I hope you're enjoying this early March morning with some coffee or tea, and Lord willing; some sunshine!
I have a question for you; have you ever given much serious thought to God's justice? Until recently I know I hadn't. Of course in my mind I thought "Oh of course God is just. It's one of His attributes." However, until most recently I hadn't pondered much into what that actually means. With the help of R.C. Sproul, and his book "The Holiness of God", as well as the theme of the last couple sermons on the Lord's day at church, that has changed.
Consider this, if God is both holy and just, how is it that any human on this earth even has breath in their lungs at this moment? And even more so, for the Christian, how is it that God loves us and calls us His children? If He is both holy and just, and if we are sinners how is it that we are even alive at this moment? If He is absolutely holy, does not tolerate sin, is our Creator, and has commanded us to be holy as He is holy, yet we have fallen short of this commandment in every way, how are we still breathing today? It would have been fair of God, in the garden when Adam and Eve sinned to stop it all right there. The punishment for sin is death. It would have been just for Him to kill the human race right then and there. Why would He bother with us? I don't know about you blogger world, but I think it was to display His glory, and more specifically His grace & mercy. The ultimate display of this of course is the cross; where Christ became to object of God's fury and wrath against sin. Where He who was perfect was crushed, cried out in anguish, because His Father had forsaken Him. He bore all the punishment and wrath my soul deserves.
Setting my mind on this overwhelms me to the maximum point. I am a sinner. I was dead, and didn't even know it. I loved my sin, but God chose to save me. He loved me with an everlasting love, and chose to breathe the breath of salvation & life into my soul. I did nothing to deserve it, and if it had been up to me I would have gone on loving my sinful state. That is why it is AMAZING grace! Because literally, if God chose to carry out His justice on me as it would have been fair & right for Him to do, I would be burning in hell right now. That's what I would deserve, but He didn't! He poured out His wrath on His beloved Son instead of me, and lavished His grace, mercy and love upon me! Every breath is a gift from Him! What joy this should bring to any Christians soul, that by His grace we are not burning in hell right now! He IS just, but He is also merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness! May my soul never forget the gravity of this; the grace, and the reality that if I had gotten what I deserve I would be burning in hell right at this moment!
Anyone who is an unbeliever, should realize that God is displaying His common grace upon you as well! It is by His grace, that He even gives air to breathe for the sinner. He gives unbelievers the gift of enjoying His creation, being able to eat & enjoy food, having families & friends. All of these are gifts from God! For He Himself gives all things life and breath and everything else! There will be a day, though when He will come back to claim His own, & His justice will prevail! He is patient, but His anger towards sinners and haters of Him, won't be held forever. Oh, my dearest blogging world, may this motivate us all the more to pray for those in our lives who do not know Christ! He is mighty to save! He IS just, but He has not dealt with us according to our sins! And there will be a day where each person will either be judged according to Christ's righteousness, if they have been saved, or by their own wretched deeds if they have not. What amazing grace God has lavished on His children! Let us endeavor never to forget how truly amazing grace is! May our hearts not grow dull to it! Let us joyfully adore Him, the lover of our souls!
Joyfully for His glory,
Willa
"O taste and see that the LORD is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!" - Psalm 34:8
