Wednesday, October 13, 2021

God's Perspective v. your perspective

 

After an evening meeting in a big city we all walked out to the parking lot. 

The night was dark with the only light coming from the building's doorway.


One of the people from this city looked up and said, " Look at the stars! Aren't they beautiful?"

We all then looked up. It was a lovely sight - although I only saw 3 heavenly bodies - after all, it was a big city and the light of the city would not allow us to see more. 

From that person's perspective they were blessed.

In contrast, we live in a small town in the middle of darkness. When we look up we see so many stars which we could never count. It is so beautiful we could stay out all night to watch them. Sometimes we have :o)  

From our perspective it is spectacular, but our town is in between two bigger towns so even their night's lights affect our view of the night sky.  If we were to go out in any direction far enough we would be able to see so many more heavenly bodies.

One more perspective is when we have camped in Provincial and National Parks where the sky was immense, the darkness so dark we could not see each other standing there and the myriad of stars covered the sky. Those skies were so full of stars that it made me think of the sky in Biblical times. Incredible!

*

In this small commentary I am concerned with only these definitions of the word 

Perspective: 

#1 a view of things or facts in which they are in the right relations 

#2 the effect of the distance of events upon the mind 

#3 a mental view, outlook or prospect

*

Perspective is important in all subjects but the most important subject I would like to speak about is the LORD God Almighty.

The Bible is our facts, although we can actually see and understand what God has accomplished for us and in us if we choose to look at it in His perspective:

Romans 1:16-20
"...For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse..."

"Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things...

...There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God.

For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.

For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus...

...28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.

But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God."

The study of the Bible has always been ongoing for those who seek the LORD righteously, for those who do not understand, but are trying to do so, and even for those with evil motives who may actually learn and understand God's Truth eventually. No one can ever be "finished" studying the LORD God Almighty.

The huge thing about studying God's Word is His Perspective.

**Not his or hers or yours or theirs, but the LORD God Almighty's perspective.

False teachers of God's Word can run the gamut from small errors or arrogance to blatant lies, the twisting of God's Word, to great deception and evil. 

Each of us must be aware, and we must be careful of the people we listen to, the people we follow - and the reason is because we may be following someone who has been twisting God's precious Word for their own benefit. 

What is God's perspective on how the leader of your group is explaining His Word?

What is God's perspective on who you mingle with/worship with?  

What is God's perspective on how you live, how you treat others? 

What is God's perspective on how you allow others to treat you/abuse you with their wrong perspective/their abuse against you by twisting God's Word?

*
We are all like sheep, each of us sinners. Some of us are sinners saved by Grace. Anyone of us may be taught the wrong Biblical perspectives but everyone of us can turn around and think rightly, think in God's perspective.

Get in His Word, read and reread His Word. You may not be a theologian, but you do not have to be! God's Word was written that all may come to His truth by simply reading in His perspective.

*
Who has believed our message?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,

And like a root out of parched ground;

He has no stately form or majesty

That we should look upon Him,

Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.

He was despised and forsaken of men,

A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

And like one from whom men hide their face

He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Surely our griefs He Himself bore,

And our sorrows He carried;

Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,

Smitten of God, and afflicted.

But He was pierced through for our transgressions,

He was crushed for our iniquities;

The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,

And by His scourging we are healed.

All of us like sheep have gone astray,

Each of us has turned to his own way;

But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all

To fall on Him.

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

Yet He did not open His mouth;

Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,

And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,

So He did not open His mouth.

By oppression and judgment He was taken away;

And as for His generation, who considered

That He was cut off out of the land of the living

For the transgression of my people, 
to whom the stroke was due?

His grave was assigned with wicked men,

Yet He was with a rich man in His death,

Because He had done no violence
Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.

But the Lord was pleased

To crush Him, putting Him to grief;

If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,

He will see His offspring,

He will prolong His days,

And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.

As a result of the anguish of His soul,

He will see it and be satisfied;

By His knowledge the Righteous One,

My Servant, will justify the many,

As He will bear their iniquities.

Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,

And He will divide the booty with the strong;

Because He poured out Himself to death,

And was numbered with the transgressors;

Yet He Himself bore the sin of many

And interceded for the transgressors."
*

Using God's perspective who is this passage about?
*


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jill,
This is a good Bible study. We need to be reminded of these things. Thank you.
Nelia

The Piper's Wife said...

Thank you again, Nelia :o) The stargazing perspective really stuck to me until I wrote this up. I'm praising the LORD :o)