Godly Love and Justice

1 John 4:9-16 “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.  And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”

This last week, our small group Bible Study, continuing on our series “Knowing God”, we took a look at God’s essential nature of love and justice. As we've delved into the Word of God, we've seen that He is the self-existent, self-sufficient Creator, who is righteous, just, all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present Sovereign that rules over all; a God of truth who never changes. But some may ask, “How can a God, being love in essence, have wrath against sin and send sinners to hell?” You read about it in verses like Deuteronomy 7:9-10  “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face.”

In these passages that describe God, is there a mixed message or are we seeing His love and His justice? As in Exodus 34:6-7  Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in loving-kindness and truth; who keeps loving-kindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.” A judge that doesn’t punish convicted criminals would not be good or just. He may love the criminal but hate the crime. A “just” God must punish sin, so how can a merciful God manifest His love to a lost in sin world? Romans 5:8-10 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

You and I are loved unconditionally and eternally by God. Can we grasp that? Once we come to God, acknowledge our sin in repentance, admit our impotence to save ourselves and our need of a Savior, His love will be poured out in our heart through the Holy Spirit of God, who He gives us. Once we truly believe, once we truly receive Jesus, absolutely nothing will ever be able to separate us from His ever-lasting love. God holds us in His hand. No one can take us out of this hand (John 10:27-30). Isn’t that reassuring to know? There is love and there is justice.

Ephesians 2:4-5  But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved). Stand next to the spout where the grace pours out.

In Christ, Brian