When Hezekiah calls the nation to come back to the God of their fathers, he tells them what that God is like. He’s aware that many of the people, as well as the princes, prophets and even the priests themselves had turned from the one true God to serve the “values” of the people of the land. They were afraid of the God from Sinai and they knew that they deserved only justice. That would mean condemnation, for all of them were guilty.  But Hezekiah tells them not to be afraid to come home, “For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him.”

God’s grace & mercy to sinners had its grandest moment on the Cross of Calvary. It’s there that the Son of God became the sin of all the world. And God’s justice was poured out on Him on our behalf. God’s justice is satisfied in Christ’s sacrifice.

Many years ago, a father and his daughter were walking through the grass on the Canadian prairie. In the distance, they saw a prairie fire; eventually, they realized, it would engulf them. The father knew there was only one way of escape: they would quickly begin a fire right where they were and burn a large patch of grass. When the huge fire drew near, they then would stand on the section that had already burned. When the fire actually did approach them, the girl was terrified by the raging flames. But her father assured her, “The flames can’t get to us. We are standing where the fire has already been.”

Are you afraid of God’s judgment? If you have trusted Christ as Savior, you can never come under His wrath. When we depend on Him, we are secure; we are where the wrath of God has already been.

Chuck
“Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” 1 John 3:18(NLT)