Beautiful Picture
In mathematics, there is something called the order of operations (also called “PEMDAS” but I never used that acronym). The order of operations is the hierarchy you follow when solving an equation to know which operation to do first so everyone gets the same answer. For example, 5+3x2 should always be 11 by everyone, anytime in doing the problem (the answer is NOT 16). I’ve seen these posted on social media trying to stimulate a spirited debate on what the answer should be and I have noticed a lot less dispute as the correct folk just shake their head at the incorrect crowd. A different hierarchy are the rules of the road as it applies to who goes first when cars come to a 4 way stop at the same time (yield to the car on the right, remember).
I’ve mentioned that I have been spending part of my daily quiet time reading the Bible is a book going through Romans over an entire year by Dr. Sproul. There is a beautiful hierarchical analogy that I’d like to share:
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” - Romans 5:1-5 ESV
Today’s devotion was on the second part of the 5th verse - “because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
First of all, notice that the day’s devotion is on the second half of one verse. This is in-depth. But what really caught my soul was the analogy he used to explain it.
Dr. Sproul described salvation is not like receiving just one gift under the Christmas tree but gift after gift all combined… kind of like a Russian doll (you know the stacking dolls where each is nestled inside of the bigger one all rather way through).
He describes the outside package as our justification. Inside that is peace with God. Inside of that is access to his presence. Inside that is the ability to rejoice in glorifying the glory of God. Inside that we find joy in the midst of tribulation. Inside of that, we find perseverance. Inside of that is the character that perseverance develops. Inside of that is hope that will never embarrass or disappoint us. Finally, inside of that is the love of God poured into our hearts by the grace of God.
All of these gifts I knew about from reading the Bible but there was something about this analogy that made them more real and connected to me than ever before. This struck me as such a beautiful analogy that I felt the need to share. I pray that by reading this, you’ll stop and consider their connection.
By the way, before you rush to your calculator and check my equation above to see if I got the right answer, make sure that calculator follows the order of operations. Some calculators (usually cheap ones or older RPN calculators) have a short stack and assume you are entering the equation in the order you want it done in. If you want to know what RPN calculators are, search it, it’ll be a fun read (I have a HP RPN calculator somewhere in my house but I’m a geek).
