Get Real November 23 Devotional
November 23, 2024
Marcion’s desire to eliminate the Old Testament was rooted in his idealism and in a too simple picture of God. We don’t have to choose between a holy God who judges and a loving God who forgives. God is loving and just, forgiving and opposed to evil in all its forms. In fact, the event of the cross is the surprising way that God brings together his holiness and his mercy, His love for us and His hatred for our sin. Jesus’ suffering is a self-offering, a substitution, in which God himself bears the just penalty for our brokenness and waywardness. Grace is not an easy let-off but a painful act of sacrifice. Marcion echoes many today who think we must choose between a God of righteous condemnation and a God of loving forgiveness. God is both holy and gracious, and these two characteristics can only be reconciled on Calvary. Jesus speaks of judgement frequently in the New Testament and of his own role in the final assize.
Are you accepting of God’s role as ultimate judge?
FAMILY TIME—
What would happen in your family if there were no rules or consequences?
