is important not to know some things.
Among the Proverbs is one which speaks of things the writer does not understand.
“Three things are too wonderful for me;
four I do not understand:
the way of an eagle in the sky,
the way of a serpent on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
and the way of a man with a virgin.”
[PROVERBS 30:18-19]
To be certain, these are facets of life that still puzzle us. “The way of an eagle in the sky” speaks of the manner in which the bird knows the updrafts and currents that allow it to move effortlessly through the sky. Perhaps we can explain in part what is going on, but we don’t really understand how the bird knows where those currents are nor how to take advantage of the updrafts. Apparently, God has performed some pretty amazing work in creating these marvellous birds.
Agur son of Jakeh also speaks of “the way of a serpent on a rock.” We can describe scoots on a snake and the sinuous movement as it passes over the rocks, but we don’t fully understand how these marvellous creatures manage to move as they do. My wife showed me a picture of a snake on the side of a house from which a cousin had just emerged. How the rat snake managed to climb up a seemingly smooth surface to hang around as it did seem beyond comprehension.
The writer speaks of how difficult it is to understand “the way of a ship on the high seas.” We have a somewhat better understanding of ocean currents and oceanic thermoclines, but we are not yet able to predict with any degree of accuracy how these currents move or describe the changing thermoclines.
Then Agur confesses his mystification at “the way of a man with a virgin.” Why do women think as they do and how to they work through the challenges they face? What leads a woman to fall in love with a man that is unworthy of her love, and how does she manage to transform a rough man into someone of whom she can be proud? I suggest that this is still a mystery.
It is somewhat like the old story of the man who found a bottle on the seashore. He rubbed the bottle to remove some of the grime that had accumulated over the years, and LO and BEHOLD! A genie appeared. As the story goes, the genie offered to fulfil any wish the man might make.
The man pondered this opportunity for a bit, and at last he said, “You know, I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii, but I’m afraid of flying and I don’t like being on ships. Build me a bridge that will allow me to drive to Hawaii.”
The genie is somewhat puzzled at this request, but he finally responds, “There are some things that even a genie cannot do. We can’t build a bridge that long. Nope, I just can’t fulfil that request.”
The man was obviously disappointed, but the genie did say that he would give the man another opportunity. So, after some time, the man said, “You know, I’ve always wanted to understand women. That is my request, enable me to understand women.”
The genie immediately responded, “Did you want that bridge to be two-lane or four-lane.”
Let’s talk about some of those matters that were mentioned as “secret things” during the introduction. The date of one’s death is not known. Oh, I understand that in our modern mindset, we imagine that we are able to take control of our lives. If things appear difficult, we believe that we should be allowed to find a physician who will ensure that we die “peacefully.” However, in the main, none of us know the date of our death. And if we do actually succeed in finding a physician willing to kill us, the years that preceded that date were filled with … what? We have no control over those matters.
It is good not to know when we shall be compelled to grapple with the last enemy. The lack of knowing when this shall be impels us to seek to make a difference. Those who do not think about death, who do not face their own mortality, are surrendering a great tool for driving the individual to succeed in life. If I don’t know the day of my death, and I know that I must one day set aside this tent we call a body, then it is a constant reminder that I have a finite time to accomplish anything of eternal worth. The modern concept is to avoid thinking about death, but it is good to remember that we are mortal, that we must one day die. It is good to realise that we must all appear before the Judgement Seat of Christ to give an answer for what is done in the body.
It is not possible to know beforehand the means by which one will die. Just as the date of one’s death cannot be known beforehand, so it is that the means by which the individual shall die cannot be known with certainty. Even when one contemplates taking his or her life, there is no guarantee that an auto crash will not occur first, inflicting such horrendous injuries that the individual cannot live. Even such a small thing as an allergic reaction may cause anaphylaxis and ensure that the individual suffocates.
Amos, that rude Prophet from Tekoa, pens a scenario that speculates what it is like for the individual who imagines that they know the day of the LORD. What he writes could just as easily be applied to the individual thinking she has knowledge of the day of her death.
“Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD!
Why would you have the day of the LORD?
It is darkness, and not light,
as if a man fled from a lion,
and a bear met him,
or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall,
and a serpent bit him.”
