Our Loving and Just God (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11)

Today’s scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11

Many have argued that the God of the Old Testament is a God of wrath while the God of the New Testament is a God of love.

But really? The God of the Bible is both love and justice. Throughout the Bible, God shows justice to those who fail to follow His commandments; He is holy, so He cannot abide with sin. And He rightfully punishes that sin. But also throughout the Bible, God shows love and compassion for those who follow Him. Seriously, read the book of Judges to see how God loves and forgives His people when they turn from Him … continually.

And the prophets remind us over and over again of how God will lovingly embrace those who repent and turn back to Him. Jeremiah wrote, “For I will set My eyes on them for good, and I will bring them again to this land; and I will build them up and not overthrow them, and I will plant them and not pluck them up. I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart” (24:6-7).

Isaiah prophesied about the coming Messiah who would be our once-for-always sacrifice and salvation from sin. And that prophecy came to fruition in the New Testament. The loving and just God who embraced His repentant people throughout the Old Testament lovingly embraces us now.

Indeed, “... there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1, NIV). And we will live forever with Him.

So, be encouraged.

There Are Always Consequences (Colossians 3:25)

Today's scripture: Colossians 3:25

Many wonderful attributes describe the triune God. He is gracious, merciful, and loving. He is our Redeemer, Savior, and Teacher. He is our refuge, our stronghold, our strength. He is personal. He is holy, righteous, and just.

Most people can get on board with the majority of these descriptors. But many have a problem with the last. God is just. They say if God is loving, then why does He punish? Why is there a hell? Wouldn't a loving God just let everyone go to heaven?

The fact that God is just goes hand-in-hand with the fact that He's holy and righteous. God cannot co-exist with sin. Yet, because He loved His first created man and woman so much, He gave them the choice to obey Him and remain in intimate communion with Him or to choose their own way. And though it's a mystery to us, the all-holy, all-perfect God allowed sin to enter the world.

It was always God's plan, though, to offer the means of man's reconciliation with Him, first through animal sacrifice and then through the once-for-all sacrifice of God the Son, Jesus Christ. God has revealed Himself to mankind throughout the ages, and He still does so today through the general revelation of His creation and the biblical revelation of the gospel.

We all have the opportunity to choose to follow Him or choose to go our own way. And if we choose the latter, there will be consequences. Those who choose not to follow Christ on earth—to, in essence, separate themselves from Him—will spend eternity separated from Him.

Yes, God is love. Yes, He offers grace and mercy. But He is also holy and righteous and just. And because He is a God of justice, He must deal with sin. He must deal with those who don't choose Him.

And they will reap the consequences.

Righteous and Holy God (Psalm 145:17)

Today's scripture: Psalm 145:17

We who follow the triune God—Father, Son, and Spirit—talk a lot about His being a God of love, grace, and mercy. And so He is. He loves us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). He offers us the unmerited favor of grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). He gives undeserved mercy (Luke 1:49-51).

Yet, we can never forget that He is holy and righteous. Holy is defined as "exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness"; further, righteousness is "acting in accord with divine or moral law" (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).

God's ways and thoughts are higher than ours, and He alone is truly holy and righteous, and it is because of His holiness that He cannot abide sin. He must therefore judge that sin.

Our God gives every opportunity for people to come to know Him. For some, He reveals Himself through "general revelation": His very creation (see Romans 1:18-20). For others, they hear truth through God's servants. In any case, those who seek God will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). Those who choose to follow Him experience that grace and mercy He showers so abundantly. Those who refuse to acknowledge Him as the one true God face judgment. He must separate Himself from them because His holiness and righteousness cannot exist with their sin.

Yes, God is loving, gracious, and merciful ... and kind. But He is also holy and righteous.

You can experience His love, His grace, His mercy.

 Or you can face the rightful judgment of your holy and righteous God.

It's your choice ... but I pray you choose blessing over judgment. Choose to follow God. Choose to experience His grace and forgiveness.

Choose to serve your righteous God.

He Will Bring Justice (Psalm 72:3-4)

Today's scripture: Psalm 72:3-4

This psalm is written about an earthly king, Solomon, but it also “anticipates Messiah’s reign as the culmination of the Davidic Covenant” (note from The MacArthur Study Bible). 

During Solomon’s time, I don’t believe there was the peace and justice described in this psalm, and so I also anticipate Messiah’s reign when He returns.

I can’t wait!

