What if God worked more like He did in the Old Testament bringing judgment on nations because of their drifting away from His love?
Because it is for love that God brings punishment. He understands the slope that we stand on, and if we don’t have solid ground, we tire ourselves out just keeping our footing.
Does God really change? Isn’t He the same yesterday, today and forever like Jesus? So why the difference in the Old and the New Testaments? Because we could never keep the law. I can barely, as easy as Jesus has made it, keep Him at the forefront of my decisions in everyday life.
God is the same—it is our communication and relationship for those of us who believe in his Son—that’s what has changed.
As Jesus talked; He was all about priorities and the appreciation and love of God vs the punishment if something didn’t happen.
Can we settle on something? God is not looking for something to be angry with, He wants to have something to rejoice over. If we are putting ourselves at His command, He asks nothing more. Our efforts are not really His goal, our desire for effort is. God is the same, but His opportunity toward us is infinitely more gracious. One choice—eat from the tree of Life. Leave good and evil to God.
Pastor Brent