Interlude No. 3 - Love & Justice: The Hypothetical and the Reality
A young man, consumed with jealousy, attacks his ex-girlfriend. They had been separated for more than a year, and she has since moved on. At the time of the attack she was 7 months pregnant.
The young man waited in her apartment complex, just around the corner from her front door. When she put her keys in the lock he sprang from his hiding place, grabbed her by the throat in an attempt to keep her from screaming, and forced her into her apartment, where he raped her, strangled her, then proceeded to cut the unborn child from her womb.
Shortly after the attack, while he was cleaning himself up in her bathroom, he heard the cries of a man who had entered the apartment. It was the woman's boyfriend and the father of her now murdered child. The young man ran to the front room to see the boyfriend frantically trying to dial the phone. The man heard the intruder and turned to see a gun staring him right in the face, and with shock took in half a breath before the explosion tore off half his head, and he fell to the floor dead. Police investigators found enough evidence in and around the apartment that pointed to the ex-boyfriend, and he was apprehended in under 3 hours.
Almost a year to the day later, the trial is over. He has been found guilty of three counts of 1st degree murder, and the jury recommends the death penalty. As it turns out the judge in this case is the defendant's own father. During the sentencing phase, and after hearing testimony from the victims' family, as well as the defendants family, the judge asks his son if he has anything to say before his judgment is pronounced.
"Father," the young man says, "You know me better than anyone here in this room. You know I was a good boy, went to Sunday School without fail, got good grades in school, and was always willing to help anyone in need of a helping hand. Up unto the incident that brought me before you today, I was a good and upright citizen of this town, and community. I admit I did some very terrible things, for which the jury has rightly found me guilty, but I know you are a good and loving father. And because of your love for me I don't believe you could ever sentence me to death. I ask you father to please forgive me and spare my life."
Every voice in the courtroom cries out, indignant that this man could say such a thing, and many of these voices secretly in their hearts wonder if the judge is indeed a just man, who obeys the law.
The Judge sits silent for a moment and finally speaks. "You are right to call me father, for so I am. You are right to call me loving, for so I am. But you are sadly mistaken if you think I can abandon the Law simply because you think my love will outweigh my duty to the Law. Though I love you, though I will mourn the loss of my child, I have no choice under the Law but to condemn you to the death you have so thoroughly earned. Your execution must be swift, and it must be public. Though I love you with all my heart, and wish I could spare you, I am bound by my oath of office, and my oath to the Law. I cannot spare you and still remain a just judge. I have no choice but to order your execution first thing in the morning. I love you, son..... Bailiff? Take him away."
God has said. And what God has said must be... or He is NOT a just and loving God.
For anyone who neglects this free offer God has no choice but to condemn you. No choice. He is Holy, and therefore cannot let sin glory in His presense. If you stand before God without the sin covering offered freely by God Himself, you will have yourself to blame.
----
Next:
Detour, Part 8 -- Eschatology and Dispensational Truth
Previously:
Detour, Part 7 - Why God Felt the Need to Take on Mortal Flesh
Interlude No. 2
Detour, Part 6 - Types and Antitypes
Detour, Part 5 - Jesus of Nazareth and Statistical Improbabilities
In Preparation for Detour, Part 5 - Exhibit B
In Preparation for Detour, Part 5 - Exhibit A
Detour, Part 4 - Comparing Translations to Established Christian Doctrines
Interlude No.1
Detour, Part 3 - Manuscripts, Translations, and "Why the KJV?"
Detour, Part 2 - The Nature and Limits of God... and why this is important
Detour, Parenthetical - "What Will Shortly Follow"
Detour, Part 1 - "Preamble"
Warning: Detour Ahead
The young man waited in her apartment complex, just around the corner from her front door. When she put her keys in the lock he sprang from his hiding place, grabbed her by the throat in an attempt to keep her from screaming, and forced her into her apartment, where he raped her, strangled her, then proceeded to cut the unborn child from her womb.
Shortly after the attack, while he was cleaning himself up in her bathroom, he heard the cries of a man who had entered the apartment. It was the woman's boyfriend and the father of her now murdered child. The young man ran to the front room to see the boyfriend frantically trying to dial the phone. The man heard the intruder and turned to see a gun staring him right in the face, and with shock took in half a breath before the explosion tore off half his head, and he fell to the floor dead. Police investigators found enough evidence in and around the apartment that pointed to the ex-boyfriend, and he was apprehended in under 3 hours.
Almost a year to the day later, the trial is over. He has been found guilty of three counts of 1st degree murder, and the jury recommends the death penalty. As it turns out the judge in this case is the defendant's own father. During the sentencing phase, and after hearing testimony from the victims' family, as well as the defendants family, the judge asks his son if he has anything to say before his judgment is pronounced.
"Father," the young man says, "You know me better than anyone here in this room. You know I was a good boy, went to Sunday School without fail, got good grades in school, and was always willing to help anyone in need of a helping hand. Up unto the incident that brought me before you today, I was a good and upright citizen of this town, and community. I admit I did some very terrible things, for which the jury has rightly found me guilty, but I know you are a good and loving father. And because of your love for me I don't believe you could ever sentence me to death. I ask you father to please forgive me and spare my life."
