John 1:14-17 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”
II John 1:3 “Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.”
As described in last week’s PLUS post, “Everything Sad Is Untrue (a true story)” is a powerful book about Christianity and the nature of our Lord and Saviour. The author, Daniel Nayeri, describes the following about the nature of a true God:
“There are gods all over the world who just want you to express yourself. Look inside and find whatever you think you are and that’s all it takes to be good. And there are gods who are so alien to us, with minds so clear, the only thing to do would be to sit at their feet and wait from them to speak, to tell us what is good.
A god who listens is love.
A god who speaks is law.
At their worst, the people who want a god who listens are self-centered. They just want to live in the land of do-as-you-please. And the ones who want a god who speaks are cruel. They just want laws and justice to crush everything.
I don’t have an answer for you. This is the kind of thing you live your whole life thinking about probably.
Love is empty without justice.
Justice is cruel without love …
Oh, and in case it wasn’t obvious, the answer is both.
God should be both.
If a god isn’t, that is no God.”
The Lord God simultaneously and continuously listens and speaks. He is both love and the law. His love is full because He embodies justice. His justice is righteous and gracious because He embodies love. He deals with us in truth and love – in grace and truth.
As believers, we should desire a God who both listens and speaks. We should squint with our eager ears to hear what He has to say, and strain with our importune voices to provide our praise and petitions to Him. And we should recognize the power of a Saviour and real God who is full of grace and truth.
PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO TRUMPET THE UNIQUE COMBINATION OF CHARACTERISTICS OF OUR JUST AND LOVING GOD. God should be both, and if a god isn’t, then that is no God. Our Lord is both, and so much more!
