Love and Justice

God's love and justice are not irreconcilable. The truth is that God hates sin and all humans are sinful. God's justice demands that his wrath and judgement come down on sin. This is a very scary thing. In fact, while talking about God's judgement, one Biblical author said "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:31). God is angry at sin and his wrath is coming. This is a reality that is not popular in our world, but it is nonetheless true.

However, God also loves us and wants a relationship with us. He is not a malicious God. God does not like it when people reject him and suffer his wrath. God says in Ezekiel 18:23 "Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?" God doesn't want people to turn from him and die. He wants people to have life. That's why Jesus came on cross and died for our sin. Because Jesus lived a sinless life and died on the cross, he was able to divert God's fury, wrath, and judgement from sinners onto himself.

That's the reason people need to believe and follow Jesus. Anyone who has accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior is no longer guilty. They have the righteousness of Jesus; this doesn't mean they don't sin, but that their sin is forgiven and God has given them new life so they can fight sin and become pure. However, anyone who rejects Jesus and does not follow him faces the reality of God's wrath and judgement.

This is the gospel: "Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous (Jesus) for the unrighteous (you and me), to bring you to God." (1 Peter 3:18)

The most important decision people make in their life, even if they neglect to make it, is whether or not they will worship Jesus.

The Biggest Lie in the World

If you obey God, you won't be as happy.

Leave a Legacy

I recently attended the memorial service for a Christian man who had died six days previous. Even though I never knew the man, I was inspired by the service. I had spend the last week with his children and grandchildren. The memorial service was a testament to the immense impact this man had on his family. Almost his entire family are committed Christians who live gospel-led lives and practice the teachings of Christ. This man had led his family well. His children honored him and loved the Lord. By his life, this man had left a noble legacy of character. I was inspired. As Christians, we should pursue a legacy that honors Christ. We should live in such a way that at our funerals, our children praise God and honor us. There was no mention of this man's financial status, material possessions, or career advancement. The focus was his love for Jesus, his love for his wife, and his love for his family. Today's culture fosters an immediate-fortune mentality. More weight than is healthy is placed on worldly treasures. We are taught that financial gain and personal advancement are the end goals in life. A high salary and a multi-syllable title are more worthy of our efforts than healthy marriages and strong families. We rarely think long-range. We don't often consider what will be left in our absence until it's too late to make a real difference. I would suggest that we start playing with the end game in mind. Live in the present, but do it with the future in sight. Lasting impacts and noble legacies are not accidents. They are results of intentional living and, for the Christian, Spirit-led action. As Christians, let's live with divine perspective, with heaven in mind. Let's consider what will be said at our funeral and, more importantly, what Christ will say to us when we stand before him. Let's leave behind us a legacy of faith, hope, and love. Let's inspire our children to emulate us. My goal is to live in such a way that if someone who doesn't know me comes to my funeral, he will leave inspired to live for Christ and then blog about it.