Every voice in the courtroom cries out, indignant that this man could say such a thing, and many of these voices secretly in their hearts wonder if the judge is indeed a just man, who obeys the law.
The Judge sits silent for a moment and finally speaks. "You are right to call me father, for so I am. You are right to call me loving, for so I am. But you are sadly mistaken if you think I can abandon the Law simply because you think my love will outweigh my duty to the Law. Though I love you, though I will mourn the loss of my child, I have no choice under the Law but to condemn you to the death you have so thoroughly earned. Your execution must be swift, and it must be public. Though I love you with all my heart, and wish I could spare you, I am bound by my oath of office, and my oath to the Law. I cannot spare you and still remain a just judge. I have no choice but to order your execution first thing in the morning. I love you, son..... Bailiff? Take him away."
God has said. And what God has said must be... or He is NOT a just and loving God.
"For God so loved the world [and every man woman and child destined to be born and die within it], that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever ['whosoever' means 'anyone'... Including YOU] believeth in Him should not perish [for God is not willing that ANY should perish, but that all should come to repentance], but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved." --John 3:16-17 [Emphasis Added]
For anyone who neglects this free offer God has no choice but to condemn you. No choice. He is Holy, and therefore cannot let sin glory in His presense. If you stand before God without the sin covering offered freely by God Himself, you will have yourself to blame.
----
Next:
Detour, Part 8 -- Eschatology and Dispensational Truth
Previously:
Detour, Part 7 - Why God Felt the Need to Take on Mortal Flesh
Interlude No. 2
Detour, Part 6 - Types and Antitypes
Detour, Part 5 - Jesus of Nazareth and Statistical Improbabilities
In Preparation for Detour, Part 5 - Exhibit B
In Preparation for Detour, Part 5 - Exhibit A
Detour, Part 4 - Comparing Translations to Established Christian Doctrines
Interlude No.1
Detour, Part 3 - Manuscripts, Translations, and "Why the KJV?"
Detour, Part 2 - The Nature and Limits of God... and why this is important
Detour, Parenthetical - "What Will Shortly Follow"
Detour, Part 1 - "Preamble"
Warning: Detour Ahead
from the mind of... Eric | 11:40 AM
6 Comments:
EL, Your analogy is missing some important parts if you're trying to compare it to Christian reality.
1. The judge wrote the law.
2. The judge knew beforehand the son was gonna commit the murder
3. The judge had already changed the law previously
4. The sentence would not be carried out swiftly or painlessly and there was no benefit to be gained for said punishment.
5. In Christian mythos all a person must really do to be forgivien is ask the judge to. It doesn't matter what the jury or public think. Although also there isn't a jury in christian mythos. In Christian mythology, the judge is also the jury.
6. It is unclear whether there were three murders or only two.
I have to add on also that, EL, you chose the most inflamatory example possible for your crime.
The story would have worked just the same if the son had back talked his mother. The Bible has only one final solution for criminals, based on a complex code, written for a society that had very little in common the modern world.
Does it still have the same emotional impact when one replaces triple-murder with jaywalking.
Paul, in a nutshell: Jesus death is the atonement for sin. Through that, we are saved.
Luke, in a nutshell: Repentance quells God's wrath. Through repentance, we are saved.
James, in a nutsehll: Faith without works is dead. Works, as evidence of faith, plus faith are what save us.
Which is it? Saying it's "all three" because all three are in the Bible is common. But that's a synthesis of three main strains of the Christian message -- and some might call *that* "adding to" the Bible ...
The analogy may have flaws but not in the fact that God must judge sin, however much He loves the individual in question. He gives everyone born a lifetime of opportunity to accept His free gift, His very own blood. But once the individual stumbles across that threshold of death... it's too late.
However much He loves the individual, if the gift of Christ Jesus is not accepted, God must and will judge that individual by the standard of the Law.
There is no contradiction in this. It's quite simple. The unsaved are judged for thier sins under the Law. The saved are judged for their works under grace. God clearly distinguishes between the these two classes of people... and judgements.
The Jews are a different matter altogether.
Point for point--
1) Irrespective of who wrote the law, the law must still be obeyed.
2) Irrelevant
3) How has the law changed? I don't see any changes.
4) The sentence IS carried out swiftly in terms of God... And a hundred years ago. The benefit gained is justice for the law, AND the victim.
5) Before death-- forgiveness doesn't imply freedom from the penalty of law.
After death-- asking for forgiveness is impossible.
Mythology? I don't think so.
6) In God's eyes it is quite clear.
As for inflamatory-- Sin is sin. Jay Walking (if it's a sin) is just as damning as the murder of six million innocent people. Jay Walking will still get one consigned to the fires and torments of hell.... assuming Jay Walking is a sin.
Now ask me if there are degrees of punishment in hell.
I'm just saying that your analogy is incomplete. Using it for evangelism certainly doesn't answer my questions about christianity.
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