Psalm 85 cont.
“Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us! Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations?”
The Lord does not hold His anger forever. If He did, then certainly no man could be saved. No man could escape our punishment for sin. For we deserve to be punished, as we have broken the law. And the only justice due to those who have broken the law is punishment. To fail to deliver punishment for wicked deeds would be a grave injustice indeed, and certainly the Lord cannot be unjust in any way. Therefore, what are we to do? Because we know the justice of the Almighty Creator of the Universe is holy, that it cannot be swayed by anything. Does this mean that we shall all be the recipients of the wrath due us?
For that also, His wrath, is holy. We do not talk nearly enough about the wrath of the Lord, because it is an uncomfortable subject. Ministers would rather speak upon the love of the Lord, rather than the wrath. Love is a pleasant subject, it raises one’s thoughts to esotericism, to beautiful things. Naturally, if delivered correctly, this is a wonderful subject upon which we can elucidate. However, one cannot have love without wrath. There cannot be one without the other. For if one is loving, without wrath, then what kind of love is that? There are those who claim that full acceptance of all that we do is love. However, this is not true.
Would I be loving if I let a small child do what they wanted? Suppose there is a child that wants to play in traffic or do drugs. Would it be loving to allow them to do so? Certainly not! Indeed, many would consider that both hatred and child abuse. To love someone is not to accept them for who they are, but rather to make them into their better selves. To allow someone to live in sin, which I know is against the commands of the Most High is not loving. The Lord does love each and every one of His creations, but there is nothing that He hates more than sin.
Love is a two way street. Do you love the Lord, beloved? I should hope the answer would be yes. If it is, then why do you still walk according to the commands of the evil one? Why do you ever do the very thing that the Lord of Hosts despises? You know that the King knows all that you do, therefore, why do you sin? One cannot love the Master and serve His enemy. There is nothing the devil wants more than your destruction, and there is nothing that the Lord God Almighty wants more than your salvation. Therefore, which way? Which way, modern man?
Do we choose the “way unto salvation” the way that the Lord has made for us, or the way of the evil one? This is where the wrath of the Lord comes in. For the Lord hates sin, He abhors it above all else. And we have been told that ”the souls that sins shall die.” Every soul that sins must repay that sin. As with criminals getting punishments equal to their crimes here on earth, so every soul that sins shall receive its due reward. The Lord demands accountability from every coil that breaks His holy law, and surely we must pay for our sins. “Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.”
We cannot get out of hell. As we see in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, there is a gap between heaven and hell. As Abraham says to the rich man in torment, “between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.” No one can go from hell to heaven, and no one can go from heaven to hell. Once in hell, sadly, there is no escape. One has made their decision here on earth, whether to choose the good and holy or the selfish and evil. How we spend eternity is a reflection of that. If one has indicated throughout their life that they desire to have nothing to do with the Lord of Hosts, that they prefer the company of sin to the company of the Holy Creator of the Universe, then that is exactly what they shall receive. Damnation in hell is a combination of punishment for wrongdoing, and simply giving to the man what he desired.
In fact, hell is loving. It would be unkind and hateful for the Lord to force someone into His Presence. Suppose there is someone you don’t like, and you have indicated for years that you do not like this person. Would it be loving for that person, no matter how much they may love you, to kidnap you and force you to love them? Suppose there is a man, and he loves this girl very very much. Would it be loving of him to kidnap her and force his love onto her? Certainly not! We would make documentaries about how evil that man is. He would be universally hated, and surely, if caught, would be thrown in prison for a long time.
Therefore, why do we hold the Lord to a different standard? If someone has indicated throughout their entire life that they hate the Lord, that they would rather serve His enemy, why do we judge the Lord for giving that man what he wants? If a man has rejected the Lord, then rejection from the Lord is exactly what he shall receive. However, we should praise the Lord for this! For He does not immediately wipe out and eliminate all those who reject Him, but rather, “He is patient for your sakes, not wanting anyone to perish, but all to come to repentance.”
He does not want anyone to reject Him, naturally, because He knows the best way that we should live. Therefore, He withholds His wrath until our time here on earth is complete. That is when our decision is final. We cannot renege after death. Death is final, and we shall either receive our crown of glory or a sentence in hell. Beloved, which do you choose? All sin is hatred of God, but all righteousness is hatred of the devil. Who do you choose to hate? Do you choose to serve the King, the Master, the Almighty Creator of the Universe, or the prince of darkness? Surely, this is an easy choice! There should be no doubt in your mind, beloved. Hate the devil, despise all of his works, and serve the King! Have no more to do with evil, but follow after righteousness. Be wrathful against sin. Channel the hatred of the Lord. As He hates sin, so should we, as He despises all works of selfishness, so should we. In all ways, we must emulate the Lord.
