The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on his foes and maintains his wrath against his enemies. The Lord is slow to anger and great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him, but with an overwhelming flood he will… pursue his foes into darkness. (Nahum 1:2–3, 7-8, NIV 1984).
My Musing – There is a popular teaching these days that when it comes right down to it God will “leave the guilty unpunished.” Because if “the Lord [really] is good,” He cannot at the same time be a “jealous and avenging God.” It is not enough for Him to be “slow to anger” and care only “for those who trust in Him.” That in the end there will be no “enemies” or “foes” that will be “thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:12, NIV 1984). That all will be able to take “refuge” in His heavenly Kingdom.
My Advice – This may be a comforting thought to those who are perishing. But the thought is merely a myth. “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3–4, NIV 1984). A myth that is contrary to the Scriptures.
But why wouldn’t a God of love want to let all into His Kingdom, to punch everyone’s ticket? Not only does want to, He made it possible that all can be let in. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” (John 3:16–18, NIV 1984).
But the “Lord is [also] jealous.” Not in the sense that we typically understand jealousy. Jealous as in being vigilant in maintaining His righteousness. Sin must be punished. So, He sent His son to take the punishment of everyone’s sins. But not all will believe in efficacy of that sacrifice and choose to “live as enemies of the cross of Christ.” (Philippians 3:18, NIV 1984). Jealous as in being intolerant of those who reject the sacrifice.
The ticket is free, we just need to take it.
The Brew Is A Musing 