God's Love - God's Propitiation

I FOUND A QUOTE BY DANIEL WEBSTER, ON THE SPIRIT OF GOODNESS, WHERE HE SAID, “REAL GOODNESS DOES NOT ATTACH ITSELF MERELY TO THIS LIFE – IT POINTS TO ANOTHER WORLD. POLITICAL OR PROFESSIONAL REPUTATION CANNOT LAST FOREVER, BUT A CONSCIENCE VOID OF OFFENCE BEFORE GOD AND MAN IS AN INHERITANCE FOR ETERNITY.”

I BELIEVE I AM SAFE IN SAYING, THAT, AS CHRISTIANS, WE HAVE AN HONEST AND SINCERE DESIRE TO PLEASE GOD. WE HOPE THAT WHAT WE DO WITH OUR LIVES, HOW WE LIVE OUT OUR FAITH, AND HOW WE WORSHIP WILL ALL BE ACCEPTABLE TO GOD. I AM SURE WE ALSO HOPE THAT IN DOING THESE THINGS, WE DON’T MAKE HIM MAD OR UPSET WITH US IN ANY WAY. I CAN SEE WHY!

THERE ARE MANY ACCOUNTS IN THE BIBLE, WHERE WE SEE THAT ANGERING GOD HAD EITHER DEADLY OR VERY PUNISHING CONSEQUENCES SUCH AS BONDAGE OR LOSS OF BLESSINGS. WE WANT TO PLEASE GOD, BUT BECAUSE OF OUR SINFUL NATURE, THAT IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE. THE BIBLE SHOWS A HISTORY THAT GOD’S PEOPLE REPEATEDLY UPSET GOD BY THEIR WAYWARDNESS, DISOBEDIENCE, AND BLENDING IN WITH THE WAYS OF THE WORLD.

AS HUMANS, WE CAN SOMETIMES MAKE A MESS OF THINGS, NOT JUST BECAUSE OF INHERITED SIN, BUT BY LIVING IN FEAR AS IF WE’VE DONE SOMETHING TO MAKE GOD MAD. IT SEEMS THAT THE MORE WE TRY TO FIX THINGS, THE MORE OF A MESS WE APPARENTLY SEEM TO MAKE. THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO!

AT FIRST, IT MAY SOUND HOPELESS, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE CAN’T DO ANYTHING BY OUR OWN WORK AND EFFORT TO TOTALLY AMEND FOR OUR SINS. BUT THE FACT STILL REMAINS: THERE IS HOPE! THERE IS HOPE BECAUSE GOD ALREADY HAD A PLAN IN PLACE TO TAKE CARE OF WHAT WE COULDN’T.

THE HOPE FOR US, THAT IS, GOD’S PLAN, IS HIS ONE AND ONLY SON, JESUS CHRIST! THIS HOPE…THIS PLAN… IS THE ULTIMATE EXPRESSION TO HUMANITY FROM GOD THAT HE IS MERCIFUL, UNCONDITIONALLY LOVING, AND JUSTIFIABLY FORGIVING AND ETERNALLY INVITING US TO COMMUNE WITH HIM IN AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP AS OUR GRACIOUS HEAVENLY FATHER.

THE BEAUTY OF ALL OF THIS IS THAT GOD, IN HIS LOVING MERCY INITIATED THE PLAN AND PAID THE PRICE TO MAKE THIS RELATIONSHIP WITH US POSSIBLE. HE INITIATED THIS PLAN AND PAID THE PRICE SO THAT WE WOULD NOT HAVE TO ENDURE THE FULL FORCE OF GOD’S UNFILTERED WRATH TOWARDS OUR SINS.

GOD IS HOLY AND HE EXPECTS US TO BE HOLY. SO, WHEN I SAY “WRATH” IT DOESN’T MEAN THAT GOD IS AN ANGRY, SMITING, AND PUNISHING DIETY THAT GETS PLEASURE DESTROYING THINGS AND KILLING PEOPLE FOR EVERY ACT OF DISOBEDIENCE.

THE QUICK LESSON HERE IS THAT WHEN WE SPEAK OF GOD’S WRATH, IT’S UNDERSTOOD AS A METAPHOR FOR HIS LOVE. AS HARD AS IT MAY BE TO COMPREHEND AT THIS VERY MOMENT, GOD’S WRATH IS AN EXPRESSION OF HIS LOVE.

LOOK AT IT THIS WAY: GOD’S WRATH IS SIMPLY HOW HIS LOVE FEELS WHEN WE EXPERIENCE IT IN SIN. IT IS NOT AN UNJUST, PUNITIVE STYLE OF JUSTICE, BUT A HEALING AND RESTORATIVE LOVE TO BRING US BACK TO HIM THROUGH REPENTANCE AND FORGIVENESS.

DESPITE OUR WICKEDNESS AND PRONE TO SINFULNESS, GOD ALWAYS RESPONDS IN LOVE TOWARDS EVERY SINFUL SITUAITION THAT HUMANITY CAN GET ITSELF INTO. GOD HAS ALWAYS WORKED THROUGH EVERY SITUATION BY HIS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE MADE EVIDENT BASED ON THE WORK OF JESUS CHRIST AND THE CROSS.

EPHESIANS 2:4-5, SAYS IT ALL: “BUT GOD IS SO RICH IN MERCY, AND HE LOVED US SO MUCH, THAT EVEN THOUGH WE WERE DEAD BECAUSE OF OUR SINS, HE GAVE US LIFE WHEN HE RAISED CHRIST FROM THE DEAD.”

YES! GOD LOVES US SO MUCH, THAT INSTEAD OF TAKING OUT HIS WRATH UPON US (WHICH WE DESERVED) FOR OUR SINFULNESS, HE, INSTEAD, TOOK IT OUT ON HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST.

WE COULD NOT PAY SUCH A PENALTY. WE WOULD BE ANNIHILATED. WE HAVE NO MEANS TO WITHSTAND THAT INTENSITY OF WRATH AND WE HAVE NO WAY OF FULLY PAYING THE PRICE. WE ARE INCAPABLE OF SATISFYING THE DEBT PAYMENT FOR OUR SINS.

THAT IS WHY JOHN 3:16, SHOULD MAKE US FALL ON OUR FACES IN WORSHIP AND GRATITUDE FOR WHAT GOD THE FATHER, DID FOR US, THROUGH HIS SON JESUS BY MAKING HIM THE SUPREME SACRIFICE TO ABSORB THE FULL PENALTY ON OUR BEHALF. AS THAT BELOVED PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE STATES: “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.”

GOD ACTED ON BEHALF OF ALL HUMANITY. HE KNEW WE HAD NO WAY OF MAKING RESTITUTION FOR OUR SINFULNESS. HE KNEW HIS SON, JESUS, WAS THE ONLY WAY TO TAKE CARE OF OUR “SIN PROBLEM” BY PAYING THE PRICE FOR US.