[AMOS 5:18]
That is a graphic description of the uncertainty we face. Though Amos is cautioning against wishing for judgement, the picture does remind us that we have little certainty.
We do not know how we shall die. This is knowledge to which we are not privy. Therefore, we should prepare to die, living in such a way that we are not ashamed to meet God. Is this not the thrust of Paul’s instruction delivered to the saints in Corinth? “We know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
“So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” [2 CORINTHIANS 5:1-10].
I emphasise the truth that because we don’t know when we must set aside this flesh and because we cannot know how we shall die. The conscientious follower of the Christ will allow this lack of knowledge to drive him to keep short accounts with God. We who follow the Risen Son of God are assured of the necessity to so live that we are not ashamed at the prospect of meeting Him. We recall that the Apostle John has written, “Little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.”
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is” [1 JOHN 2:28-3:2]. Knowing that we must die, and knowing neither the timing of that death nor the means by which we shall die, should drive us to live to glorify the Lord. We should be humbled by our lack of knowledge and prepare for what must surely take place.
Another thing we cannot know is the basis on which God chooses an individual to come to life in the Beloved Son. Moving from the subject of death that discomforts so many of us, let’s think about how God elects the redeemed. That God does elect to salvation is a difficult truth with which we struggle. We confess that God is sovereign, and we also confess that God is a God of order. The concept of order would suggest that there is reason behind God’s election. However, we cannot know the rationale for such choice unless God should reveal it; and He has not chosen to tell us the basis for election.
Paul poses this puzzling situation when he writes, “It is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but ‘Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.’ This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. For this is what the promise said: ‘About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.’ And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—she was told, ‘The older will serve the younger.’ As it is written, ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated’” [ROMANS 9:6-13].
Here is the mystery—since God chooses on a basis known only to Himself, then why must we testify to His mercy? Why must we proclaim the Gospel of Christ? We are responsible to be faithful—for the sake of the elect! This is precisely what the Apostle writes to Timothy. “I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” [2 TIMOTHY 2:10].
Humility in the face of our lack of knowledge and in the fact that we cannot know the mind of God in this issue, should impel us to witness to all! For some will be saved. It was D. L. Moody who said, upon being challenged about perhaps seeing some of the non-elect being saved, “It’s God’s business to elect whom He wills; but I can nominate anyone.” That is the issue precisely! We are instruments of righteousness declaring the message of life. Some, hearing our testimony, will believe and be saved. God receives the glory and we see precious souls brought into the Kingdom.
We don’t know the state of another’s heart. Indeed, we are only barely able to know our own heart! This knowledge flows from the previous matter of not knowing the basis on which God chooses to life. Because we can’t really know the heart of others, we must not grow discouraged when some stray from following the Lord. Some do appear to walk with us for a while, and then drift away. Such desertions are disheartening, but the actions reveal the heart. John writes of such deserters, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us” [1 JOHN 2:19].
Jesus spoke a powerful truth when He confronted the Pharisees on one occasion. Jesus excoriated these religious frauds, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God” [LUKE 16:14-15]. Superficially, the Pharisees appeared righteous, holy, pious; but God knows the heart. We struggle to know the heart, but God knows what we cannot know.
We recognise phony religious leaders on the authority of Christ’s own words. Jesus warned disciples, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits” [MATTHEW 7:15-20]. However, no one can know the heart. We cannot distinguish one who is deceived from one who seeks to deceive.
Again, knowing that we don’t know the heart should make us humble before the Lord. When desertions happen, and they will occur, we must be humble before the Lord. We do not hate those who desert, but neither do we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by those claiming that they “used to be a Christian.” Their conclusions and their rationale has no bearing on what we do as we pursue the path Christ has appointed us to walk. We seek to glorify Him and not to allow them to push us out of our lane.
Again, we know nothing of the timing of Christ’s return. We are assured that our Master will come again—He has promised repeatedly that He shall do so; but He has not chosen to divulge the timing of that return. Jesus has cautioned His followers not to be caught napping in respect of His return, but the timing of that return is hidden from us. “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake” [MARK 13:28-37].
These are some of the things that cannot be known. However, we are told that God has revealed some things for our benefit and for the benefit of our children. There are truths that are known, and we should seize these truths and act on the knowledge that the Living God has revealed to His people.
