"Methought it was needful to see and to know that we are sinners, and do many evils that we ought to leave, and leave many good deeds undone that we ought to do: wherefore we deserve pain and wrath. And notwithstanding all this, I saw soothfastly that our Lord was never wroth, nor ever shall be."
Julian of Norwich (ch. 46)
We see the sins, the evils that are done by men. We see the acts that are good that we don't commit and the acts that are bad that we do commit. We see the bad attitudes, the inner prejudices, the hateful thoughts. We see the impure motives and selfish ways. We see that according to the law or legal justice, we deserve wrath and punishment.
And yet...God is never angry with us and never shall be! Isn't it the most wonderful miracle to look into His face expecting nothing but wrath and condemnation and to see only love and compassion! No matter what we do, we cannot ever, ever make Him lose His temper or "be the last straw" that sends Him over the edge in fury and punishment. We have feared His anger, His rebuke, His punishment, His rejection. And He keeps showing and telling us, in His perfect Son who forgave all who murdered Him, that He is only love and forgiveness and healing and never wrath and condemnation and punishment. He is the infinite One, infinite in patience, kindness, compassion and tenderness. It seems too good to be true, but it is: God is never wrathful and never will be! He knows every one of us has failed and sinned and disobeyed. Yet He uses that occasion of everyone's failure to show mercy upon everyone by sending His Son to take away every sin, every failure, every penalty or consequence or punishment that sin could ever bring down on us. (And let us notice that it is sin that brings the wages of death on us, not God. God brings the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord!) Jesus hanging on the cross, forgiving everyone, shows us God is all mercy and compassion and no wrath or punishment. What a wonderful God of all comfort, Savior of the lost and Friend of sinners!
"For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all."
Romans 11:32 (KJV)
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 6:23 (NIV)
A Prayer: Thank You that when we have expected wrath and punishment, You have given only mercy and salvation and life!