“God is love.” That’s exactly what the apostle John says in 1 John 4:8. He is also “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (Psalm 145:8).
At the same time, he is holy and just. He punishes sin. There are times when he also exercises his wrath. And that, my friends, is not something pleasant!
Part of the amazing thing about God is that he is all of these things at once. He doesn’t stop being loving when he passes judgment on someone. In fact, in his own sovereignty and wisdom, his judgment is loving.
In her book, Holier than Thou (which is about God’s holiness), Jackie Hill Perry takes some time to help us think through how these qualities go together, especially when we consider the extent of our own sin, and all the times we have been wayward and faithless.
She writes: “Scary, to fall into the hands of the living God, until we believe in the One who did so in our place.”*
This is so very true. God’s judgment came down upon our sin—but it came down upon Jesus. In this act of self-sacrifice, he demonstrated perfect holiness, perfect justice, and perfect love—all at the same time.
Earlier, I mentioned that popular verse that says “God is love.” Just two verses later, John says this: “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation [i.e. atoning sacrifice] for our sins.”
Are you nervous about facing God because of your sin? Are you simply unsure about how that will all play out when the final curtain falls? Do you hear stories about God’s judgment and worry for your own soul?
Fear not.
Know that our God is “slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” Not stingy, but abounding. Ask for forgiveness. Repent. Re-commit to his ways. And resolutely trust in Jesus as Lord, holding fast to the unshakable truth that he lost his life so you could gain yours.
And be at peace.
“Scary, to fall into the hands of the living God, until we believe in the One who did so in our place.”
Notes:
-*Jackie Hill Perry, Holier Than Thou: How God’s Holiness Helps Us Trust Him (Nashville: B&H Publishing, 2021), 19.
-The Up Devotional is published 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) and returns on August 3, 2026.
-Bible quotes, ESV.
Leave a Reply