All Sin Is Punished by the Merciful God
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 9/18/2016 AM |
Text: | Psalm 73, 85; Lord's Day 4 |
Psalters: | 279, 224, 201, 230 |
- God’s righteous punishment.
- God’s holiness and justice are His virtues according to which He maintains He punishes sin in His just wrath.
- As God He must demand that every creature know Him to be the highest good and see His glory.
- God’s wrath is the response of His holiness against those who violate Him, His most High Majesty, and His glory.
- Thus God is said to be a jealous God (Deut. 4:24; Ex. 15:7; Ezek. 22:31) and a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29).
- God punishes sin in time.
- Scripture is clear that the unchangeable God is angry with the wicked every day: Ps. 5:5; 7:11; Prov. 3:33; John 3:36).
- God often punishes sin by apparently letting sins go, setting them in slippery places (Ps. 32:3,4; 51:8; 73:18).
- And God punishes sin in eternity: Jude 6,7; John 3:36; 5:29; Matt. 26:46.
- God’s holiness and justice are His virtues according to which He maintains He punishes sin in His just wrath.
- God is also merciful.
- God’s mercy is that virtue according to which the Most Blessed God is tenderly affected toward Himself and Who reveals Himself as such by blessing certain of His sinful creatures.
- There is beautiful harmony in God of His justice and mercy.
- First, when God casts the sinner into hell, it is because He loves and is merciful to Himself (cf. Rom. 9:22).
- God’s mercy does not replace, do away with, nor lower His standard of justice, but maintains Himself as the High Majesty.
- God’s mercy and justice harmonize at the cross where absolute justice and infinite mercy are seen (Ps. 85:10).
- Implications.
- We have double reason for humility, for hating our sin, for ever increasing gratitude, and for zeal to live unto Him.
- And we have the greatest reason to rejoice because God’s mercy endures forever.