Compel People by Jason G. Lutz

Both his friends and his detractors called the great scholar G.K. Chesterton the “Prince of Paradox”.  Chesterton was very good at demonstrating the Paradox of God as He reveals Himself.  Rightly understood there is no contradiction in God, but God can and does work seemingly opposite things.  The clearest example being that God hates sin, because He loves beyond human ability (sin is tragic for us folks, if I teach anything else send me away).  Such things puzzle us at times, but they are beautiful when they are Revealed clearly.

So that brings us to the liberty of believers on this 4th of July.  Oh we are free my friends!  Our slavery to sin is abolished and we are free from the yoke of pilgrimages and sacrifices.  Even more we have the direct Word of God in our hands: the Bible.  And each of you know well that this does not free us to willfully transgress God’s commandments.  No, we are free to live out the progress of our Sanctification.

That stated, it becomes odd that the sweetest words, in my eyes, Jesus ever spoke were “compel people to come in”.  Specifically this word: compel.  I know for a fact that I am not the only one who came to faith against every other desire of my heart.  And I do not in any way believe that conversion is the end of the matter.

The believer will be compeled to do much they would rather not do.  The believer will suffer as things that seem so important to our human existence slowly die and become as straw.  The believer will be overjoyed as all that is human is destroyed and all that is of God is manifest.  Thanks be to the Father that He compels us to come into His house!

Grace be with you,