Welcome to another episode of Order Within. This one is deeply personal to me as I share insights that have been developing through my daily Bible readings and prayer time. What began as a structured podcast has evolved into something much more organic and Spirit-led, and I'm grateful for that transformation.

In this episode, I'm diving into something I've been wrestling with: how we reconcile the seemingly different portrayals of God throughout the Bible. Many Christians struggle with the God of the Old Testament versus Jesus in the New Testament, but through conversations with my wife and personal study, I've come to a powerful realization about God's perfect emotional responses and the true nature of Christ's sacrifice.

I believe this topic touches on the heart of authentic Christianity—moving beyond a self-serving faith that stops at salvation to truly picking up our cross and following Jesus. My prayer is that this reflection helps you deepen your own relationship with God and see the beautiful complexity of His nature with fresh eyes.

Table of Contents

[00:00:16] My evolving approach to faith and this podcast

[00:01:53] Why many Christians fear engaging deeply with Scripture

[00:03:07] The challenge of reconciling the Old Testament with Jesus

[00:05:33] Key insight: "God's responses are perfect, but He has emotion"

[00:06:54] Reframing the crucifixion as God's mercy, not bloodthirst

[00:08:37] How Jesus conquered sin through his perfect act of love

[00:11:52] Loving our enemies without watering down truth

[00:14:31] Following Jesus means picking up our cross and suffering

[00:16:04] Jesus as both lover and warrior - the complete picture

[00:18:13] Closing prayer and personal reflection

Key Quotes

* "God's responses are perfect, but He has emotion. He has anger, love, grief... But His responses are perfect in those moments."

* "Jesus was asking on our behalf for our Creator to forgive us. He was asking God to love us anyway, to let his life be that sacrifice."

* "The Bible teaches us we will suffer, be ridiculed, be mocked. Look at what happened to Jesus, the greatest to ever live."

* "Jesus was a lover who cared deeply for people, but he was also a warrior."

* "Don't let anyone stand between you and God, between you and Christ, between you and the Holy Spirit."

Related Resources

* Previous episode on the Limits of Tolerance

* Written Reflection for this episode

* Bible references: John 8:1-11 - The story of the woman caught in adultery

Connect With Me

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* Email: orderwithin@substack.com

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