"For God so loved
the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him
should not perish, but have everlasting life". God is truly a loving God to
give His only begotten Son to die for us. That is the ultimate of love.
Nothing could be greater.
Not only
is God a loving God, but the Bible speaks of other aspects of God's nature.
God is a vengeful God. In Hebrews 10:30-31 we read, "Vengeance
is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. And again, the Lord will judge his
people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God". Most people like to think of
God as only a loving God, and nothing else; but this is not true. On the day
of judgment, the majority of people will find out just how fearful, that it
is to fall into the hands of the living God.
Not only is the Lord loving and vengeful, but he is also just. Jesus says in
John 5:30
(KJV), "I can of my own self do nothing: as I hear,
I judge; and my judgment is just". Yes, when we stand before the Lord on the Day
of Judgment, he will be just. But justice demands that guilt be punished. Let
me give you an example. Just suppose I went out and robbed a bank, and was
caught. Also suppose that the judge and I were good friends. So the judge
calls me up to his bench and whispers to me that he doesn't want to send me
to prison for twenty years. He tells me, that if I will quietly walk out the
back door, that he will tear up all the paperwork, nothing will be said, and
I can go free. Would he be a just judge? No way. But God is a just God, and
can be no less.
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Questions Lesson 5 The Nature of God
1)
(John 3:16) God so loved the world that
He
will not punish anyone.
He
gave His Son to die for us.
He
will allow everyone to go to Heaven.
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2) God does not love mankind.
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3) (Hebrews 10:30) Vengeance belongs to
God.
Man.
Those
who are wronged.
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4) God will punish those who die in their sins.
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5) (Hebrews 10:31) To fall into the hands of the living God is
A
comforting thing.
A
good thing.
A
terrible thing.
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6) God is too loving to punish anyone.
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7) (John 5:30) The judgment of Christ
Will
be just.
Can
be appealed.
Is
not always right.
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8) Justice demands that the guilty be punished.