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 1 John 5:10b,
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 not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.”
Here is a horrific reality: those who reject the gospel outright, and even agnostics, who struggle with knowing what to believe, have made their Creator out to be a liar! When confronted with the claims of the gospel message that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he died for our sins, everyone has a choice to make. There are those who believe it, and then there is everyone else. Those who don’t embrace the gospel message in faith sit in judgment of our loving heavenly Father as a liar.
John does not seem to provide any middle ground here. He speaks of anyone who does not believe what God says about his Son. For one to place himself/herself in this position, it is a fearful position to be in. In Revelation 19:15b we read, “He [Jesus Christ] treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.” And in the following chapter, 20:15, “If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” I would not want to face God on judgment day when I have attempted to make him out to be a liar!
In this letter John tells us several times our God is love. Paul speaks of God’s kindness and love, “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” Titus 3:4,5b. In Romans 2:4 he points to this kindness of God as a motivation for people to repent, “Do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?”
But there are other aspects to the many-faceted jewel that comprises God’s character and nature. Nahum tell us, “The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on his foes and maintains his wrath against his enemies.” Nahum 1:2. As the writer of Hebrews observes, “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Hebrews 10:31.
Sobering, isn’t it?!
Here is a horrific reality: those who reject the gospel outright, and even agnostics, who struggle with knowing what to believe, have made their Creator out to be a liar! When confronted with the claims of the gospel message that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he died for our sins, everyone has a choice to make. There are those who believe it, and then there is everyone else. Those who don’t embrace the gospel message in faith sit in judgment of our loving heavenly Father as a liar.
John does not seem to provide any middle ground here. He speaks of anyone who does not believe what God says about his Son. For one to place himself/herself in this position, it is a fearful position to be in. In Revelation 19:15b we read, “He [Jesus Christ] treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.” And in the following chapter, 20:15, “If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” I would not want to face God on judgment day when I have attempted to make him out to be a liar!
In this letter John tells us several times our God is love. Paul speaks of God’s kindness and love, “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” Titus 3:4,5b. In Romans 2:4 he points to this kindness of God as a motivation for people to repent, “Do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?”
But there are other aspects to the many-faceted jewel that comprises God’s character and nature. Nahum tell us, “The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on his foes and maintains his wrath against his enemies.” Nahum 1:2. As the writer of Hebrews observes, “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Hebrews 10:31.
Sobering, isn’t it?!
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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