THE THINGS THAT ARE REVEALED — The text informs us that some things are revealed; and these things belong to us and to our children forever. That which God has revealed is given to mankind so long as we live on the earth.
It is humbling to realise that reading the Word has stimulated searching out what God has done on many occasions. Knowledge for mankind has been advanced through contemplating the things God has written. For instance, the concept of the earth as a globe was suggested to people in Europe as they read what is said in ISAIAH 40:22.
“It is [God] who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;”
The wording, “the circle of the earth,” capsulated the reason one could watch objects arise on the horizon as they moved toward the observer, and why objects might appear to drop down as they moved away from the observer. This was especially evident as ships sailed on the horizon of the sea.
The presence of sea currents was suggested to American naval officer Matthew Maury as he read the Word of God. He read in the Psalms,
“You have given [man] dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet,
all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.”
[PSALM 8:6-8]
Because he believed the Bible to be accurate, he reasoned, “If there are paths of the seas, they it must mean that they can be discovered. If such paths exist, then they should be able to be utilised to make travel by ship easier.” [2]
Let’s think of some things that are revealed that cannot be denied, things that are not obscured, not hidden. Here is something that is essential for all people if we will know peace with God. God has revealed His grace toward sinners. As he opens the Letter to the saints in Corinth, Paul begins by writing, “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” [1 CORINTHIANS 1:4-8].
Did you notice that “the grace of God” was given “in Christ Jesus.” All the benefits because we are followers of the Christ of which we speak so very often are precisely because we are in Christ Jesus! The grace of God is revealed in Christ Jesus!
Writing Titus, Paul makes a great statement when he writes, “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” [TITUS 2:11-14].
The grace of God brings salvation, and that salvation—with all the associated benefits it brings—is revealed in Christ Jesus. Jesus, the Son of God, is the embodiment of God’s rich grace. All that flows from our being in Him is a revelation of divine grace.
Allow me to point to another instance of the grace of God revealed in the sacrifice of the Saviour. The writer of the Letter to Hebrew Christians observes, “We see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
“For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers” [HEBREWS 2:9-11].
It was the grace of God that ensured that Christ the Lord would taste death for everyone. No human is beyond the grace of God, because Christ has provided for the salvation of all. Not all will receive that salvation, but those who do come to Him in faith will receive the forgiveness of sin. This is the reason that the Apostle has written, “To this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe” [1 TIMOTHY 4:10]. Salvation is provided for all, but not all will avail themselves of what is freely offered. The grace of God is rejected by many.
There is this point that must be made concerning the grace of God. In the passage just cited from the Letter to Hebrew Christians, the writer stresses our family connection. Christ the Lord, the revelation of the grace of God, calls us who believe “brothers.” Ladies, don’t get offended. The emphasis is upon the family connection, and especially as that connection ensures an inheritance.
That this is the case becomes evident from even a cursory review of what is written in the Letter to the Churches of Galatia. In that letter, Paul writes, “As long as he is a child, [the heir] is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God” [GALATIANS 4:1-7].
God wants all who believe to realise that they are heirs of God, just as we read elsewhere. “You did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ” [ROMANS 8:15-17a].
God has revealed His mercy to mankind. This is the second great revelation that is known to mankind. Looking back at his former life, Paul is open about what he was. However, the Apostle is equally quick to confess that it was divine mercy that transformed his life. “I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” [1 TIMOTHY 1:12-17].
Each Christian can testify that God found us in our sinful condition, but He did not leave us in that state. He redeemed us, gave us His Spirit, and began the process of transforming us into the image of His Son. This is the basis for the Apostle’s plea to all who follow the Lord to endeavour to honour Him with a holy life. Paul writes, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” [ROMANS 12:1-2].
Here's an aspect of mercy that we sometimes take for granted. Writing the saints in Corinth, Paul begins one portion of his instruction with this notation, “Having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” [2 CORINTHIANS 4:1-6].
The Apostle makes it clear that he understands that the service he renders is by the mercy of God. Apply that to each child of God, recognising that whatever ministry we receive from those who share this holy faith is evidence of God’s mercy. God does not need any of us to accomplish His will; and yet, He uses mere mortals to accomplish His will. He uses men and women to minister in His Name and to glorify Him. Each child of God, serving others within this Holy Faith, is a revelation of the mercy of God.
