"God of the Old & New"
I don't want you to die, says the Sovereign Lord . Turn back and live! (Ezekiel 18:32 NLT)
Sometimes the Old Testament is criticized for containing a God that is different from the God of the New Testament. Some critics say that the God of the Old Testament is a God of wrath & the God of the New Testament is a God of love. The Old Testament portrays God as one who wipes out entire peoples & nations & the New portrays God as a God of love.
But is this true? Are there two Gods or one? We see in the Old & the New the same God. He is one & the same. We see this here in Ezekiel 18. God's heart for people is not that they perish! God implores them to turn & live!
God has always desired that people have life. He has always hoped for their well being. Similarly, in both Testaments, God promises consequences for those that reject him.
Jesus said in the gospels, "Don't waste your life!" And this message was not new with Jesus, it was a repetition of the Old Testament. "I don't want you to die! Turn & live."
The message is the same. The God is the same. The gospel is the answer. Will we turn? Will we invite others to turn? He is offering life, he wants us to live. He wishes that none should perish but all to come to repentance. This is the God of the Bible.
No comments:
Post a Comment