Forgiving Sin with Justice

When most people think about following Jesus, they think about all the “rules” and perhaps about a God who only wants us if we’re good enough. Whether it’s preachers on the streets, people yelling with signs, or even the whisper in our own minds that God isn’t interested in us or the messes we’ve made, we’re sometimes afraid to trust in a God who may reject us. Are we going to believe what people, our pasts, and our emotions tell us about God, or will we believe what God tells us about Himself in His Word (the Bible)?

Oftentimes the picture we have of God is one that has Him condemning us for any mistakes and temptations in our lives. We fear such condemnation, which may lead us to try to hide from God. But the true nature of God is one of compassion and mercy. He loves and understands us, but He also wants what’s best for us. How can embracing the graciousness of God rid us from the heaviness of shame and turn us toward a better version of ourselves?

To fire God is not to kick the one true God out of your life; it’s to eliminate the false image of God we all have in our heads. You know the one we mean. Maybe it’s God as a traffic cop, aiming the radar gun at everything you do. Or maybe it’s God as a standoffish stranger, satisfied to leave you alone as long as you just don’t bother Him. How we perceive God determines how we perceive ourselves and how we live our lives. How can we know God’s true character?