One day, we will live in a “new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1) where we’ll experience eternal light as God Himself will “illumine” us (Revelation 22:5). And then some of the most encouraging, hope-filled promises:

“ … He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

The oppressor of this world God will “break in pieces” and justice will finally be served.

I really can’t wait!

The God of Justice (Psalm 10:16-18)

Today's scripture: Psalm 10:16-18

Yes. It seems the bad guys are winning battle after battle. Corruption. Perversion. Immorality. It can make even the most faithful hang her head in despair.

Ah. But we know Who wins the war.

Read the first line of today’s scripture again: "The Lord, our Lord, is King forever and ever." He has heard—and will hear—"the desire of the humble." He has heard—and will hear—our cries.

And He will one day do justice. One day, we all—each and every one of us—will stand before His throne, and those of us who follow Him will receive rewards according to how we’ve served Him.

One day, those who chose not to follow Him will receive judgment. Those who have oppressed, those who have lived thumbing their noses at God, those who have flagrantly lived in ungodliness will be judged.

Now read the last line of this psalm. I’m no theologian, and again, this psalm seems to be more about man than Satan, but wouldn’t you agree that the enemy could be described as “the man of the earth”? And if so, one day, he will oppress no more.

Find hope in these words today, my friend. Be encouraged, knowing that one day, all the pain and suffering you’re facing today will be over. We will be face-to-face with our King—forever and ever.

Amen.

Don't Harden Your Heart (Psalm 95:7b-11)

Today's scripture: Psalm 95:7b-11

God loves us, of that I’m certain. But make no mistake: God is holy and righteous, and He cannot abide sin. He will rightfully judge those who “harden [their] hearts.”

Relatively few people living on the earth today have the right to say they never heard of God and the sacrificial death of Jesus. A couple of years ago, I heard from a representative from Wycliffe Bible Translators. By the end of this year, their team will begin translating the gospel into the languages of the remaining people groups. Very soon, every known language on earth will have a translation of the gospel.

Then there will be no one who will be able to say he never heard.

So why are there now—and will be then—so many who will not commit their lives to Christ? Just as the people of Israel did, many harden their hearts. They refuse to see the truth. They don’t want to give up control. They choose to follow their own will. They think the world offers more than God ever could.

And so, just as God rightfully judged the people of Israel by refusing to allow a generation to enter the Promised Land, so He will judge those who choose to follow Him. He will allow them to remain separated from Him, and they too will not “enter into [His] rest”—eternity with Him in heaven.

You’ve heard God’s truth. You’ve heard the good news of Jesus Christ’s payment for the penalty of your sin. Have you hardened your heart? Oh please, hear me: Allow the Holy Spirit to soften your heart, and commit your life to your loving—and holy—heavenly Father.

Let the Nations Know ... (Ps. 9:19-20)

Arise, O LORD, do not let man prevail;
         Let the nations be judged before You.
Put them in fear, O LORD;
         Let the nations know that they are but men. Selah.
(Psalm 9:19-20, NASB)

There’s Steven Curtis Chapman song where he sings, “You are God, and I am not.” Jehovah God is the Creator. We are the created. He is infinite. We are finite. He is Savior. We are sinner.

Yet, we live in a world where a lot of people think they can be their own gods. They are self-sufficient. They are in control. They’re more than mere men—or so they think. But their sadly—and eternally—mistaken.

I believe with all I am there is one God and one only. And I believe with all I am He’s the God of the Bible. There is no other. And man (and I’m using the generic “man”) certainly isn’t god—in any way, shape or form. It saddens me that we live in a nation where God has been neglected or forgotten or outright denied. And it may take God’s having to “put them in fear” for this nation to “know that they are but men.”

He’s chastised nations that have rejected Him in the past. He may just have to do the same with us … and perhaps He already is. Financial crises. Political scandals. Devastating tornadoes. Disastrous hurricanes. Hmmm. Perhaps He’s trying to get our attention.

We need a reawakening. We need a revival. We need to remember that we are "but men."

And that He is God.

God's Judgment (2 Peter 2:4-11)

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter; and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority, daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties, whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord.
(2 Peter 2:4-11, NASB)

King Solomon wrote, “…there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecc. 1:9), and it’s so very true. Sometimes we think we live in the vilest, most corrupt time in history, but truly? This world has seen some really vile, corrupt stuff. There have always been those who “indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires” or those who “despise authority” or those who are “self-willed.” And seriously, twice God destroyed all but a handful of people because of their depravity—once the entire earthly population in Noah’s day, and once two cities in Abraham’s.

