By Brenda Groves
The Post Newspaper Contributing Writer
When home computers first came on the market years ago, my mother was fascinated by the whole thing. So right away she purchased one and even enrolled in computer courses at the college to learn how to work the monstrosity.
Now, as many of you remember, the early models were NOT user friendly, (and that is an understatement), and I give my mom so much credit for trying. But it literally hurt my own brain just to watch her operate the thing, and my mother was a very intelligent woman.
Every so often, she would push the wrong button and the screen would go blank.
No response! Communication broken! All data stored somewhere in the “land of the logged” with no hope of obtaining it.
Because she was trying so hard to do everything right, my mom would get frustrated, even emotional. Of course all of her pleading, begging and “mother board may I?” was met with cold indifference from the machine.
Well, from that experience and a few other computer horror stories, the fear of the unknown was imputed into me, and for a while I managed to avoid contact with the intimating devices. But out in the working world I was soon forced to confront my prejudice and I had to learn to co-exist, although I still didn’t enjoy (or trust them) and I certainly did not embrace this new technology as a good thing.
Today, the advancements in computer technology has made interaction so simple, even a young child can operate one. They are cyber worlds apart from the beginning. And for me, a new relationship has developed. I have accepted and embraced the usefulness of computers as I am being made aware of their design, functions and compatibility.
I believe that in a similar way, a comparison can be made about how God relates to us under His new covenant: a new relationship.
In the Old Testament, looking ahead to a future hope it was prophesied, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit.” Psalm 32:1-2
The word “impute” is an accounting term, as it means to add to one’s account. When you use a credit card, the amount of purchases are being imputed onto your account. You are acquiring that debt and you will be required to pay that debt back at some point.
And under the old covenant, when after 2,000 years, God’s law was given, suddenly men’s sins were being tallied up, or imputed to them, and there had to be sacrifices made each year to atone for their sins.
Yet, under the new covenant, men’s sins are not being imputed against them, or tallied up. All of our sins have been “forgiven,” already paid for.
Another way to express this is that under the new covenant, our sins are not being attributed to our account, they have been paid in full. Jesus, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). This may come as a surprise to some of you reading this, but Jesus did not come to pay for our individual sins, those are just the natural fruit we bear being born with a sin nature. That is why we must be born again.
Each individual person must choose to put their faith in the Savior of mankind, the Lord Jesus Christ, and receive salvation in order to benefit from His atoning sacrifice. (As for children, and those who have never heard the Gospel preached, Romans 1 and 2 declares that every person has been given an intuitive knowledge to seek God. And God will judge them by what they do know).
Look at this passage of scriptures: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Therefore, just as through one man (Adam) sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned- (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law …” Romans 5:8-13
And … “For by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.” Romans 5:19.
This means that from God’s standards, He is friendly towards us now. Through Christ Jesus, our accounts have been settled and MORE than satisfied. We have been reconciled (account balanced), paid in full by the precious, powerful and sinless blood of Jesus. God’s riches in grace are abounding towards us!!
We do not have to be afraid that if we make a mistake, or many mistakes that God will turn away from us, or not respond to us. We don’t have to reboot our relationship with Him each time we mess up, or be afraid we’ll push the wrong button with Him!
His attitude is never indifference towards us. He is a live Person.
So how long will this Mercy and Grace last?
“For this is like the waters of Noah to Me: For as I have sworn that the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, So have I sworn that I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you, for the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed, say the Lord, who has mercy on you.” Isaiah 54:9-10.
Technology can be useful in so many ways, but it doesn’t have a heart and it doesn’t know our hearts. Put your trust in Jesus. His love never fails.
(Parenthesis mine in verse. All scripture taken from NKJV).
Contact Brenda Groves at: bkgroves1996@yahoo.com
