<pre>Good morning:
He is the nicest, kindest person I’ve ever met. He is grouchy, impatient, and often mean. Do you know people like that? Sometimes both descriptions might fit a single individual. One moment they are caring and considerate and the next they are looking for a fight. It leaves one wondering who the person really is.
People have questions about God. Someone may tell you, “There seems to be two different Gods. There is the wrathful God who takes out his anger on people, who struck a husband and wife dead on the spot for lying (Acts 5). Then there is the God who is patient and loving, who put up with the complaining Israelites for 40 years and gave them the promised land. Who is the real God? Should we be afraid of His anger or find comfort in His love?
The answer is really both. If we see God only as a fearful Judge who punishes the smallest infraction of His Law, we are not seeing the real God. If we think of God as only “loving” in the sense that He would never punish sin, we are not seeing the real God either.
God reveals Himself in His Word as the just and holy God who punishes sin and also as the loving God who does not want the sinner to die. The wonder of His salvation plan is that He has both satisfied His justice in punishing sin and has saved guilty sinners. The prophet Habakkuk praised God and said, “LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy” (Hab. 3:2). God has made known to us His awesome deeds in Jesus. In His wrath, He punished Jesus for the sins of the world. In mercy He has credited Jesus’ holiness to us. “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).
David says, “One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: Power belongs to you, God, and with you, Lord, is unfailing love” (Ps. 62:11-12). Knowing the real God by faith, may we start our day by humbly confessing our guilt. Then rejoice that the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, has washed us clean and set us free to live for Him.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor
Service times tomorrow are 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. The children will sing in second service. Sunday school begins at 9:15 a.m. and adult Bible class at 9:30 a.m. The Bible class will take up the lie about God which says, “God is soft on sin.”
The quarterly voters meeting will be held after second service. The input and gifts of all our voters are important in order to carry out the Lord’s work as effectively as possible. Non-voters are always welcome to sit in on the meetings as well.</pre>
