All posts by Larry

God is Merciful

Psalm 89:14 Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.

I begin with the same scripture as yesterday because the next two personality traits of God are contained in this verse. Mercy and truth are the last two traits to be addressed.

Mercy is not receiving the punishment we all deserve. We are all guilty of sin and there was only the law to render a man righteous before God. Sadly we are all guilty of breaking God’s laws even before we come to understand there are laws and the purpose for laws.

How God dispenses mercy for all sin, no matter how big or how small, is not based on the defilement but rather the atonement. Since Christ died for all mankind’s sins for all time, then the basis for mercy lies not with the sin but in the atonement.

How do we receive mercy?

Romans 5:16-19 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Righteous is that right standing before God, being able to come before Him because sin has been dealt with by the atoning work of Christ’s death on the cross. Remember God is only looking here for a way for the object of His love to be in fellowship with Him.

God is Just

Psalm 89:14 Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.

Justice is the answer to yesterday’s conundrum. If you have not read yesterday’s devotional, then please do so know for a better understanding.

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

So many times I have heard the cries of the less than perfect; “Well that’s not fair!” It always comes down to the punishment for the crime. Death is the punishment for sin, all sin. It does not matter if that sin is a lie or mass murder. They are all equal in this one respect, if they could touch God, they would defile His Holiness and God would no longer be God. That is not going to happen.

So how does a just God deal with man’s sinful nature? If all sin is equal then all punishment is equal and the answer to the problem must also be equal or it is not just. God found one answer to all sin that is equal, fair and just.

Sin was dealt with judiciously. In order for that to take place all sin needed to be set aside, and since sin is performed over and over again throughout time, one act had to cover all sin for all time.

Deuteronomy 12:27 And thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, upon the altar of the Lord thy God: and the blood of thy sacrifices shall be poured out upon the altar of the Lord thy God, and thou shalt eat the flesh.

John 6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

First the prophetic example and then the Lamb of God presented for the atoning sacrifice upon which God would see that sacrifice rather than sin. A just answer to an unjust conundrum.