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. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of His feet. He rebukes the sea and dries it up; He makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither and the blossoms of Lebanon fade. The mountains quake before Him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at His presence, the world and all who live in it. Who can withstand His indignation? Who can endure His fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before Him.
I have just started my summer vacation after my first year of college. After spending hours a day at school talking to people of all sorts, Christians, non-Christian, and religious cocktails of all kinds, I have learned so much about this world and about myself and my mistakes. There was a lot that terrified me and caused me to weep. But there was one thing that I saw at college, and that is growing in popularity more and more each year among young people. It's the idea among young Christians that because of how long ago the disciplines and commands of the Bible were written, they are now outdated in the present age and there is no need to follow them now. The arguments made to me were that people back then never had to deal with the lack of modest clothing, there wasn't birth control, there wasn't TV or internet, parenting was different back then, money was different, etc. This list literally goes on for every kind of sin and command in the Bible that I could bring up with someone. The scary part is that they all tell me that they believe in Jesus, but that's no reason to go to church or to read the Bible or to obey what it says because those are outdated. I became furious with this thought process and the way it was made and the people who were following it. But in my anger at how dulled other people had become, I found myself angry with myself. My college group leader at church has been going through a couple series on the old prophets. As I heard and read on, I realized I was missing something as well. I was dulling the power and wrath of GOD.
No Scripture can determine what my generation has dulled down than Nahum 1:2-6. We're gonna go bit by bit through this potent Scripture. Verse 2 starts by saying The LORD is a jealous and avenging GOD. It sounds bad right from the start. That's probably why I pretend it's not there. But it is and it's true. GOD is jealous. James says that He is jealous of the world for us because we are constantly choosing the world over Him. He is jealous of the world for taking us so easily when He has to work and sacrifice so much to guide us back to Him for Salvation. But so often we don't go back and we walk further away. But He doesn't stop at being jealous, He is also avenging. the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on His foes and maintains His wrath against His enemies. GOD becomes filled with vengeance and wrath that He directs toward His enemies. Who are His enemies? James 4:4 says,
You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward GOD? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
When we choose the world more and more, we befriend it. And as we befriend the world, we turn into part of it. And as we become part of it, GOD's wrath is pointed at us as His enemies. But if one believes in Him then they are saved from death no matter what right? Refer back to James 2:19.
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that-and shudder.
The 4 Gospels all have testimonies written about Jesus' meetings with demons. A number of them have demons that proclaim Jesus and the Son of God. So even they believe in Him and His power. But they are not saved. Why? Because their actions are evil. Their actions are so evil that it clouds their judgement and they are unable to receive any Grace. The more our actions do not line up with Jesus' and the more we stop listening to His commands and go to do what we want, the more we stop hearing His voice. And in 1 John 3:19-20 we remember that we are proven saved by our ability to hear the Holy Spirit through conviction of our hearts. If then we can't feel it anymore and don't hear Him speaking to us, we are in the wrong. For we have a sinful nature and there is always something we do wrong that can be repented for and changed. But when we don't hear or feel the conviction, we do not repent, the key to receiving Grace, or change. We truly become one with an unrepentant evil world, and therefore become GOD's enemies.
So why then are we not all wiped out now? Because The LORD is slow to anger and great in power. GOD is slow to anger. Vengeful and anger are different. GOD is a GOD of justice. He Loves us still, which is why He hates the world and anything part of it. He wants us to be with Him. So He is slow to anger. When GOD is angry, it is because something is so detestable and causes destruction of what He Loves. GOD's anger burned against the Israelites for their disobedience and complete disregard for Him. There was no hope for them, only the likely action of turning away anyone left for GOD away from Him. So His anger burned against them and He destroyed their numbers on multiple occasions, His own Loved people. So as not to leave this dull either, the New Testament writings by Paul and the other apostles all have the same theme: those who were not of Jewish decent were allowed to be saved because the Jews didn't choose GOD. I am not Jewish, so this seemed harsh, that I was the dog sitting on the floor. But all the writings are the same, even Jesus own words stated that He came for the Jews, but they did not choose Him. So He had the disciples turn to others. I am saved because He turned away GOD's anger and allowed me to be saved. But His anger can still burn against us.
...the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished. I did not know any other way to start the next section except with the Scripture itself. Again I say, GOD is a GOD of justice. For those who are saved by repentant faith and actions in Christ Jesus, their guilt is gone. For in justice, GOD laid the punishment of our sins on Jesus who was pure and could not die by sin, for He had none. So when the punishment was dealt, it could not affect Him. And with it gone, we were made free of all guilt. But for those who only have faith but no works, or only works but no faith, or none, their guilt remains. And as they refuse the parts they lack, GOD's anger is turned to them more and more as their guilt grows. GOD does not leave us unpunished for our lacking of repentant faith or good works. He punishes us. But this punishment on earth can be for our benefit. GOD is slow to anger. He wants us to come back to Him and repent and change. So He rebukes us on earth so that we might have more after death. But the problem is when we ignore the rebuke and commit more and more to the world and our sins. So then we are His enemies. And if we stay His enemies to the end, we die, forever. GOD is Loving, but GOD is a GOD of justice, and will not leave our sin unpunished. He is powerful Read this again:
His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of His feet. He rebukes the sea and dries it up; He makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither and the blossoms of Lebanon fade. The mountains quake before Him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at His presence, the world and all who live in it. Who can withstand His indignation? Who can endure His fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before Him.
These are GOD's words through His prophet Nahum. When GOD is angry, His wrath is poured out like fire. It is burning and convicting and painful and it covers everything like water. But with all this infinite power comes something else.
Nahum 1:7
The LORD is good, a Refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him,
With His power comes infinite Love. For those who have true repentant faith in Him and obey Him to their ability with repentance for what they can't, He comes down and becomes a refuge in all hard times. His Love becomes what is heavy upon us instead of His wrath. He cares for us like no other ever could. He rewards us for turning to Him from the world. He gives us peace and justice by His Son, Jesus Christ. And He shows us mercy. Not because we are doing everything He wants us to, but because we are trying to.
In the end, it comes to where our hearts are and what we choose to be important to us. GOD acts toward us the way He does based on how we act towards Him. He gives us every chance to choose Him. My decision now, is to take every chance I can get to change and strive for more. I will never be perfect, only Jesus Christ could ever be that. But I can try while repenting and seeking GOD for help with what I can't. And by His Promise, I know I will receive it with His Mercy and Love.
Thank You For Reading
Long Live Jesus Christ
Amen
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