Tuesday, May 30, 2006

God Gets Derision - We Get Death

"Paul said, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3: 23). Sinning is a "falling short" of the glory of God. But the Greek word for "falling short" (husterountai) means "lack." The idea is not that you shot an arrow at God's glory and the arrow fell short, but that you could have had it as a treasure, but you don't. You have chosen something else instead.
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In the words of Jeremiah, God calls it appalling. "Be appalled, O heavens, at this and shudder, be very desolate, declares the Lord. For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water" (Jer. 2: 12-13). What is the essence of evil? It is forsaking a living fountain for broken cisterns. God gets derision and we get death."

John Piper, God's Passion for His Glory.

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