Who is like, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them. You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode. - Exodus 15:11-13
Background
Moses penned these verses after the Israelites were saved and the Egyptian army was destroyed, all by the hand of God. The Israelites walked through dry ground, as the Red sea split and the Egyptian army was destroyed when the waters came crashing back down. In this passage we get a glimpse of the nature of God. God loves and rescues His redeemed while absolutely wiping the Egyptians off of the face of the earth. How can these two attributes be reconciled? Keep reading . . .
His love, mercy, and grace
No words can express the love of God. His mercy and grace abounds beyond any human comprehension. We are His creation, fearfully and wonderfully made. We see this exemplified in the blessings and the good things He has given us. Most importantly, a way of salvation through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Most of us hear often of this love in sermons, and books, even on TV. "God loves you," is found on bumper stickers across the world. Understand that God is love . . . but understand that the character of God is not defined by love only . . .
His holiness, justice, and wrath
God is also Holy. Be careful not to dismiss this to quickly. God's holiness is also something that is beyond our comprehension. Because He is holy - HE MUST JUDGE AND PUNISH SIN. God is moral perfection. Since He is the creator and sustainer of the universe, He is the judge of His creation, requiring Him to pour out His wrath against sinners. Now you might be thinking, "yea, but God is love so He will not punish man." But lets stop and think about this with this illustration:
You have a dear family member that was kidnapped and brutally murdered. They police quickly apprehend the suspect, who is tried and convicted. His guilt is obvious to all. At the sentencing, the vicious murderer appeals to the judge's goodness and says, "won't you just please forgive me and let me go? Your a good judge, right?"
What would you think of the judge that would free the man the killed your loved one. You would think - this is a very bad judge. He did not carry out justice. Anger and frustration would fill your heart. You would be justified in saying that this was grossly evil and unfair. No sensible man believes that it is justice to overlook murder. This is the point - a good judge carries out justice. But here is the issue - GOD IS FAR GREATER THAN A GOOD JUDGE. HE IS A PERFECT AND HOLY JUDGE. He will judge murder. But also, because He is a holy and good judge, He will judge stealing, lying, dishonoring of parents, lust, and even the very thoughts of our mind. God judges all sin, even the sin that we think is not a big deal.
So here is the dilemma. God does love you but God must judge sin (spoiler alert: we are all sinners). God must make a way that He can satisfy His wrath and judgment against sin and still safe the sinner from it. The answer - JESUS. God wrapped Himself in human flesh, lived a perfect life, and then laid down that life to be crucified, taking upon Himself the sin of you and me. His name is Jesus. So that no man might dispute what happened on the cross and so that believers may know that God has been victorious, JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD. This is the gospel.
Next week - To fully understand the Gospel we must now understand the character of man and the seriousness of sin.
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