To put this in modern context, we could say, "We have redefined God, we have stolen His transcendence, His personhood, and now there is no one left to tell us that we are forgiven!" And yet it is forgiveness we need. In his book What's So Amazing about Grace? Philip Yancey tells the story of a prostitute who was homeless, sick and poor. Through sobs and tears she confessed that she had been renting out her two-year-old daughter to men who wanted kinky sex! She had to do it, she said, to support her own drug habit. When asked why she did not go to a church for help, she replied, "Why would I ever go there? I already feel terrible about myself They'd just make me feel worse."5
Is it fair to say that the church would make her "feel worse?" Perhaps, for a time, but only that she might feel much better. Jesus would say that there is more hope for this woman than for those who think they have no reason to "feel worse." The gods of pop culture have little to say to this poor woman, except perhaps that she should mend her ways and do better next time. Thankfully, the God of the Scriptures does more than that: He offers forgiveness, a clean conscience and the indwelling of His Spirit. Here is a woman who needs more than to be told that her self is sacred; she needs more than a God who will "affirm who she is." She needs the transcendent God to say, "You are forgiven."
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Approaching God
The Bible has two warnings for us. First, it warns against remaking God according to our liking. "You shall have no other gods before Me" (
Ex. 20:3) is the first commandment. The words were freshly chiseled on Moses' tablet of stone when the Israelites violated the commandment by fashioning a golden god in the form of a calf. Today we commit idolatry by setting up an idol in our hearts.
But, and this is important, it is not enough that we eschew idols and come before the true God; we must approach Him in the right way. Even in evangelical churches we often hear that it does not matter how we come to God, just that we come. But some people in the Bible learned otherwise.
Cain and Abel disagreed on how to worship God. Abel brought the sacrifice from the firstlings of his flock; Cain was more creative, thinking he could come to God in whatever way he pleased. But God cared little about how much his offering cost him; he did not bring the correct offering, so he was rejected (
Gen. 4:5). The New Testament speaks of those who "have gone the way of Cain," that is, those who think they can make themselves worthy to come to God. But Cain learned that procedures are important.
Nadab and Abihu were Aaron's sons and Moses' nephews. They were consecrated to God, the seminary students of the day, training for "full-time ministry". One day they offered to the Lord "unauthorized fire," and God replied in kind: "So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord" (
Lev. 10:2).