God is Too Pure to Behold Iniquity
A necessary element of our God-concept
Habakkuk, considered to be a minor prophet, made one of the very important declarations of the Old Testament when he revealed, “God is too pure to behold iniquity” (Hab. 1:13).
Iniquity in the Old Testament
Iniquity is essentially what is immoral. Similar words are wickedness, criminality, evil, godlessness, or ungodliness. In other words, whatever is unlike God.
Although it is impossible to define the infinity of what God is, it is always helpful to be clear on what God is not.
Habakkuk was considered a minor prophet in the sense that, by Biblical standards, he left only a few words to his followers. But his verse 1:13 is massively important because, when fully understood, it redefines God by revealing that much of the earlier prevailing understanding of God in the Old Testament was imperfect.
In short, this minor prophet pointed out the errors of the “Lord God concept” — a god who was often prone to iniquity in the form of jealousy, anger, retribution, vengeance, criminality, harsh punishments, etc.…
Habakkuk’s more elevated notion of God was a bridge in the evolution of humanity’s concept of God, as we can observe from the God of Moses to the God of Jesus.
A pre-requisite to unconditional divine love
Pure Divine Consciousness could not possibly entertain any manifestation of iniquity, whether in thought, intent, or action.
The divine Giver of unconditional love cannot simultaneously create iniquity. The two are mutually exclusive. That is why this declaration from Habakkuk paved the way for a higher awareness of God’s nature from the Old Testament to the New Testament.
Rising in individual consciousness requires shedding away not only wrongful deeds and actions but also nefarious thoughts and intents. The Sermon on the Mount (Matt. Chapter 5) delivered this clear and novel message from Jesus.
God does not meddle in human affairs
If God is too pure to behold iniquity and Pure Consciousness cannot entertain any wickedness, it stands to reason that since human affairs involve many levels of iniquity, God is unaware of such affairs.
For more on this subject, see my article, God does not meddle in human affairs.
We could say that anything that is ungodlike or ungodly is not on “God’s radar.” By default, these things only exist in collective and individual human consciousness.
This also means that God does not fix our earthly problems, whether social, political, or environmental, because God is unaware of them — they are not on His radar!
We are on this earth for a spiritual purpose. We are meant to learn from our mistakes, which would not be the case if divine intervention were to fix them for us.
God has already given us the resources we need by giving his Spirit, individualized in each one of us as the Soul. When we are receptive to God’s presence within us and equally within others, divine interventions from Soul guidance become available.
While God does not watch over our shoulders, our Soul is aware of all we think and do. Nothing is ignored. The Soul cannot be tricked or disregarded.
Purity of heart
There is a lot of talk about purity in Christianity. However, there is a Christian bias that defines purity with an emphasis on sexual matters. This is misleading.
The purity of the heart is the absence of thoughts, intents, and actions that cover a broad spectrum of subjects, including many forms of iniquity.
Christians who commit any form of iniquity toward others fail in their avocation as followers of Christ.
The un-Christlike SCOTUS
In recent years, the Supreme Court of the United States has passed resolutions that show a total disregard for what is fair and moral. The Court even seems to ignore the human aspirations and principles enunciated in the Declaration of Independence.
Allowing cities and states to fine and incarcerate homeless people is dystopian in nature. Instead of helping members of society in need, such resolutions only aggravate the already dire situation of those people.
The current Court, like Congress, has broadly favored wealthy individuals and organizations to the detriment of the poor and disfranchised members of society.
This state of affairs is particularly troubling when Supreme Court judges claim a Christian affiliation. This level of hypocrisy is staggering.
Contradictions of Christian Nationalism
The misguided evolution of Christianity in the U.S.A. is exemplified by the rise of Christian Nationalism.
Authentic Christianity should focus on the message of Jesus, whose foundation was the God of Love. Instead, many Christians focus more on the Old Testament’s “Lord God” and Moses’s ways that justify anger and violence.
Christian Nationalists emulate not Jesus but Moses and Joshua. Anger and violence are tolerated, even encouraged. They energize exclusionary right-wing policies, embolden xenophobia, and, in the process, abandon the very roots of their own religious tradition.
In stark contrast to the work of Jesus, who catered to the poor, the hungry, and the sick, Christian Nationalists ignore the basic needs of disadvantaged Americans for food, housing, and medical care.
In short, they practice various forms of violence against others by creating iniquity in numerous ways. They ignore the heart of the message of Jesus, and they disrespect the authentic Christian God of unconditional Love.
We must conclude that Christian nationalists have no place in authentic Christianity.
Jon Canas
Debunking false creeds. Reclaiming the Soul of Christianity.
Site: https://bio.site/ChristicSoul
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My book: Religion, Politics, and Reclaiming the Soul of Christianity: A Spiritual Imperative for Our Time and Our Nation
