August 08, 2010
Explore the Bible Sunday School Lesson
The faithfulness factor
Mary Kisor, member, First Church of Dardanelle
Whoever designed my bathroom must have been young, beautiful and confident of his appearance. He put a six-by-four-foot mirror on the north wall and another on the east wall joining over the bathtub. He put another six-foot mirror over the double sinks.
My four-year-old grandchild announced, “Mimi, I can count 19 of you!” That is more truth than I want. The problem is some of those “Mimis” were only partially reflected, fractured images.
Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians that the world only comprehends truth dimly. In the Old Testament, Moses spent time face to face with God. When he returned to the camp, the people couldn’t bear the brightness. Moses had to cover his face.
God didn’t refuse to meet His people face to face in order to deprive them. In His great mercy, He gave them what they could endure. If the unprepared people had attempted to see God’s presence, the sin in their lives would cause immediate judgment and death.
Let me draw a comparison. Electricity is not wrong or evil. When someone misuses it or does not follow proper procedures handling electricity, we don’t say, “That current was out to get him.” We say, “That is the nature of electricity.”
God’s holiness is not anti-humanity as some portray it to be. God is not a celestial killjoy. By His nature, He is pure and holy. Holiness is the flip side of justice. God has provided a way for people to come to Him without bearing the consequence of human brokenness. We call that brokenness sin. There is a serious, even fatal, consequence to sin — death. Jesus bore that consequence for us on the cross.
When we follow the safety directions God has provided in His Word for life, that is called being faithful. The electrician would call it just plain good sense. That is what Paul is speaking of when he talks about our being faithful so that the world sees the beautiful picture of Jesus in our lives.
We are mirrors of God’s love and mercy. We are mirrors, reflecting Jesus to a world that is deluded by Satan, not seeing God clearly.
“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:18, NIV).
Are you like those 19 women in the mirror – fractured and changing by the moment, fitting in so the world is comfortable with sin. Paul’s prayer for us is to be faithful.