The Dividing Line

2 Corinthians 4:8-10 “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.“

There is a ridge of moral bankruptcy that is found in the life of a fool. There is no path in his life that leads to good. Failure is inevitable and he clumsily follows a path that leads to his ruin. Fraught with peril on every side, the fall has a stopping point that leads directly to Hell.

For believers, the path is straight. There is no deviation from God’s word because for the believer there always remains grace. The enemy wants nothing more than to corrupt mankind and obstruct the work of God’s people.

The fool lacks spiritual sense, but believers receive wisdom to gain a balanced view of God and their responsibility toward Him.

The way people view God, the manner in which they respond to God’s leading, and their knowledge of His love and power affects the way they will see the world.

There are two forms of thinking in theology– apophatic and cataphatic theology. You may be thinking, what on earth is he talking about, but bear with me and see if it becomes more clear.

Apophatic theology is a form of theological thinking or religious practice that attempts to approach God by negation. It is this negativa form of thinking that focuses on what may not be said about the perfect goodness that is God.

Cataphatic theology approaches God by affirmations or positive statements concerning the quality of His nature. This positive form of thinking in the affirmative focuses on what we know of God and His goodness.

Via Negativa

Meditation, fasting, simplicity, solitude, submission, and confession are focused disciplines that drive the follower of Christ toward practices of worldly neglect and personal control. By stressing God’s absolute transcendence and unknowability the believer recognizes that God’s divine essence is beyond mankind’s ability to completely know or fully understand Him….at least from an earthly perspective.

1 Corinthians 2:16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”

When a person recognizes their position before a holy God, they must first humble themselves with the hope that God will lift them up to reveal His glory.

Job 22:21 “Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you.”

The way God prospers His people is as broad as God’s reach. We must not limit ourselves to only what we can see but accept the fact that God knows what we need.

Maintaining a right understanding brings balance when considering any position before God. If there is a negative element in our relationship to God, it is found in the darkness of our sinful nature. Our hope is always present in the One who paid the price for our sin. When we take a low position before a high and exalted God we find ourselves being raised up to new heights in Christ.

Psalm 25:9 “He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.”

Knowing and understanding our position as sinners before a Just and Holy God brings a right understanding in how to approach the throne of grace.

Via Positiva

Certain disciplines such as prayer, study, service, worship, guidance, and celebration are practiced in light of a cataphatic(positive) approach toward God.

1 Chronicles 16:23 “Sing to the LORD, all the earth; Proclaim good news of His salvation from day to day.”

From the lips of the redeemed emanates praise to the Redeemer. The good news of salvation is worth exalting and Jesus is exalted.

Psalm 139:9-10 “If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.”

There is plenty in this world that brings darkness and foreboding. By remembering God’s promises, the follower of Christ walks in strength and security.

1 John 4:7 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”

God is love, so recognizing the positive affirmation of God’s nature is to see God in the light of His countenance. Knowing that He is worthy to be praised and His love being expressed day to day in His people, we can recognize His goodness in each moment.

To take a negative approach to God’s revelation would be to say, “God is not hateful”. We must see God in how He has revealed Himself. God consistently shows His goodness, His mercy, favor, blessing, and His love but if all His people do is focus on one aspect of His nature, they might miss the complete image He presents.

A Right Balance

Does God reveal Himself in the positive and the negative?

Malachi 2:16 “For I hate divorce,” says the LORD, the God of Israel, “and him who covers his garment with violence,” says the LORD of armies. “So be careful about your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.”

The hatred God has for sin is balanced a few verses later by the revelation of God’s grace….

Malachi 3:1 “Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” Says the LORD of hosts.”

The law of the Lord is and was a practice in futility. Attempting to follow God’s law in the flesh was to discover how difficult the practice entailed. The law reveals sin, it shows people their depravity, it demonstrates man’s weakness, and establishes a standard that has proven impossible to follow for every person on earth except one—-Jesus.

Grace abounds because He recognized our depravity and weakness then took our place. This act of the Messiah wasn’t new to God, it has always been in His nature to reveal His standard of righteousness and then provide a way to abide in that righteousness. The reminder of judgement precedes the promise of hope.

Deuteronomy 11:13-17 “So if you carefully obey the commandments I am giving you today, to love the LORD your God and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I will provide rain for your land in season, the autumn and spring rains, that you may gather your grain, new wine, and oil. And I will provide grass in the fields for your livestock, and you will eat and be satisfied. But be careful that you are not enticed to turn aside to worship and bow down to other gods, or the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you. He will shut the heavens so that there will be no rain, nor will the land yield its produce, and you will soon perish from the good land that the LORD is giving you.”

Maintaining a proper perspective is crucial to having a balanced understanding of our position before God.

How believers relate to God is formed in light of a right perspective. Mankind is evil in nature, when people relate to God from a perspective centered on themselves, it is centered on the via negativa. Sinners bring nothing good to the table when it comes to bargaining for their souls, there is simply nothing they have to offer. Even life itself is not ours to give, we didn’t create life nor can we sustain life indefinitely— fate is left to chance for those who lack Truth.

When people assume a position before God in light of His countenance, the via positiva is in order.

The attributes of God are vast—He is good * He is light * He is merciful * He is love * He is faithful * He is gracious * He is kind

I could go on all day long of the positive attributes of the Lord, praise God we will have all of eternity to relish these truths. The Lord brings mercy to the table of our surrender. He holds life in His hands and since He created all He also controls everyone’s destiny. He won the victory over sin and death and gives life as a gift to all who submit to Christ in repentance.

The proud cannot approach Him without knowing His rules of engagement. Humility is key and comes by a contrite spirit. Jesus will ultimately determine whether a person is found acceptable at the day of reckoning. For those who walk in righteousness, they discover Jesus remains faithful to the end.

Whether our perspective of God is drawn toward the negative or positive elements of His revealed nature, it is important we keep in mind the measure of His love. The Lord will not forsake His anointed and the dividing line from negativity to positivity becomes victory to all who are found in Christ.