50 million Shades of Gray?
God sees everything black and white! He has no shades of gray! God cannot abide with sin! Etc. Etc.
Too many times I have heard these exclamations. To my detriment, I have even said some of them myself. I was mistaken in my application and so is anyone who has made the same proclamations.
Let's take the easiest one first. God cannot abide with sin! This statement makes no sense. I will show you why or rather His Word will.
Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 8 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” 9 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” 12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
Seems to me that God is abiding with the author of sin and lies. You tell me.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
So if you are a born-gain Christian and you believe that God is triune and that the Holy Spirit is part of that trinity, then you must agree that God is indwelling you. But you are evil and sinful so if God cannot abide with sin, how can He be in you? One might be tempted to change the word abide to tolerate, or some other synonymous word one might use. The argument will still remain solid. There are many other verses that support my statement but these are the key ones.
Now, let's look at the first couple of diatribes. I actually agree with them. My problem is not with words but the applications. You see God does indeed see in black and white; however, we do not. Our mistake is that we assume we can see like God sees. You are probably thinking phhttt! Duh!! Of course not! Well, if you are honest with yourself, you will admit that you assume your black and white is the same as God's. Now, I agree, we are created in His image, but that does not mean we are created equal to him. We, and when I say we I include myself, too often at some level of our conscience and sub-conscience make that mistake. We assume that because we have the HS our black and white is as pure as God's. I assure, and if you think about it, it is not. We are too fallen and too minimal to see as broadly, deeply, and whatever adverb you want to use, to be able to make that determination.
So where does that leave us? His Word, again, help us, and of course the guidance of His Spirit.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
along with
Galations 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy,[d] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do[e] such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Finally,
Matthew 7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
So where does that leave us in our quest for monochromatic vision? As it is written
Proverbs 3: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. 7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
Too many times I have heard these exclamations. To my detriment, I have even said some of them myself. I was mistaken in my application and so is anyone who has made the same proclamations.
Let's take the easiest one first. God cannot abide with sin! This statement makes no sense. I will show you why or rather His Word will.
Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 8 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” 9 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” 12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
Seems to me that God is abiding with the author of sin and lies. You tell me.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
So if you are a born-gain Christian and you believe that God is triune and that the Holy Spirit is part of that trinity, then you must agree that God is indwelling you. But you are evil and sinful so if God cannot abide with sin, how can He be in you? One might be tempted to change the word abide to tolerate, or some other synonymous word one might use. The argument will still remain solid. There are many other verses that support my statement but these are the key ones.
Now, let's look at the first couple of diatribes. I actually agree with them. My problem is not with words but the applications. You see God does indeed see in black and white; however, we do not. Our mistake is that we assume we can see like God sees. You are probably thinking phhttt! Duh!! Of course not! Well, if you are honest with yourself, you will admit that you assume your black and white is the same as God's. Now, I agree, we are created in His image, but that does not mean we are created equal to him. We, and when I say we I include myself, too often at some level of our conscience and sub-conscience make that mistake. We assume that because we have the HS our black and white is as pure as God's. I assure, and if you think about it, it is not. We are too fallen and too minimal to see as broadly, deeply, and whatever adverb you want to use, to be able to make that determination.
So where does that leave us? His Word, again, help us, and of course the guidance of His Spirit.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
along with
Galations 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy,[d] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do[e] such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Finally,
Matthew 7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
So where does that leave us in our quest for monochromatic vision? As it is written
Proverbs 3: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. 7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
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