For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? (Hebrews 3:16 ESV)
Nothing But Faith
The Israelites who wandered for years in the Wilderness were God’s People. No one would look at their actions from Sinai to Canaan… and from Canaan to Canaan again and utter, “Wow, THERE are some amazingly worthy people! No wonder God made THEM His Kingdom Citizens!”
They murmured, they complained, they disobeyed, they doubted, they rebelled. Repeatedly. They heard the Word of God via Moses, they saw the Power of God on Mt. Sinai. They received God’s Law. They heard and saw and experienced God in profound and obvious ways.
And they still rebelled.
And they still remained God’s people. Because they believed.
It might seem like God is being ‘easy on sin.’ But He is not. He treats ALL sin the same way. He is wrathful towards Sin and Sinners. He is angry at Sin and Sinners. He is Just towards Sin and Sinners.
It is not their Rebellion that sets them apart from the rest of the world. EVERYONE rebels.
It is their faith that sets them apart.
It is God’s grace that sets them apart.
It is our faith and God’s grace that sets US apart, too.
And that is a good and necessary thing. Because we, too, have heard God’s Word and we rebel. And we are not made the apple of God’s eye by our niceness, our nice church clothes, our political theories, or our ten commandment obedience ratios.
But we are saved by grace through faith! (Ephesians 2:8)