These verses give us a very interesting view of God. If these were the only verses in the Bible, I think I would probably be pretty scared. The only thing that is even partially comforting is, 'The LORD is slow to anger'. But still, that doesn't even say that He has no anger, just that He's slow to it. It says He is jealous, avenging, wrathful, He takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies, He's great in power, and HE WILL BY NO MEANS LEAVE THE GUILTY UNPUNISHED!
Like I said, if this was all we had to go on than I would be pretty hopeless. But, (I love that word) we do have a hope because once we came under the blood of Christ we were completely cleared of any charge against us. Which means we are no longer His adversaries, therefore He won't take vengeance on us, we are no longer His enemies, therefore He has no wrath for us, and we will be left unpunished because we are no longer guilty.
We know that the punishment for sin is death. This passage says that anyone who is guilty, or, anyone who commits sin will be punished, or, put to death. But because of the love of Christ and His death in my place I no longer have to die.
Colossians 1:21-22 says – “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.”
This verse tells us that we were Gods enemies, but THROUGH DEATH He reconciled us to Himself. Jesus took Gods wrath upon Himself. He took all the punishment that was reserved for His enemies.
That punishment was reserved for me, and yet I will never have to taste even the slightest bit of it. Not only will I never have to, but I never could. Even if at some point in my life I changed my mind and decided that I wanted to take the penalty, I wouldn't be able to do it. Because God the Father has already charged the blood of Christ to my account. That's eternal security. He paid the full price, took the full punishment, and now there is nothing I could ever do to be guilty of death. He took the punishment for all my sins, past, present and future.
Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe, sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.
Psalm 68:19-20 - 'Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, The God who is our salvation. Selah. God is to us a God of deliverances; And to GOD the Lord belong escapes from death.'
This verse is awesome. God daily bears our burden. As long as we live on this earth we will struggle with sin. But Jesus daily takes our sins upon Himself. “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree.” Every day, Every sin, He takes upon Himself, daily. And because He daily bears our burden, He is our salvation, He is our deliverer, and through Him we can escape death.
Micah 7:18-19 – “Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in unchanging love. He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot Yes, You will cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea.”
What a God. What a Savior.
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