Saturday 22 November, 2014

Fires burning up all God’s foes (v3) is not a popular idea these days. But simply tolerating evil is incompatible with the righteousness and justice that are the foundation of his throne (v2). If God does not destroy evil and sin and rebellion we would all spend eternity amongst unrighteousness and injustice.

I suspect that today we are more comfortable with forgiveness than righteousness and justice. But it’s not one or the other for God: Jesus had to die so that justice could be satisfied, and righteousness could be exchanged for sinfulness and God could forgive us.

I need to rejoice in God’s justice (v8) and hate evil (v10). Justice and righteousness need to be as important to me as they are to God. And they are wonderful, and sorely in need of people who will fight for them.

And my heart needs to be like God’s towards those who still hang onto sin and evil: to love them more than life itself.

I need to recognise too that people who continue to refuse what Jesus did, who hold onto their evil and rebellion, are in a terribly dangerous place. If they don’t take hold of Jesus in place of their opposition to God, they will be destroyed – completely and unstoppably (v4-5).

Father, I do praise you because your name is holy. And I do rejoice in your justice and the blessing it is to me. And adore you for your love for me that you sacrificed your Son to save me from the destruction I deserve. Give me the courage and wisdom to fight for justice, and the compassion to warn those who are in danger because they oppose you.

Written by David Cornell