NT in a year: Mathew 23:23-39
Today's Scripture: Exodus 34:6-7
6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished;
God is, indeed, a God of love; just as he is a God of wrath.
So often God's divine attributes are pitted against each other and looked at as mutually exclusive. This could not be farther from the truth. Here we clearly see the loving and gracious attributes of God listed, but they are immediately followed by the warning: "He does not leave the guilty unpunished.
God is a gracious God and has compassion for all of his creatures. Indeed, he has given us the gift of his son, so that all who believe in him should have eternal life. This does not mean that he will ever act unjustly. Punishment still awaits the guilty.
God is just in his love, for God's love is just.
Application:
Here, we are reassured that the guilty will not go unpunished. We understand, based on the testimony of scripture, that we are found guilty in the sight of God for our sins. How then can we escape God's just wrath? Only by believing in his son. If we do this, our guilt is laid on his shoulders, and he takes upon himself the just punishment for our sin.
S.D.G.
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