From me to you Part 9: it’s weird how some turn to God and others do not

CONTEXT: Paul is deeply committed to his people. He’s always been a devout Jew, committed to upholding the values and traditions of the Jewish faith. His involvement in persecuting Christians as a young man stemmed from a burning desire to protect the Jewish religion from the subversive teachings of this guy who claimed to be the Messiah, Jesus. His whole world was rocked when he met the living Jesus on that Damascus road. He could no longer deny that Jesus was the way, the truth and the life, even if this Jesus would revolutionise the way he understood and felt about his Jewish tradition.

Now his heart goes out to all those Jews who have not experienced that enlightenment about Jesus, all those who will not and cannot understand the role of Jesus in the Jewish tradition. Through Jesus, the one true God is moving his relationship with His people to a whole new level. If only they would see and understand that…

EXCERPT: Romans 9:1-11:10

FROM ME TO YOU:

I wish people around me – the people in my world who are special to me – could see and understand the transforming power of Jesus in their lives. I’ve never understood how some people seem to be genuinely searching for God and yet God doesn’t seem to reveal himself to them. I’ve never got that. God doesn’t make it easy for people to follow Him. Does God actually choose to reveal Himself to some people and not others? Is that how it works? Not that I have any right to question God and the way that He does things. I don’t understand, but how could I ever understand the ways of the one true God, the Creator of the whole universe?

We are all objects of God’s mercy. If He has chosen to reveal His love to us, it’s not because any of us has done anything to deserve that love and grace and mercy. We can so easily get caught up in believing that we have somehow deserved this, that we are special in some way because God chose us. People try so hard to reach God through their own efforts, by jumping through hoops and doing good works. It doesn’t work that way. We cannot earn this relationship with God. None of us can. Grace can only be grace if it is not based on any good works.

In some ways, it’s gloriously simple. We just have to believe in our hearts that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and speak that faith with our mouths. Of course, in reality, that faith in that which we cannot see and touch is far from simple. God promises to be there for all who call on Him. We don’t understand the how and when and where and what of that promise, but we have to believe in the reality of it, because God is faithful and will not ever let us down.

It makes no sense how some people turn to God and others do not. Two people can hear the same things, experience the same things, be brought up in the same family and yet respond completely differently. 

We live in a Christian nation. But don’t for a moment think that that counts for anything in God’s eyes. There are plenty of people all over the world living out their faith in a much more authentic way then we do in this country. When God looks at each one of us, he doesn’t see the passport or skin colour or Sunday School certificates or Christening photos. He sees the heart. With God, it’s a level playing field. Nothing about when and where we are born gives us an advantage or head start in our relationship with God. Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s about a dramatic conversion or a great testimony or an act of healing either. None of us are superior to anyone else when it comes to God. The sooner we realise this, the better. 

None of us can ever know the mind of God. None of us can tell Him what to do. None of us should ever believe that we know better than God.

We have to find a way to trust that God knows what He’s doing. He is God and God is love and love wins. That’s all we need to know.

Yours,

Hx