day no. 16,148: God does not paint over dirt

Amos 2:9

Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them,

whose height was like the height of the cedars

and who was as strong as the oaks;

I destroyed his fruit above

and his roots beneath.

God does not paint over dirt. He is not satisfied by simply making things look better, He won't be content until everything actually is better, from the fruit to the root.

He does not merely wipe the nose, He treats the cold. He does not merely nick the tip of the dandelion off, He digs out its root. God is not content to address the effects of evil, but is bent on ending the source of evil itself. This applies both to our world and to our persons. The kingdom will not merely restrict evil by making it illegal to act wickedly, it will change the hearts of its citizens so that wickedness will no longer come so naturally. It won't rely on the force of law without for order, but upon a properly ordered heart within. The saint is not one who merely polishes the outside of the cup, but the one who scours the inside as well.

God's approach is robust. Holiness is holistic. When God deals with evil, He deals with all of it. When God deals with His people, He deals with all of them: that is, each and every; and completely and entirely. When God deals with the world, He deals with all of it from the fruit of its pride parades to the root of its rebellion.