Day 37

Of God and of the Holy Trinity

Chapter 2, Paragraph 1.

“…and who will by no means clear the guilty.”

Scripture Lookup

Exodus 34:7.

Nahum 1:2,3.

Reflection

Have you ever gotten away with something? Perhaps growing up, you did something you knew you weren’t supposed to, but you never got caught. Perhaps you pressed against the boundaries of a rule just hard enough that although you should have gotten in trouble, your parents just let it go. Perhaps you were good at covering your tracks, or deflecting suspicion, or talking your way out of a situation. Each time you thought you got away with it.

But the reality is no, you have never gotten away with anything. There is an all-knowing, all-powerful  God who has been present every time you sinned. He knows you better than you know yourself, and has seen every thought, every action, every transgression against His law that you have done, may even be doing now, and will do. Nothing can be hid from God, and sin is no exception.

Sin is ultimately an act of rebellion against God. Since God rules over the universe that He created, and He cannot stand the presence of sin, it is fitting that sinners will be punished. In fact, since God is holy, sinners must be punished.

It is hard to comprehend eternal torment, and it is so much easier to ignore that unpleasant reality. But sticking our heads in the sand will not keep us nor the ones we love from experiencing punishment. Only by turning to God for the remedy provided through Christ will we escape the effects of His wrath.

As the detestation of sin results from the universal rectitude of his nature, so the punishment of sin follows upon that, as he is the righteous Governor of the world: it is as much against his nature not to punish it, as it is against his nature not to loathe it; he would cease to be holy if he ceased to hate it, and he would cease to hate it if he ceased to punish it. – Stephen Charnock

Question to Consider

• How does the knowledge that God will punish the guilty affect your relationship with Jesus?