The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating,intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Colossians 3:5-6,
"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming."
Since the fall of mankind in the garden, mankind has been driven by what the Scriptures call our "sinful nature" or here, "earthly nature." It is that part of our hearts that prompts us in the things we think, do and say that are contrary to and at odds with God. It is that rebellious streak that rears its ugly head in our lives at times. It is what prompted Israel to drift from God to idol worship. It is what has prompted mankind in acts of sinfulness and depravity. It is that part of our hearts that tug at us to do that which we know is at odds with God and brings his wrath against us. It is a bent every man, woman and child has been born with as the offspring of Adam and Eve.
Even when there has been no restraining laws from God, no "rules and regulations" from God, that sinful nature has been present and has brought all of us, every one of us, under God's judgment. Consider Paul's observation, "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned— To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone's account where there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come." Romans 5:12-14. The death of all from the time Adam sinned to the time the law was given and up to today demonstrates that sin is embedded within our hearts and propels us directly under God's judgment.
All mankind is enslaved by this sinful nature. However, those of us who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith have been set free from its domination in our lives. That sinful nature remains but no longer has the upper hand in controlling us. We now have the Holy Spirit which frees us. In chapter six of Paul's letter to the Romans, he explains this reality and what it should mean in our lives. Here he speaks of the need we have to cast off those things in our lives that are prompted by the sinful nature, things like sexual immorality, evil desires and greed.
Paul's point is that we should cast aside the expression of our sinful natures because this is this very thing that causes the coming of God's wrath. While mankind continues on his way since his fall in the garden in sinful rebellion against God, many simply do not realize the horrific event that is gathering on the horizon. God's wrath is coming! There is no maybe about it, no uncertainty of it, there is no possible yes/no question to it. God's wrath is coming. It is just as certain as the reality we all die physically. God told Adam that if he sinned, he would die. The physical death that every soul has met, down through all generations, is the proof that an even greater, more horrific, more terrible, more appalling, dreadful and frightful event is on the way: the wrath of God!
We read of this horrifying event that is coming mankind's way in Revelation 21:8, where we read, "The cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." When God's word tells us we can be "saved", it is this very event that it speaks of being saved from. It is from the coming wrath of God for sin that we need to be saved.
The wonderful news is that through Jesus Christ, our sins can be paid for such that we do not need to fear the wrath of God. When Jesus died on that cross he took on himself the punishment for all the sins of all people for all ages. If we embrace him in faith, his payment for our sins gets credited to our account with God in his court. We no longer need to fear the coming wrath of God. If this were not enough, the standing we receive with God if we embrace him in faith is that we become members of his own family, his children: heirs of God and co-heirs with Jesus Christ. He gives us a place at his table, he gives us eternal life, he gives us access to himself, he blesses us in ways we will yet discover!
The wrath of God is on its way... make certain you have availed yourself of God's forgiveness through Jesus Christ!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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