You Have His Oath For It
"As I
live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked: but
that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil
ways: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" Eze
33:11
Do you see it? God has sworn that he has no
pleasure in the death of the wicked. It is true God will, God
must punish sin. His law, his justice, and his righteousness demand it.
But God's law, justice, and righteousness can never find pleasure,
or satisfaction in the eternal death of the ungodly. Indeed, if all the race of
Adam were to suffer the eternal fires of hell, God's righteous justice could
never find pleasure and satisfaction. Man, who is but a finite creature, can
never satisfy the claims of infinite justice. If this were possible the death
of Christ must be needless. If this were possible, the fires of hell must some
day burn out. But infinite justice demands an infinite satisfaction. Hell must,
therefore, be eternal! God's justice can never be satisfied in the death of the
wicked. He has no pleasure in the death of him that dieth.
But God does have pleasure in the death of the sinner's substitute,
Jesus Christ. Being the infinite God, our Lord Jesus Christ was able to satisfy
all the claims of infinite justice. Being the sinless man, he was able to stand
in our room and bear the fulness of God's wrath for us. In his incarnation, his
birth, his life, and his death, the Lord God beholds Christ as the Substitute
of his people, and says, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am
well-pleased." In the death of the God-man, God's law, justice, and
righteousness have pleasure and satisfaction. Therefore, there is no
possibility of one soul for whom Christ died perishing in hell. The law has no
claim against a believing sinner!
It is God's pleasure, for Christ's sake, to be
merciful He gives life to perishing sinners, and forgives a11 our sins for
Christ's sake. So, then, why will ye die? Turn now and seek the Lord, cry out
for his mercy, and trust his Son. Only in Christ does God have any pleasure.
Lay hold of God's beloved now.
Don Fortner