Good News #52: Death is Not From God, Life and Living Life Abundantly Is!
“For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!”
Ezekiel 18:32
Some people struggle in reconciling the character of the God in the old testament and Him in the new testament — that is, IF they don’t factor in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross… His death, burial and resurrection.
Make no mistake!
The finished work of Jesus made a whole universe of irreversible difference.
In reading the old testament, it’s hard not to notice that many deaths were happening through sword, famine and pestilence, so one wonders about the aspect of love, grace and mercy of God.
This kind of wondering tells us of a blindspot in the way God is perceived.
Pay close attention — God IS love, grace and mercy BUT He is also holy, just and righteous.
And because He is holy, just and righteous, sins cannot go unpunished. Otherwise, He would not be holy, just and righteous…this is why we see everything we see in the old testament… because Jesus had not yet come.
BUT thank God you and I live in new covenant era…AFTER all punishments have been exacted on the body of our Lord Jesus as He hung on the cross for our sins…dying the death we deserve.
At the cross, we see God’s holiness, justice and righteousness when He did not spare His own Son Jesus from His holy wrath against all our sins on the body of His Son. All our sins were punished…not one sin escaped.
And at the same time…
At the cross, we see God’s love, grace and mercy when He spared us (us who deserve the punishment of death) and instead, unleashed all punishments meant for you and me on the body of our Lord Jesus…
That is why today, God has a righteous foundation never to be angry at mankind and never to exact death for sins because all His anger had been spent on Jesus’ body two thousand years ago…and in His holiness, justice and righteousness, He cannot punish the same sins twice… He already punished Jesus for all our sins.
Today, God is not out on a witchhunt exacting the penalty of death.
The gospel is this — Because Jesus was punished for us…paying the penalty of death for us, God is ONLY out to heal, deliver, redeem, restore and save mankind from death.
God does not take pleasure in anyone dying.
Whatta God we have!
Whatta Saviour we have in Jesus!
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
