Four Things You Need to Know About God

January 13, 2021

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By Ray Comfort – LivingWaters.com

1. GOD IS HOLY AND JUST

“Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art HOLY…” (Rev. 15:4)

“Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons” Acts 10:34

In civil law, a good judge must punish crime. If he turns a blind eye to injustice, then he is corrupt and he himself should be punished.

In one ten-year period in the United States, 100,000 murderers were never brought to justice. These were unsolved crimes. If God turns a blind eye to those murderers, then He is corrupt by nature. It makes sense that if He is good and just, He should be angry with those who have taken the lives of others, and He should punish murderers, rapists, etc.

This is the teaching of the Bible—that God “will by no means clear the guilty” (Ex.34:7) He will “bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecc. 12:14) and that “God is angry with the wicked every day.” (Psalm 7:11)

2. HIS WORD SAYS “THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH”

“Sin is the transgression of the Law.” (1 John 3:4)

Let’s look briefly at the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20), and see if we have kept God’s Law:

You shall have no other gods before Me
You shall not make yourself a graven image
You shall not take God’s name in vain
Remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy
Honor your father and mother
You shall not murder
You shall not commit adultery
You shall not steal
You shall not lie
You shall not covet

Before we say we have obeyed the Commandments, this is what someone would be like if he kept the Law—he would always love God with all his heart, with all his soul, with all his strength, and with all his mind, and love his neighbor as much as he has loved himself. He has never made a god to suit himself (either with his hands or in his mind).

He has always given God’s name reverence, kept the Sabbath holy, honored his parents implicitly, and never once has he been “angry with his brother without a cause.” He has never hated anyone, had lust in his heart, or had illicit sex. He has never stolen even a paper clip or ballpoint pen or told as much as a “white” lie, and not once desired anything that belongs to someone else. He is, and always has been “pure in heart,” perfect in thought, word, and deed.

The truth is, we are not like that. We have all “sinned” many times, and therefore we have stored up God’s wrath, which will be revealed on Judgment Day. The proof that we have sinned will be our death, and after death we must face God in judgment. (Heb. 9:27)

Think of it—if He has seen our every thought, word, and deed, and since He is going to bring all our sins out as evidence on the Day of Judgment, we will all be found to be guilty. Our conscience has shown us right from wrong; we will be without excuse. God will give us justice, and Hell will be the place of our eternal punishment. “For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known...” (Luke 8:17)

3. GOD IS RICH IN MERCY TO ALL THAT CALL UPON HIM

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love with wherewith He loved us” (Eph. 2:4)

A youth once borrowed a fast car, and in a drunken stupor, sped through his hometown at 120 m.p.h. Since everything was horse-drawn in his country town, there were no laws against speeding. So, the council passed a law saying that 30 m.p.h. was the maximum speed, and that any transgressors would be fined $100 for every m.p.h. over the speed limit.

On his way back through the town, the speedster decided to pull the same prank. He was apprehended, tried, and found guilty by his father, who was the town’s only judge. He was fined $9,000, and because he had no money and no words of defense, the youth was led off to prison. As he sat in despair behind bars, his father appeared at the door, and told him that he had sold one of his prized possessions and paid the fine for him. The son couldn’t believe that he loved him that much. They embraced as they never had before, and walked off in a new-found relationship, bonded together with love.

That’s a picture of what God did for us through the gospel.

We have all broken God’s Law many times, but God came to this earth in the person of Jesus Christ and paid the fine — ”For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 6:23)

Jesus satisfied eternal justice, and then rose from the dead, defeating death. Hundreds saw Him after His resurrection; it’s no fairy tale. Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies about the promised Savior, written in the Holy Scriptures hundreds of years before His birth. But just as we cannot earn a gift, so we cannot earn eternal life by our good works — ”Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us” (Titus 3:5)

4. GOD OFFERS ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST

“He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death into life.” John 5:24

Life’s greatest mystery, death, was destroyed by the One who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life…” (John 14:6) The Bible says, “He who hath the Son hath life…” (1 John 5:12)

To find the way to God, to understand the truth of God’s Word, and to receive the gift of eternal life, begin by repentance and faith through a prayer like this:

“Dear God, I have broken Your Law and sinned against You. Please forgive my sins. Thank you that Jesus suffered and died on the cross in my place and rose again. I now place my trust in Him as my Savior and Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

If you have repented and trusted in Jesus, then your sins are forgiven, and you can now partake in the blessings of “the New Covenant.” Here are just ten of God’s exceedingly great and precious promises:

You have passed from death into life (Jn. 5:24).
God will supply all your needs according to His riches (Phil. 4:19).
Jesus will be with you in trials, promising never to leave nor forsake you (Heb. 13:5).
The Holy Spirit will lead you into all truth and give you the power to live a holy life (Jn. 16:13).
You are cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ—God has removed your sins as far as the East is from the West (Ps. 103:12).
As you abide in Christ, you will see the “fruit” of His Spirit begin to manifest in your life (Gal. 5:22-25).
As you read the Bible daily, it will come alive to you and cause you to grow in your faith (1 Pet. 2:1-3).
When you pray, God will hear you and answer your prayers (1 Jn. 5:15).
The cross will be continual evidence of God’s love for you (Rom. 5:8).
God is able “to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 1:24).

Search the Scriptures daily, and see what God has in store for those that love Him. Honor Christ’s command to be baptized, and find yourself a Jesus-centered, Bible-teaching church and commit yourself to it.

If you would like spiritual guidance or counsel, just

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May God Bless You as You Obey Him! – Tim Urling – Tim Urling.com