June 23, 2021
“For I will proclaim the Lord’s name. Declare the greatness of our God! The Rock—his work is perfect; all his ways are just. A faithful God, without bias, he is righteous and true.” – Deuteronomy 32:3-4
Last week we had our Vacation Bible School at the church. It has become my practice to go to each one of the classrooms throughout the week to answer any questions the kids might have. As I talked with the 8-year-old class one boy asked this question: “If God is a good God, why did he murder all those people in the flood?” Even though I could tell some adult in his life sent him to church with the question, I thought this was still a good opportunity to teach the kids about who God is. I asked them; “If there was a judge who let every criminal go with no punishment, no matter how bad their crime was, would you call him a ‘good judge’?” You see, our world has created its own idea of what “good” is and then imposed that on God. We too easily forget that God is perfectly righteous and just, and because of that, he cannot let sin go unpunished.
This, of course, is where Jesus comes in. He was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds (Isaiah 53:5). It is only in Christ Jesus that God’s righteousness, justice, grace, and mercy are displayed in perfect harmony. But if we are to come to Jesus we must first admit that we are sinners, deserving punishment and in need of forgiveness. We must believe that Jesus is the One who has come to carry our punishment on his shoulders Then we must confess our faith in him, putting our trust in the fact that he can and will save those who call on his name. God is truly good. So good in fact that he can maintain his righteousness and carry out his justice while all the while demonstrating perfect grace and mercy for any who would come to Christ for forgiveness.
God of all creation, we stand in awe of who You are. Though we are dirty sinners unworthy of even speaking Your name, You have made us Your beloved children through Jesus Christ. Empower us to live a life that demonstrates the work You have already accomplished in us and give us a passion to share the Good News and Jesus with everyone we meet.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Shane Cannon
