2 Peter 1:4a Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature,

Volumes of workers presented to us by those who have dedicated a life to serving God are available to us today. We do not even have to own a library full of rows upon rows of books containing those works, we have the internet now. Much of what has been written has been scanned into posterity for anyone to read. I personally have spent decades reading some of the great masters of the past. I have not come close to reading every word of even one of them.

I have not dedicated my life to reading. I’ve dedicated my life to Christ.

I’ve read every word in the bible, every word, more than twice. I have read Romans 8 in its entirety perhaps fifty times. Some verses within chapter 8 perhaps 100 times or more. That isn’t to say I haven’t learned it. That isn’t to say I do not understand it. The Lord does however bring it into memory at times when I need to be comforted in a moment because of something going on in my life.

Other passages are brought into focus from time to time because of what is going on in my life. I don’t not receive the same comfort and peace from all those great students of the bible as I do from the bible itself. Yes those works are great to understand in context how great loving, kind and gracious men of God were moved, motivated and dedicated, but I do not have a personal relationship with them.

He who inspired the writers of the bible to put to pen those original words lives in me. No other man no matter how dedicated, no matter how wise, no matter how well read can come close to touching me as the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit knows me as well as He knows the bible; that is divine nature.

Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

There is arguably some confusion as to how long a generation is in the bible. Some argue it to be 70 years, but even if it were 20, given that young people start a new generation, that would be 20,000 years that man would have to keep God’s commandments to match His unfailing love.

Historical records indicate man is incapable of keeping God’s commandments at all, much less generationally. Unfortunately man has seen fit to place limits on God’s love rather than accept responsibility for his own failings. For some it is easier to identify God’s sense of justice as God placing limits on man’s opportunity for mercy.

The Old Testament is riddled with examples of God’s wrath. Abraham bargained with the Lord for the sake of Sodom and Gomorrah and got the count down from 50 righteous to 10 righteous souls. It is man who bargains with God and calls a foul when God identifies His demands for right behavior. They excuse themselves with examples from the Old Testament and call God unreasonable.

“Surely God will not condemn me, I am so much nicer than those guys.”

In truth God doesn’t.

Acts 16:31b Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,

If you won’t believe, don’t blame God for being unreasonable.