"God is love" (1John 4:8, 16). Love is the essence of God; it is His very nature. God has many other qualities and attributes, many of which stem from His love.
These moral attributes of God are not contradictory but work in harmony. For example, God"s holiness required an immediate separation between God and humans when they sinned. Then, God"s righteousness and justice required death as the penalty for sin, but God"s love and mercy sought pardon. God satisfied both justice and mercy by the death of Christ at Calvary and the resulting plan of salvation.
We enjoy the benefits of God"s mercy when we accept the atoning work of Christ and apply it to our lives thru faith. When we accept and obey by faith God"s plan of salvation, God imputes the righteousness of Christ to us (Romans 3:21-5:21). Therefore, God can justly forgive us of sin (1John 1:9) and can restore us to communion with Him without violating His holiness.
The death of the innocent, sinless Christ and the imputation of Christ"s righteousness to us satisfy God"s justice and holiness. If however, we reject Christ"s atonement, then we are left to face God"s judgment alone. In this case His holiness demands separation from sinful humans and His justice demands death for sinful humans. So justice and mercy are complimentary, not contradictory, aspects of God"s nature, as are holiness and love. If we accept God"s love and mercy, He will help us satisfy His justice and holiness. If we reject God"s mercy and love, we must face His justice and holiness alone (Romans 11:22).
Of cource the preceding list does not exhaust the qualities of God. God is transcendant and no human can comprehend Him fully. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9). "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counseller? (Romans 11: 33-34).
__________________ And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
If we accept God"s love and mercy, He will help us satisfy His justice and holiness. If we reject God"s mercy and love, we must face His justice and holiness alone (Romans 11:22).
AMEN!
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Jesus said, "he who stands firm to the end will be saved" Mark 13:13.
Live Life in such a way that those who do not know Christ will come to know Him because they know you
God's Moral Nature
