Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Two Sides of the Same Coin?

Burroughs writes, "The Word must be received with love and joy. It is not enough for you to be convinced of the authority of it and to think: 'I must yield to it. This is the Word of God and if I do not yield to it, I must expect the plagues and judgments of God to follow it.' That is not enough, but you must yield to it with love and with joy. Unless you receive the Word with love and with joy, it is not sanctified. You do not sanctify God's name, nor is it sanctified unto you."

Yet Peterson writes on page 243, "...Moses warns Israel not to indulge in idolatry, but to remain faithful to the Lord and to serve him exclusively, lest they provoke him to anger. Warning believers to remain faithful to Jesus and his covenant, Hebrews speaks of the fearful prospect of judgment that will consume those who turn out to be the enemies of God... The certainty of God's grace must not obscure for us the truth that a terrible judgment awaits the apostate..."

How do these two passages from this week's reading fit together? How are we commanded to be filled with joy and love, especially when we should tremble before God for our idolatrous, apostate hearts?

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