What Is The Gospel Part 3: Wrath & Mercy

In the last post we concluded that the standard by which GOD judges his people is Himself, and all who fail to match up to His perfect holiness is unfit to commune with Him. But we fail to directly address one of the questions raised in the introduction. The question is: are there any conditions under which GOD alters His standards? More specifically; does JESUS’s death exempt believers from meeting the standard of righteousness?

Before we delve too deep into this issue, I think it would be best to glimpse at the mercy of GOD in order add depth to the question. In post 1 we established that we are wicked by nature. Then in post 2 we discovered that our sinfulness exempt us from a relationship with GOD; for He His so holy and just that He must destroy every sinful thing. That’s why Ephesians 2:3 refer to us as children of wrath by nature. But, doesn’t scripture refer to GOD as merciful.?

Is it possible to reconcile the afore mentioned judgement and condemnation with the often heralded mercy and lovingkindness of GOD? For we know that all humanity will be tried based on whether they do or do not match up with righteousness of GOD. We also know, in the Bible there is mention of a people whom sins are not imputed to them. How can this be? If we are so sinful and GOD so holy and righteous in His judgement, then no one can be truly forgiven without GOD some how altering His nature. Unless there is some way GOD can both judge sin, and forgive sinners. We will attempt to tackle this issue of GOD’s wrath and mercy by looking a little closer at the nature of GOD’s judgement.

In Exodus 33 verses 6-7 GOD declared His name to Moses; He said: “The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.” In this passage notice how GOD, after speaking of His grace, patience, goodness, and forgiveness immediately tells us that these truths do not clear the guilty. Sense GOD is perfect in all His attributes; the fact He is a holy just judge does not exclude Him from being merciful and forgiving. Therefor GOD will not just passively exonerate the wicked for that would be an affront to His holy justice. So GOD somehow condemns and justifies sinners. This act is accomplished in the sacrifice of JESUS CHRIST.

Romans 3 teaches that GOD set forth CHRIST to be a propitiation for our sins; that He might be both just and the justifier (Rom 3:24-26). This is the wisdom of GOD as displayed in the gospel. He condemns sin in the sacrifice of CHRIST (Rom 8:3). Isaiah said “the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Thus when Paul sums up the gospel he preached to the Corinthians, he begins with fact the CHRIST died for sins. The truth that often goes unrepresented is that all sin committed by the sons of men will be justly punished; whether in the body of the sinner or the Saviour, all sins will be punished. But thanks be unto GOD that the recompense for my wickedness was poured upon my LORD and Saviour CHRIST JESUS.

Now that GOD through wisdom has satisfied His wrath against sin without either destroying the sinner, or denying His glorious name; He can freely offer forgiveness to who ever He wills. Thus now all how come to Him through the merit of CHRIST will have their sins forgiven. That’s why Paul equates the redemption wrought through CHRIST’s blood with the forgiveness of sins (Col 1:14, Eph 1:7). Also JESUS declared His blood was for the remission of sins (Mat 26:28). And when expounding this new testament the writer to the Hebrews says (quoting the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:31-34) GOD “will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” Echoing this sentiment, GOD, through the prophet Isaiah, proclaims that He “blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins” (Isa 43:25). And John begins to show the way to receive this forgiveness saying: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” How beautiful! We who from our youth lived a life of rebellion and disobedience to GOD, can through CHRIST’s death be completely forgiven of all our wickedness. That’s why these are truthZIFollow. Please ask GOD to grant you forgiveness.