Do we believe the scripture that states in John 10:30 – ‘I (Jesus) and the Father are one.’  

And “Hebrews 13:8 – “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”  

And in Colossians 1:15-17 – “He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.”  

If we believe the scriptures, then based on those scriptures (and many others), we can arrive at the fact that God and Jesus are one and have been around forever, and they are the same in the Old Testament as in the New Testament.  

The difference between the Old and the New in today’s life, is that we have “Grace”, and Jesus’s blood covering our sins, when we ask Him to forgive us.  Based on that, “God/Jesus” are the same in the Old Testament, and we can safely say that they hate sin like “They” did in the Old Testament.  

In Psalm 145:8 it states- The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy.”  In several of the Old Testament books, Jonah, Nahum, Nehemia, etc., this same “slow to anger” phrase, appears as a description of God.  So, we can also assume that God wants to give us every opportunity to repent and turn from our sin before He actually gets angry about it.  He will get angry if we choose to stay in that sin. With all that said, lets step into modern-day living. We have told Christians that it is ok to have an affair, live together, be homosexual, be selfish, etc., and that they are still ok and going to heaven if they continue to live in that sin.  

Ephesians 4:18-19 states – “They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.” “Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.”  

In short, we are enabling those people who are in sin; to continue in their sin because we fail to tell them God’s word.  

In Galatians 5:19-21 states – “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.  I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”  

Notice he says, “those that live like this”.  

You can turn from your sin and ask God to forgive you, and He will.  He is the God of “slow to angry”, but, if you continue in that sin, you will not inherit the kingdom of God.  

We must ask for forgiveness through Jesus’s blood, turn from that sin in order to go forward with God.  

We must read God’s word, both the Old Testament and the New to find out about God’s character.  Who He really is. What He really likes. What He really dislikes. It’s important to know if you are trying to please Him.  

Walk with Him in the garden as Adam did.  

Discuss things, spend time with Him.  He wants to spend time with you, but He wants you to get to know Him so you will know what to expect.  

Remember, He is God even though He treats you as His friend.  We are the servant and should act accordingly. Jesus tells us to be a servant to all, not just to God.  

Read the scriptures and believe!

 

Karen Y. Stevens is the founder of the Orange County Christian Writers Guild