So why should we be surprised at the actions of those living today? The only real difference is mass media puts all the “yuck” of the world right in our faces. You can’t even check your email without seeing the latest headline about abuse, murder, sexual sin, moral decline … It’s all around us.

And it can be a bit depressing to see wickedness seemingly prevail.

Ah, but we can’t forget the most important thing. Our holy God is in absolute control. He will judge the sinner and rescue the saint. One day—and only the Father knows when—God the Son will return to earth and gather up those who chose to follow Him. Then our God will judge all who chose not to follow Him. And every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ, God the Son, is Lord. And God the Father will be glorified. (See Phil. 2:10-11.)

One day, all the “yuck” will be forever gone. And we’ll live eternally praising and glorifying our holy God.

And all I can say? “Lord Jesus, come quickly!”

Our God of Love (1 Thess. 5:9-11)

For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.
(1 Thessalonians 5:9-11, NASB)

Many have argued that the God of the Old Testament is a God of wrath while the God of the New Testament is a God of love.

But really? The God of the Bible is both love and justice. Throughout the Bible, God shows justice to those who fail to follow His commandments; He is holy, so He cannot abide with sin. And He rightfully punishes that sin. But also throughout the Bible, God shows love and compassion for those who follow Him. Seriously, read the book of Judges to see how God loves and forgives His people when they turn from Him … continually.

And the prophets remind us over and over again of how God will lovingly embrace those who repent and turn back to Him. Jeremiah wrote, “For I will set My eyes on them for good, and I will bring them again to this land; and I will build them up and not overthrow them, and I will plant them and not pluck them up. I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart” (Jer. 24:6-7).

Isaiah prophesied about the coming Messiah who would be our once-for-always sacrifice and salvation from sin. And that prophecy came to fruition in the New Testament. The loving and just God who embraced His repentant people throughout the Old Testament lovingly embraces us now.

Indeed, “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). And we will live forever with Him.

So, be encouraged.

Don't Judge (James 4:11-12)

Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?
(James 4:11-12, NASB)

We are told in these verses and others in God’s word that we are not to judge others. It is not our job. Yet how often do we point fingers at others? We judge their behavior. We judge their choices.

But the Bible makes it clear: We are not to judge others.

That’s God’s job.

“There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy …” God and He alone has the right to judge because He and He alone is holy and righteous. He is perfect and without sin.

We are not—definitely not—holy and righteous. Oh no. We are sinful and fleshly. We should be focused on cleaning up our own acts rather than telling others how they should clean up their own.

So next time you’re tempted to judge someone else, let it go. Let the Judge of all of us do His job. And you do your job of becoming more like Christ.

Peace and Justice (Ps. 72:3-4)

The mountains will bring peace to the people,
And the little hills, by righteousness.
He will bring justice to the poor of the people;
He will save the children of the needy,
And will break in pieces the oppressor.
(Psalm 72:3-4, NKJV)

This psalm is written about an earthly king, Solomon, but it also “anticipates Messiah’s reign as the culmination of the Davidic Covenant” (note from The MacArthur Study Bible).

During Solomon’s time, I don’t believe there was the peace and justice described in this psalm, and so I also anticipate Messiah’s reign when He returns.

I can’t wait!

One day, we will live in a “new heaven and a new earth” (Rev. 21:1) where we’ll experience eternal light as God Himself will “illumine” us (Rev. 22:5). And then some of the most encouraging, hope-filled promises:

“ … He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4).

The oppressor of this world God will “break in pieces” and justice will finally be served.

I can’t wait!

God's Righteousness (Ps. 72:1-2)

Give the king Your judgments, O God,
And Your righteousness to the king’s Son.
He will judge Your people with righteousness,
And Your poor with justice.
(Psalm 72:1-2; NKJV)

We are not deserving of God’s grace. We are not deserving of His mercy. We are not deserving of His love.

We are deserving of His judgment. We are deserving of His justice.

He, the all-Holy, all-righteous One, the Creator of all things, has every right to judge us for our many sins.

And yet, He does love us. He does offer grace and mercy. He does forgive us if we believe in Him and accept the gift of Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection.

But make no mistake. Judgment will come to those who choose not to follow God. Eternal separation from Him will occur.

Jesus Himself said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6, NASB).

Have you chosen the one way?