The Same.

     This morning I read several Bible passages about love. I need more in my life. The fact that I have become too dogmatic and isolating for my own good, has recently become apparent to me. Love has nothing to do with being right all the time, but everything to do with what God wants.
     I hear all the time from people who have not really read the Bible deeply that the vengeful God of Israel could not possibly be the same as the God who sent us Jesus in the Christian Bible. This morning's paassages spoke the exact opposite. This God is One. This God loves profoundly.
     From Exekiel 33:10 and on God makes an passionate plea for the wicked to turn from sin because He is not willing that any should perish. He sent Exekiel to be a watchman and warn that God was upset with His people's sin. He sent Exekiel to plead for them to return to God and forsake idols of unrighteousness. His reasons are, He loves His people, wants to feed them personally, and like a father speaking to a child He says, "Do not make me punish you for this, turn away from wrong."
     In Romans 8 Paul tells us we can not turn from wrong doing, but on this point, God again made a way. Not wanting that any should perish, God gave us His righteousness. The worst of all sinners, even I, can have flat out righteousness that gains salvation from the death of Jesus and belief in His resurrection. Out of love, He said our past was over we could have His life. To read of grace and love in both parts of the Bible is to truly understand the plan God has for us. Believe and be saved today.

   Here is the passage from Exekiel 33:10-16 that shows us the loving God of Israel:

10 “And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus have you said: ‘Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them. How then can we live?’ 11 Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways,for why will you die, O house of Israel?

12 “And you, son of man, say to your people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him when he transgresses, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it when he turns from his wickedness, and the righteous shall not be able to live by his righteousnesswhen he sins. 13 Though I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, yet if he trusts in his righteousness and does injustice, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered, but in his injustice that he has done he shall die. 14 Again, though I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ yet if he turns from his sin and does what is just and right, 15 if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks in the statutes of life, not doing injustice, he shall surely live; he shall not die.16 None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he shall surely live.