Judgment and Salvation

Woo!  I have something spiritual to write about!  In Sunday School this morning, General Vic preached on Exodus 14 where Moses parted the Red Sea.  The point of judgment for the Egyptians was also the point of salvation for the Hebrews.  It was a baptism.  Baptism is more than water, it is the point of judgment and salvation.  Salvation comes by passing through judgment.  You are saved from that judgment.  The judgment is from God since God is the holy and perfect Judge.  At the Red Sea, God judged Egypt and saved Israel.  At the Cross, God judged Jesus for all of our sins, and saved us.  The crazy thing is, a lot of the Hebrews didn't want to be saved.  They wanted to go back to slavery because at least they were familiar with it.  Romans 8:15 says that we were not given a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear.  My desires to sin, my decisions to let my armor fall, are not of the Spirit.  No, I have the Spirit of adoption by which I cry out "Abba!  Father!"  I'm reminded of the song lyrics, "I know I wanna sin, but, dawg, I'm born again!" (I love Christian Rap).  Yet, I still sin...I still sprint back to what enslaves me.  Like a dog returning to its vomit, and a pig returning to roll in the mud, I am still a depraved fool.  I should only desire God, yet I desire other things.  All that I do deserves judgment.  I am guilty.  Before God, I am guilty.  I stand accused and found guilty.  God is a holy and good Judge, and I deserve death.  I deserve to be drowned, just like those Egyptians were.  But then in steps Jesus!  Like the Israelite former slaves I follow the Messiah through the judgment of death into the salvation of life.  Though I did not want it, though I did not even know I wanted it, though I didn't even know I could be saved, I am saved!  There is salvation.  There is adoption.  God saved me for a purpose.  The story did not end on the other side of the sea.  It began.  The Promised Land awaits, and I need the purification of this earthly wilderness.  Sanctification is a slow process.  Romans 8:29 says I am being conformed to the image of Christ.  That will take forever for me!  Fortunately, I have forever :)  After the Hebrews passed through the sea, they stood on the beach strewn with Egyptian bodies and they worshiped God by telling Him what He did for them.  They glorified Him in an emotional narrative.  Worship is a narrative.  It tells what God has done, and shows faith that He will do what He promised He will do.  This blog is my act of worship.  It is a narrative.  It is not lessened by the lack of music to accompany it.  Amen.

For the Kingdom,
Stuart