June 17, 2024
Who is Like the LORD? -- Part 1
Micah 7:18
06/17/2024
18 Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and
passing over transgression for the remnant of his
inheritance? He does not retain his anger
forever, because he delights in steadfast love.
(ESV)
What is the message of Christianity? Is it a bunch of
rules, you can't do this, you must do that? If so, it is no
different than any other religion. What if the message of
Christianity was something else, something like, ``For the sake
of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, your sins are
forgiven.'' That means all the good works are not to earn God's
love, but are a response to His mercy.
The prophet Micah, who wrote about 700 years before the
birth of Jesus, declared:
Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing
over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger forever, because he
delights in steadfast love.
That changes everything. If God pardons iniquity and passes
over transgression, of what are we afraid? Now we know that God
demands justice, that there is a payment for each sin. And we
know that all people have sinned and fallen short of the glory of
God. So how can God simply pardon iniquity and pass over
transgression? He can't. Justice had to be served. The one
innocent Man, the Son of God who took on our human flesh, took
our punishment.
That is the message we are going to explore this week.
May our Lord grant you His richest blessings, especially the
gift of faith which trusts completely in Him. Amen.