Well, we are jerks to one another. We are sinners, and that means being mean. And in Christ,

we're trying to become less of a jerk to one another. And God can confront us for being jerks

to one another by showing us overwhelming kindness.

You've acted in a way that's deplorable, and then God engulfs you with some enormous

gentleness, and it breaks you over the conviction of what you have done to somebody else.

Has that ever happened to you?

The God who breaks us with kindness is our theme today, but we get there through a great question

about Christian hedonism because recently in our Bible reading on Friday of last week, we read

Ezekiel 36 together.

And that chapter raises this question for Thomas.

Pastor John, hello, as I understand Christian hedonism, there are no tensions between God

seeking his glory from us and us finding our delight in him. It's a brilliant system that I love,

but it leaves me wondering about Ezekiel 3622, where God says to his exiled people Israel,

therefore say to the house of Israel, thus says the Lord God, it is not for your sake,

O House of Israel, that I'm about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned

among the nations to which you came.

You can probably see what I'm troubled by.

How is God redeeming his people from their sin in tension with him seeking his own glory?

I thought this was all resolved.

And he ends the question with a big exclamation mark.

Goodness gracious.

I love our listeners.

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