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La gracia es ciega... Grace is blind...

12/16/2018

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​TIEMPOS OSCUROS en el desierto… Balaam el “profeta-en-venta,” confraternizando con los enemigos de su pueblo (Israel). Aun así, una proclamación inesperada en su segundo encuentro con Balac sobre Dios y la situación actual:

“No ha notado iniquidad en Jacob, Ni ha visto perversidad en Israel. Jehová su Dios está con él, Y júbilo de rey en él.” (Números 23:21)

¿En serio? ¿Nada malo sucedía en Israel?

Dios no ignoraba el comportamiento incongruente de Israel, su propensión a la idolatría, o su memoria corta sobre las liberaciones anteriores. Aquí hay una prueba más de que el pacto de Dios con su pueblo no depende de su pueblo.

“No ha notado iniquidad en Jacob, Ni ha visto perversidad en Israel.”

No es que Dios pase por alto el mal comportamiento de sus hijos. No ha perdido el control de su familia. No carece de la fuerza moral para castigar su rebeldía. No es un padre ausente.

Simplemente quiere decir que no romperá—no podrá romper—el pacto que hizo con su pueblo. Dio su palabra. Hizo juramento. Este pueblo siempre será su pueblo.

“Mis ovejas oyen mi voz, y yo las conozco, y me siguen, y yo les doy vida eterna; y no perecerán jamás, ni nadie las arrebatará de mi mano.” Juan 10:27-28

Si construimos nuestras vidas de arriba hacia abajo, empezamos con Dios y sus promesas. Dejemos a un lado nuestra subjetividad… nuestros sentimientos, dolor, inseguridades, y fracasos. Así veremos qué tan incondicional e inclusivo es el pacto que Dios hizo con nosotros mediante el sacrificio y la resurrección del Hijo.

Judicialmente, nuestro caso ya se presentó en los tribunales y nos declararon inocentes. No habrá un segundo juicio. Ya no hay nada que juzgar.

Si somos de Dios, nunca podremos nuevamente no ser de él. No podemos salir. No podemos fallar de tal modo que nos eche fuera. Dios no nos olvidará. No nos abandonará. Nadie nos quitará de su mano.

Satanás nos conoce más o menos bien. Sabe por dónde hallar nuestras fallas. Quiere que Dios nos eche fuera. Pero, Dios nos conoce mejor. Él ya ve todas nuestras fallas. Aun así, Dios nos mantendrá a su lado. Él promete lo que Satanás no puede. Bueno... Satanás prometerá lo que quiera, pero no cumplirá: “porque es mentiroso.” (Jn 8:44)

Percibimos nuestras aflicciones temporales como un lastre constante para nuestro andar espiritual. A veces, lo que sufrimos y sentimos va contra toda lógica cuando pensamos en confiar… o descansar.

Pero, si nos permitimos abrazar el pacto que Dios hizo con nosotros, podemos descansar y ser gozosos. A pesar de todas nuestras fallas y rebelión, no nos ha desechado.

Siempre hay esperanza, el consuelo de su apapacho, y la posibilidad de llevar fruto. Ya hemos sido aceptados en el Amado. (Ef. 1:6. En Cristo, ya somos más que vencedores. (Rom. 8:37)

¡Cobra ánimo! ¡Aun hay "júbilo de rey” en el pueblo!

​DARK TIMES in the desert… Balaam, the resident “prophet-for-hire,” consorting with his people’s (Israel’s) enemies. Yet, what an unexpected proclamation in his second oracle about God and the real state of affairs:

"He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, Nor has He seen wickedness in Israel. The LORD his God is with him, And the shout of a King is among them. (Numbers 23:21)

Seriously? Nothing bad was happening in Israel?

God was not unaware of Israel’s incongruous behavior, their propensity for idolatry, or their short memory about past deliverances. Here is one more proof that God’s covenant with his people does not depend on his people.

"He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, Nor has He seen wickedness in Israel.”

It’s not that God is willfully blind to the bad things that his children do. He has not lost control of his family. He does not lack the moral strength to discipline for wrong doing. He is not an absentee father.

It means he will not—cannot—violate the pact he made with his people. He gave His word. He swore an oath. These people will always be his people.

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand.” John 10:27-28

If we build our lives from the top down, we start with God and his promises. We have to lay our subjectivity aside… ignore our feelings, our pain, our insecurities and our failures. Then we can see how unconditional and all-encompassing is the pact that God made with us through the sacrifice and resurrection of the Son.

Judicially, our case has gone all the way through the courts and we have been declared innocent. There is no double jeopardy. There is nothing left to be tried for.

If we belong to God, we can never again not be God's. We cannot leave. We cannot screw up enough to be forced out. God will never forget us or forsake us. No one can rip us out of God’s hand.

Satan knows us fairly well. He knows where to find fault. He wants God to throw us out. But God knows us better. He already sees all of our faults. Even so, he means to keep us. He promises things that Satan cannot. Ok, so Satan can promise whatever he likes, but he cannot deliver: "for he is a liar.” (Jn 8:44)

Our temporal afflictions feel like a constant drag on our spiritual walk. What we experience and feel can absolutely defy logic when we think about trusting… or resting.

But if we allow ourselves to embrace the pact God made with us, we can rest and be joyful. For all of our missteps and rebellion, we have not been discarded.

There is always hope, the comfort of his embrace and the possibility of being fruitful. We are already accepted in the Beloved. (Eph 1:6) In Christ, we are already more than conquerors. (Ro 8:37)

Take heart! There is still “the shout of a king” among us!

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    Greg Smith

    Greg grew up in Menomonee Falls, WI. His ministry began in 1976: 5 years in Central America, 36 in Mexico. His passion is church planting and discipleship.
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    Greg enjoys being married to Carol Ahola-Smith. Both have been missionaries (Japan and Mexico); both watched their first spouses precede them in death.
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    Together, they have a heart for writing, mentoring and teaching.  They enjoy long walks and good coffee.

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