Genesis 4:7
If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”
God is a good Dad.
When He commands, He considers clarity, capability and consequences.
CLARITY
God spells out with meticulous detail what He is after when meticulous detail is what He requires. Don't believe me, read Leviticus and I'll wait for your apology.
CAPABILITY
God does not exasperate His children. He doesn't give them commands that they cannot accomplish. As Augustine once prayed, "Lord, command Thy will and will Thy command." He provides what He requires.
CONSEQUENCES
God provides clear consequences ahead of time. He says what He will do and then He does what He says He will do. He does not give empty threats in order to produce a particular result. He wants us to obey and wants us to use our desire to be accepted as a driver of what we do.
CHRIST
God has clearly communicated that Christ is the way to full and final acceptance before Him. In Christ, all you were incapable of achieving is received. The consequence of faith in Christ is acceptance before God. The consequence of rejecting Christ is finding no regard before God.
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