Love, Justice, Grace, and Wrath.

Love, Justice, Grace, and Wrath.



I’ve heard many definitions of grace. Non compare to the definition I heard today: “Grace is God’s goodness toward those who deserve only Punishment.” When I ask someone, “Why are you going to heaven?” the popular answer has been, “I’m a good person.” Yet we find that the whole problem with scripture is if God is a loving God he must be a just God. And if God is a just God then he cannot justify the wicked.



John tells us that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). We also read, “God is Just” (2 Thessalonians 1:6). These are two more of many verses on God’s Justice, (Isaiah 61:8). (Deuteronomy 32:4).



Many would say, “If God is a loving God then he cannot send anyone to hell.” Yet I tell you if God were a loving God then he would be required to send people to hell. For example, say you were to go away on a trip. As you were on your way home a man enters your home and kills all your family and friends. You enter the house as he is killing the last of your family. In rage you subdue the man, tie him up and call the police. A few weeks later he is brought before the judge. All the evidence is brought before the judge and it is clear the man is guilty. The judge pronounces the sentence and says: “because I am such a loving judge I’m going to let you go.” Now, your sitting in the back screaming, “if you were a loving judge you would take this vile creature and send him to jail where he belongs!” You would probably write senators and as many people as would listen that there is an unjust Judge.



In the same way, if God were a loving God he must be just or all of the wicked people who care nothing for others or care about God would be in heaven. Besides, these people wouldn’t want to go to heaven to be with God. This is why C. S. Lewis says, “The door to hell is locked from the inside.”



A wicked person cannot change his wicked nature. Only by an act of God can his nature be changed. And it is our free will to choice whether to seek God and be saved. It is our choice to repent, believe and have faith. With out saving grace we will remain in our sinful nature and the Justice and love of God will cry out that we cannot enter heaven. It is only by God’s grace that the choice to repent and believe is offered to us.



Another interesting verse when considering these matters is found in Proverbs 17:15 “He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord.” Abomination means:

1. anything abominable; anything greatly disliked or abhorred.

2. Intense aversion or loathing; detestation.

Synonyms are: hatred, corruption, depravity.

The bible says, “All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.” We have all been born wicked. God himself cannot justify the wicked. God cannot justify us unless he himself becomes an abomination! If God were to justify us then I can just imagine Satan coming to God and saying something like this, “ha, see god, your just like me now.” Do you now realize how important it is to realize that a holy, loving and just God cannot let you enter into his presence! If he did not punish you justly then he would become an abomination himself!



Now you all beg the question, “then how does God justly declare us righteous and allow us to enter into his presence? How is it that God can extend grace to the wicked and justify us with out becoming an abomination?” Understand, God must satisfy his holy wrath first. He must satisfy his justice. How does he do this then? God did this in the cross! The cross was much more than the physical pain of a man. The cross was the full just wrath that we all deserve poured out on Christ!



The wrath that I am talking about is the wrath we see in the Old Testament that sent plague after plague on the Israelites. It is the wrath that sent fire from heaven and opened the mouth of the earth to swallow men alive. And this wrath is only a taste of the wrath that is justly deserved by you and I! God’s mighty hand was held back by himself from pouring out his full wrath on the Israelites and the rest of the world. The only way to justify us is that another would take the punishment we deserve. There is no one that can withstand the full wrath of God but God himself. So God sent his son (who is God) on the cross. Christ Jesus took our sin upon himself and because God cannot look upon sin he turned his face away from Christ. This is why Christ said “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” I also believe it is because of God’s wrath and because God was going to turn his face away from Jesus that Jesus sweated blood in fear of what was to unfold on the cross. Yet we understand so little of the cross! The whole Old Testament and New Testament cry out about the cross. They speak of God’s holy Character, His love, Justice, wrath, patience, grace, etc. The bible speaks of the problem of sin and the only way for justification.



Christ died for us and now he asks something so simple, repent and believe! Seek the Lord! Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind! It is by Faith that we do all these things and it is by faith that we are saved, and that by God! Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!





To those who do not follow God’s commands, repent, and believe they will be brought before God on judgment day. God will appear to them as a Judge and they will receive their just punishment for not believing in Christ. These are those who drink down inequity as if it were water. Even those who only give a mental accent to Christ will not be declared righteous before God and they will go down into the depths. Those who love the world do not love God. The lusts that burn in these people’s hearts will burn even more strongly in hell and they will find no satisfaction or gratification for these lusts. They will be reminded every day of the wonderful and glorious riches they could have had in heaven. And yet they will never take part in it because God’s loving justice was poured out on them.



If we take part in Christ’s death then we will also take part in his resurrection! We must die to ourselves. Praise God that those who repent and believe will be brought before God on judgment day and God will come to them as a father instead of a judge. God will forgive all sins and they will be told, “Well done good and faithful servant.” These people will enter into God’s presence and for the rest of eternity they will discover more and more of God for eternity! Words cannot express how amazing I believe heaven will be and yet I believe that even my thoughts on heaven do not give justice to the wonders we will see and take part of. This will mean pain and suffering hear on earth, but this is only a reminder that this is not our home! Heaven is the home of all those who are children of God! This world is only a shadow!

Grace and Peace

C C

Ps. This is why I fear the Lord (not enough though).