Posts
by
James J. S. Johnson, J.D., Th.D
Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. (Act 15:14)
Why? Because ordinary people (a/k/a "average" people) do not live for God, or serve Him. Ordinary people only think about God on those selfish occasions when they "need" (or want) Him to do something for their own purposes. For the most part, ordinary people do not think much about God. Ordinary people, however, are very impressed with the world, with rich people, with powerful people, with Hollywood, with me, myself, and I. If the crowd does something a lot, it is okay with ordinary people. Ordinary people rave on about the emperor's new clothes. Ordinary people believe in evolution. Ordinary people do not take the Holy Bible seriously. Ordinary people love the world. Ordinary people love the praises of men moreso than the praises of God. Ordinary people seek the things of this world as their treasures. Ordinary people would rather offend God than offend a family member or a friend or an authority-figure. Ordinary people make a lifestyle of failing to glorify God. Ordinary people are not thankful for the salvation God has mercifully and kindly provided in Christ Jesus. Ordinary people spend their money on things that are not intended to help them to glorify God. Ordinary people do not really love God.
However, whenever God redeems a human soul, and that redeemed child of the King realizes the value of God's redemption (and realizes how wonderful God is), that person becomes an extraordinary person.
Such extraordinary people are not average, they are "peculiar" (to use Peter's word). They are outside of the average; they do not act like a naked emperor has clothing on. Creationists are not "ordinary" people; only extraordinary people take the Holy Bible seriously. Only extraordinary people store up their treasures in Heaven, disdaining the praises of men (while suffering humiliation and persecution as they seek to acquire the commendation of God). Extraordinary people disdain the ephemeral things of this temporal world. Extraordinary people would rather offend a family member or a friend or an authority-figure, than offend God. Extraordinary people make a lifestyle of glorifying God. Extraordinary people spend their money on things that are intended to help them to glorify God. Extraordinary people are thankful, every day, for the salvation God has mercifully and kindly provided in Christ Jesus. Extraordinary people are thrilled that God chose to create them as He did.
><> JJSJ
