By Chantalle Wookey
“But you, you are to be feared!
Who can stand before you
when once your anger is roused?
From the heavens you uttered judgment;
the earth feared and was still,
when God arose to establish judgment,
to save all the humble of the earth.”
Who can stand before you
when once your anger is roused?
From the heavens you uttered judgment;
the earth feared and was still,
when God arose to establish judgment,
to save all the humble of the earth.”
(Psalm 76:7-9)
I know that many Christians struggle with passages like this. They can’t understand how God can judge people, especially how people can experience eternal death.
When I was thinking about the whole issue of judgment I was reminded of a very difficult period in my life and the life of my family. When I was 14 years old we spent quite some time at court seeking justice against a terrible wrong in the form of an assault on my sister. I remember very deep feelings of anger and pain over the terrible injustice of ever having to watch my sister walk such a terrible road. I remember very well the agony of waiting for a decision by the jury. I also remember my confusing feelings of relief/sadness/anger/sorrow when the judge told the jury to come back, a guilty verdict was read and the penalty for the crime was given.
The sorrow was the most confusing of all the feelings I had (and I would have felt guilty admitting it at the time as I would have wondered if it was a betrayal, like taking the wrong side). Now I am older though, I think I understand it a little more. I didn’t feel sorry for justice that was brought, as this was right and necessary, more that it even had to be brought. Sorrow that this terrible thing had ever happened but also here was a person who had done terrible wrong and needed to be judged but yet was so lost. I really didn’t expect to feel this way at all prior to the case and believe me at the time it was a very fleeting feeling. I left the court despite this knowing that although this wrong could never be righted, justice had been served.
Looking back on this experience God has used it to give me a small revelation of the character of God. God is who He is. He’s perfect, holy and just. Because of who He is, He cannot stand sin. The real question is not, “How can a loving God allow people to experience eternity away from him?” The real question is, “How can a perfect, just God allow us to spend eternity with him?” God is just, but He’s also merciful. He didn’t want us to die, and therefore, He sent Jesus to save us! He wants everyone to be saved from death, if we only allow Him to save us. The sorrow He must feel for all who are lost, no matter how far from Him they are, is mind-blowing.
It is amazing to realise that no matter the injustice we face on this earth, God has ultimate justice in His hands so we can be free to live for Him. I know that even if we hadn’t seen justice brought on that day in court that God does have justice in his hands and I can leave any injustice I have suffered in the court of the King.
I have been challenged this week to spend time thanking God for His mercy and praising Him for being a just God. There are consequences to sin, and we shouldn’t forget this even though we are saved. Fearing God in a healthy way is a good thing, it keeps us from sinning.
God I pray you reveal sin in our lives, so that we can confess it and surrender our hearts completely to you. God, change us from the inside out, make us who you created us to be, people who love mercy and hate sin as much as you do.
I know that many Christians struggle with passages like this. They can’t understand how God can judge people, especially how people can experience eternal death.
When I was thinking about the whole issue of judgment I was reminded of a very difficult period in my life and the life of my family. When I was 14 years old we spent quite some time at court seeking justice against a terrible wrong in the form of an assault on my sister. I remember very deep feelings of anger and pain over the terrible injustice of ever having to watch my sister walk such a terrible road. I remember very well the agony of waiting for a decision by the jury. I also remember my confusing feelings of relief/sadness/anger/sorrow when the judge told the jury to come back, a guilty verdict was read and the penalty for the crime was given.
The sorrow was the most confusing of all the feelings I had (and I would have felt guilty admitting it at the time as I would have wondered if it was a betrayal, like taking the wrong side). Now I am older though, I think I understand it a little more. I didn’t feel sorry for justice that was brought, as this was right and necessary, more that it even had to be brought. Sorrow that this terrible thing had ever happened but also here was a person who had done terrible wrong and needed to be judged but yet was so lost. I really didn’t expect to feel this way at all prior to the case and believe me at the time it was a very fleeting feeling. I left the court despite this knowing that although this wrong could never be righted, justice had been served.
Looking back on this experience God has used it to give me a small revelation of the character of God. God is who He is. He’s perfect, holy and just. Because of who He is, He cannot stand sin. The real question is not, “How can a loving God allow people to experience eternity away from him?” The real question is, “How can a perfect, just God allow us to spend eternity with him?” God is just, but He’s also merciful. He didn’t want us to die, and therefore, He sent Jesus to save us! He wants everyone to be saved from death, if we only allow Him to save us. The sorrow He must feel for all who are lost, no matter how far from Him they are, is mind-blowing.
It is amazing to realise that no matter the injustice we face on this earth, God has ultimate justice in His hands so we can be free to live for Him. I know that even if we hadn’t seen justice brought on that day in court that God does have justice in his hands and I can leave any injustice I have suffered in the court of the King.
I have been challenged this week to spend time thanking God for His mercy and praising Him for being a just God. There are consequences to sin, and we shouldn’t forget this even though we are saved. Fearing God in a healthy way is a good thing, it keeps us from sinning.
God I pray you reveal sin in our lives, so that we can confess it and surrender our hearts completely to you. God, change us from the inside out, make us who you created us to be, people who love mercy and hate sin as much as you do.
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