God's Character - Our Response

“For this is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: I was determined to punish you when your ancestors angered me, and I did not change my mind, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. But now I am determined to bless Jerusalem and the people of Judah. So don’t be afraid. But this is what you must do: Tell the truth to each other. Render verdicts in your courts that are just and that lead to peace. Don’t scheme against each other. Stop your love of telling lies that you swear are the truth. I hate all these things, says the LORD.” [Zechariah 8.14-17]

God's character is clear throughout the Bible. It is clear here as well.

God punishes sin. He is slow to anger, but once He is angry, sin will be punished.

However, Zechariah reveals a critical thing about God's anger. He gets over it. This is an important life lesson for us as well. God gets over His anger once it is fulfilled and justice is served. At that point, God is done with it and He is ready to get back to blessing His people.

It is worth paying close attention however that, in God's fulfillment of anger and return to blessings, He forbids further sin. This is important!

Now, in light of all this, how apropos is Jesus? Oh, no other response to the sin of man could be expected of God by one who understands God's character!

But again, "stop sinning" remains an edict. Jesus Himself said it. In no way was Jesus' work on man's behalf ever meant to be construed as a license to sin.

Jesus didn't sin, so if we have Him living in us, we should not sin! And, when we do, there is repentance to be exercised! But then there is forgiveness!

Sound like a roller coaster? It can be... Even the Apostle Paul struggled:

I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. [Romans 7.15-25]

The only real danger any follower of God can fall into is the proud failure to remain repentant. It seems most every sin can be traced back to pride...

Father, You are so good and faithful. You are forgiving and gracious. Forgive me for failing to accurately assess Your goodness by being unrepentant.