April 16, 2021: SOAP #4152: 1Samuel 18; 1Chronicles 6; Psalm 11; Matthew 3

SCRIPTURE:  Psalm (NIV) 11:4 The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them. 5 The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates. 6 On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulphur; a scorching wind will be their lot. 7 For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face.

OBSERVATION:  In John 3:16 we read that God loves the world—so much that He gave His only Son!  In Matthew 3:17 we read that God loves His Son, Jesus.  In the verse above we read that the LORD loves justice.  God is love!  

God is just as holy as He is loving.  It is the combination of perfect love and perfect holiness that makes God “good.” If He was just holy, or just love, we could not call Him “good.”  Being holy means that He loves justice.  Having the nature of love and loving justice results in hatred of wickedness.  Those who “love violence” are contrary to God.  Those who destroy what God loves, stand in danger of God’s holy anger and judgment.  Sin destroys the man God created.  Sin destroys the man for which he has so many great plans.  Sin destroys what God loves.  But being perfectly holy required that the sacrifice for sin had to be sinless.    The sacrifice could not be paying for his own sin! 

God’s holy and intense anger is logical when one considers God’s intense love.  (A mother’s intense love for her child results in intense anger at the animal who would harm the child.) 

APPLICATION: To think of God as only loving is to ignore half of His character.  To think of God as only holy is to ignore half of His character.  When I grow in my relationship with God, I get to know Him, not just about Him. 

The beauty of God’s character is indescribable.  It is beyond our words. 

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, Oh the beauty of you.  Your perfect character amazes me.  Your intense love for me.  Your perfect holiness guides your plan for me.  You are always working for my good!  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!