Forgiveness & goodness were available to King Saul.
King Saul had access to God’s lavish mercy.
The scandalous heritage of imputed righteousness was available to King Saul.
BUT Saul did not receive and relish these gifts.
When invited to receive and rest in these staggering gifts of God – and live in the freedom, power, and light of such shocking and exposing gifts …Saul did not actually access them and live actively in awe of them.
But King David did.
It would be absurd to say, “David was a sinner saved by God’s grace, and he’s a recipient of imputed goodness/righteousness. AND SO ALSO – King Saul was a sinner saved by God’s grace, and he’s a recipient of imputed goodness/righteousness. BOTH MEN are beneficiaries of God’s atonement and forgiveness, and both men are declared good/righteous by God!”
We CANNOT SEE these 2 men in the SAME LIGHT, because only one of them is actually standing in the LIGHT! (John 4:29).
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Forgiveness & goodness were available to the older brother in Luke 15.
The older brother had access to his father’s lavish mercy.
The scandalous heritage of imputed goodness was available to the older brother.
BUT the older brother (as far as we know) did not receive and relish these gifts.
When invited to receive and rest in these staggering gifts – and live in the freedom, power, and light of such shocking and exposing gifts …the older brother did not actually access them and live actively in awe of them.
But the younger brother did.
It would be absurd to say, “The younger brother was a sinner who embraced his father’s grace, and he’s a recipient of imputed goodness. AND SO ALSO – the older brother was a sinner who embraced his father’s grace, and he’s a recipient of imputed goodness. BOTH MEN are beneficiaries of the father’s forgiveness, and both men are to be seen as ‘good’!”
We CANNOT SEE these 2 men in the SAME LIGHT, because only one of them is actually standing in the LIGHT! (John 4:29).
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Forgiveness & goodness were available to Judas.
Judas had access to Jesus’ lavish mercy.
The scandalous heritage of imputed righteousness was available to Judas.
BUT Judas did not receive and relish these gifts.
When invited to receive and rest in these staggering gifts of God – and live in the freedom, power, and light of such shocking and exposing gifts …Judas did not actually access them and live actively in awe of them.
But Peter did.
It would be absurd to say, “Peter was a sinner saved by God’s grace, and he’s a recipient of imputed goodness/righteousness. AND SO ALSO – Judas was a sinner saved by God’s grace, and he’s a recipient of imputed goodness/righteousness. BOTH MEN are beneficiaries of God’s atonement and forgiveness, and both men are declared good/righteous by God!”
We CANNOT SEE these 2 men in the SAME LIGHT, because only one of them is actually standing in the LIGHT! (John 4:29).
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So what?
#1. We don’t sit in judgment over King Saul, the older brother, or Judas. Rather, we – like David – offer Psalms of lamentation.
#2. We esteem Saul, the older brother, and Judas as image bearers of the LORD, and characters in God’s story with a particular anointing/role.
#3. We offer Saul, the older brother, and Judas the respect due their station(s), and forgiveness.
…And at the same time we SEE that Saul, the older brother, and Judas do not actually access the gift of God’s exposing light and forgiveness (again, see John 4:29); nor do they live actively in awe of forgiveness.
Which practically means… David and Saul don’t hang-out together anymore. They are in diametrically different places. The world of Saul is delusional and unable to sustain life.
Saul is like a man who elects to live under water. Of course, that is his decision to make, and no mortal man is judging him for making such a stupid decision. However, we are FREE to observe the foolishness of such a decision, and we are FREE to refuse to join him in the suffocating setting he has decided to dwell in.
Moreover, we are free to openly and emphatically rejoice in the light, freedom, and life of the environment we are living in (namely the environment of John 4:29). And we are right to incessantly invite anyone and everyone (including the willfully blind and deaf) to live in the light and enjoy the vulnerable exposure of the light, persistently pointing out the exhilarating freedom of the light!
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