God his revealed His kindness to each of us who share this service today. God is characterised by kindness. For this reason, the Word teaches that His people are expected to reveal kindness. For instance, one of the fruits of the Spirit—the graces reflecting the character of the Lord in His people—is kindness [see GALATIANS 5:22-23]. When Micah reveals the LORD’s expectation of His people, he emphasises kindness. Here is what he writes,
“He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?”
[MICAH 6:8]
Kindness is a major characteristic of the Living God. Paul challenges those who would judge the piety of others by pointing to God’s kindness, writing, “Do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance” [ROMANS 2:4]? So God’s kindness is meant to lead us to repentance!
In his letter to Titus, Paul reveals that it was the kindness of God that revealed the salvation of Christ the Lord. The Apostle has written, “When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” [TITUS 3:4-7].
God has revealed His will to any and to all who are willing to accept what He promises. Time is moving rapidly to the conclusion, but we must note that the will of God for all people to be saved has been revealed. Listen to Peter, who has written, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” [2 PETER 3:9-10].
This is a powerful restatement of that justly famous verse that is known throughout the world, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” [JOHN 3:16]. God’s will is the salvation of lost souls.
God has revealed His will for His people. God wills the salvation of sinners, and when we are saved, God has revealed His will for His redeemed saints. Have you not read Paul’s plea? “This is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you” [1 THESSALONIANS 4:3-8].
GOD’S PURPOSE — Why should God hide some matters from us? The answer to this question is actually within the context of the text. Look again at what is written and where this statement occurs. Moses’ words appear almost as a throwaway line. The LORD had reminded the people of His mercy and deliverance and how He has judged the nations who stood opposed to His people. Then He made this statement that is our text.
After making the statement, the LORD turned His attention to the potential for continued blessing of those whom He had delivered or the potential for devastating curses. Whether the LORD blessed His people or cursed them depended upon the people themselves. God cautioned the people of the vital importance of keeping Him in the forefront of their minds. To fail to remain focused on the God who delivered them would be to fall back into the trap of imagining that they can somehow deliver themselves. They would need to be watchful that they avoid drifting into a state of assuming that the blessings they enjoyed were somehow their due. All they were now enjoying was by grace. They would need to be careful not to begin to think that they were stronger then they were—they were facing and would continue to face strong enemies. In short, the Lord GOD was warning the people to bear in mind that He is sovereign. He was cautioning the people to remember that He is not obligated to them, either to inform them of what He is doing or why He is doing what He does.
We must not suppose we are wiser than the Lord. Recall the Apostle’s teaching, “Live in harmony with each other. Do not be arrogant, but associate with humble people. Do not think that you are wiser than you really are” [ROMANS 12:16 ISV]. Focus on that final admonition: “Do not think that you are wiser than you really are.” You are not wiser than God, and you must not imagine that you are sufficient in yourself to deliver yourself from the challenges of daily life. We need the LORD!
The knowledge that we don’t have all the answers compels us to look to the Lord. The fact that we still face powerful enemies—as a culture, as a society, as a congregation, as individuals—demands that we look to the Saviour to be our strong Defender. But to whom will you turn if you do not have this strong Defender on your side? Where will you look if Christ is not your Saviour? You must know, “We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” [2 CORINTHIANS 5:20-21]. Of course, the Apostle concludes that presentation with this urgent plea to receive the gift of salvation that is offered in Jesus as Master: “Behold, now is the favourable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” [2 CORINTHIANS 6:2b].
The Son of God received in Himself the punishment you deserve for your rebellion. He is prepared to receive all who look to Him for life. Believe Him and be saved even today. Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] A brief account of this man can be found at Geoffrey Grider, “Oceanographer Matthew Maury Discovered Ocean Currents by Believing the King James Bible,” Now The End Begins, https://www.nowtheendbegins.com/oceanographer-matthew-maury-discovered-ocean-currents-reading-psalm-8/, accessed 2 September 2019; Dive and Discover, “Mapping Current Patterns In the Oceans,” https://www.nowtheendbegins.com/oceanographer-matthew-maury-discovered-ocean-currents-reading-psalm-8/, accessed 2 September 2019
