Smoodock's Blog

What John has given us at this point is an entirely different worldview than was held either by Judaism or the pagan world. What Moses gave us was that there is a single cause for all that is. Polytheism believes there were many forces (gods) that collided and produced the world in which we live. In fact, mankind and our physical world are but a reflection of that of the gods. We don’t even belong to the real world, according to the worldview held by the great empires of the ancient world. Judaism alone taught “in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” and that he is the single cause of all that is. Because he is the single cause, it is possible to have a single Lawgiver who is in control of everything, and far from being a mere emanation of the gods, we are real, part of a real world and answerable to our Creator for what we do. This was the Law that came through Moses and the God he introduced to Israel.

John 1:17 KJV  For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

The problem is, if one broke the Law, it required one’s life (cp. John 5:45). It may be fine to know that there is but one God and a single cause for all there is who has a right to govern his creation and demand of us what he pleases, but the flip side of this coin is to rebel means death. Under polytheism there was continuity between the worlds. What happened there happened here, and what happened here occurred there. In other words, the pagan priest could act out a religious act, and if done properly would force the gods to do the will of man—they could be manipulated, if the correct religious procedure was observed. Under Judaism’s worldview, the single Creator God cannot be manipulated. He has initiated laws of cause and effect, making us responsible for our own actions. There was no such belief under polytheism. Through the Law, morality became recognizable and the world was accused of evil and became guilty before God, and if guilty, could never be justified thereby (Romans 5:19-20). So, what good is it to know there is one God, one Lawgiver, and a single Cause for all there is? If we have nothing beyond our lives in this world, what good is knowing this truth over believing the lie of polytheism?

John 1:1-3 KJV  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  (2)  The same was in the beginning with God.  (3)  All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made… (14)  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

God didn’t leave us out in the cold. He came to us, because we couldn’t go to him. He lived with us, and we beheld his glory—the glory befitting the Only Begotten Son of God. The same is our Creator. He told us he is our Way, our Truth and our Life (John 14:6), and when we know him as our truth, we are free—but free of what? Jesus, through his sacrifice, has freed us from sin and death (Romans 5:19-20). Mercy reigns over guilt and judgment. Jesus came to offer himself in our place, because that which was done under the Law of Moses could never take away sin or guilt (Hebrews 10:4-10). How could they, if God had no pleasure in them? It wouldn’t make sense if God had no pleasure in animal sacrifice that animal life would save our lives. No, Jesus came and gave up his life—a life much more precious than ours, an act of mercy so much greater than the need (Romans 5:15-21). In other words, Jesus overpaid the price of our redemption. We are free through him, and eternal life awaits us, because we trust him who has shown himself to be trustworthy. It is one thing to say he forgives us, but it is quite another to demonstrate his love for and loyalty to us by becoming man, living with us and buying our redemption with his own life. In war we decorate those among us with the highest honor, if they give up their lives for their people. We owe our Savior no less honor or respect for what he has done for us. Trusting ourselves to him demonstrates our belief that he is who he claims to be and that we can expect his mercy forever and ever.

In Jesus… “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” [Psalms 85:10]