The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Colossians 3:25,
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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"Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism."
Setting aside the fact that this verse comes in a section of Scripture where Paul speaks of Christian living, it causes me to think of the two chief character traits of God and how at the end of the age each will be expressed, one toward those who embrace him in faith, the other toward those who reject him.
The Lord has two qualities he wants all of us to be aware of: he is just and he is loving. Note what he said in Jeremiah 9:24, "Let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight." Here the Lord's love is represented in his kindness toward us. Jesus put God's love this way in his talk with Nicodemus, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." That is a whole lot of love by anyone's standards!
Equally, God's justice, his righteousness is on display in Revelation 21:8, "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." This is a horrifying picture of God's justice by anyone's standards! As Paul said, "Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism." God's justice will find its full expression at the white throne judgment, where the sinful will be repaid for their wrongs.
God is not only loving. God is just. God is not only just, God is loving. Both find extreme expression in the things God does. There is nothing temperate in the cross of Jesus Christ, and there is nothing temperate in the white throne judgment at the end of things. God is not moderate in the things he does. Both God's love as well as his judgment are manifest in unbridled ferocity. He is not to be painted in pastels. God is bold and should be pictured in bright bold colors. Put quite simply, God's love is not to be taken lightly and in his judgment, he is not to be trifled with.
Those of us who have responded to God's love expressed in the gospel have our sins forgiven us and experience God's overwhelming love, paid for by Jesus Christ on that cross. Those of us who have not responded will face God's horrific judgment on that day, a day that is certainly coming.
Setting aside the fact that this verse comes in a section of Scripture where Paul speaks of Christian living, it causes me to think of the two chief character traits of God and how at the end of the age each will be expressed, one toward those who embrace him in faith, the other toward those who reject him.
The Lord has two qualities he wants all of us to be aware of: he is just and he is loving. Note what he said in Jeremiah 9:24, "Let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight." Here the Lord's love is represented in his kindness toward us. Jesus put God's love this way in his talk with Nicodemus, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." That is a whole lot of love by anyone's standards!
Equally, God's justice, his righteousness is on display in Revelation 21:8, "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." This is a horrifying picture of God's justice by anyone's standards! As Paul said, "Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism." God's justice will find its full expression at the white throne judgment, where the sinful will be repaid for their wrongs.
God is not only loving. God is just. God is not only just, God is loving. Both find extreme expression in the things God does. There is nothing temperate in the cross of Jesus Christ, and there is nothing temperate in the white throne judgment at the end of things. God is not moderate in the things he does. Both God's love as well as his judgment are manifest in unbridled ferocity. He is not to be painted in pastels. God is bold and should be pictured in bright bold colors. Put quite simply, God's love is not to be taken lightly and in his judgment, he is not to be trifled with.
Those of us who have responded to God's love expressed in the gospel have our sins forgiven us and experience God's overwhelming love, paid for by Jesus Christ on that cross. Those of us who have not responded will face God's horrific judgment on that day, a day that is certainly coming.
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!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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