The attributes of God describe the nature of God; you must know Him in order to understand the reason Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection are good news.
God is holy; He is set apart, He is not like us, the prophet Isaiah wrote; “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord.” (Is.55.8)
God is immutable; this means He never changes, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Heb.13.8)
God is righteous, the Psalmist wrote; “God is a righteous judge, and a God who has indignation every day.” (Ps.7.11)
God’s standard for man is righteous; Jesus said, “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mat.5.48)
But we are not righteous, we are not perfect, we are sinners; “as it is written, ‘There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one. Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving, the poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their paths, and the path of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Rom.3.10-18)
If you believe yourself to be righteous, if you think that you are good God has given His holy law to bring the knowledge of sin:
If you have ever told a lie even once, you are a liar.
If you have ever stolen anything, you are a thief.
If you have ever taken the name of the Lord your God in vain, using the name of your creator as a filthy curse word, you are a blasphemer.
Time does not take away your sins, nor are sins only the things that you do and say, but are also the things that you think:
Jesus said; “You have heard that the ancients were told, ' You shall not commit murder ' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court. 'But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ' You good- for- nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.” (Mat.5.21-22)
Jesus said; “" You have heard that it was said, ' You shall not commit adultery '; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Mat.5.27-28)
The punishment that God has ascribed for all sin is death, the death of the soul, “the second death, the lake of fire.” (Rev.20.15.&.21.8) Hell!
Another attribute of God is that God is merciful; “For He says to Moses,’ I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” (Rom.9.15)
Now this attribute of God cannot contradict His other attributes; He is not merciful at the expense of His righteousness. If God were to overlook your sins, He would have to lower His righteous standard down to your level. He cannot nor will not do that, because He never changes; He is always holy and righteous.
So how does God reconcile this? How can God forgive sinful men and at the same time retain His Holy and righteous standard?
“For God so loved the world that gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (Jo.3.16)
“God is love.” (1Jo.4.8) So He became a Man and walked amongst us, Jesus the Christ the Son of God. He lived the righteous life that God requires of all men for eternal life with God in Heaven, then willingly laid down His own life on the cross for our sins; taking upon Himself the punishment that we deserve for our sins against God. He died forsaken of God, He was buried, and then on the third day He arose from the grave defeating sin and death, “declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead.” (Rom.1.4)
In Christ God can and will forgive your sins, because Jesus lived as a man the righteous life that God requires of all men, then willingly died in place of His sheep for their sins against God; outside of Christ He cannot nor will not forgive your sins, because God never changes, He is always holy and righteous.
What does it mean to be in Christ?
Jesus said; "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life." (John.3.14-15)
Jesus said; "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." (John.6.40)
Jesus said; "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life." (John.6.47-48)
Jesus said; "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture." (John.10.9)
Jesus said; "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." (John10.11)
Jesus said; "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand." (John10.27-28)
Jesus said; "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John.11.25-26)
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom.6.23)
“He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John.1.11-13)
Repent (that means change your mind). Change your mind and believe in Jesus, trusting in Jesus alone as Lord and Savior. Jesus promised eternal life to everyone who comes to God through faith in Him. Repent and believe in the gospel.
A slave of Jesus Christ
