The Two-Dimensional God – April 26, 2020

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Preached by PKO

Deuteronomy 7:9-10

Romans 11:22  

• • Can God tempt a man?  James 1:13 – 14 says. “13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.”
  • God has given us free will, freedom to chose.
  • No real love when there are no choices; Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
  • Evil comes through the abuse of free will.

1. Introduction 
   • There are two sides to a coin.
   • There are two sides to every story.
   • Compensation and Correction:  Love corrects.
   • There is a part of us that hates correction or feedback.
   • We need to stop questioning the Sovereignty of God.
     • Isaiah 55:8-9 “8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.“ 
     • God is all powerful.  Job 36:22-23 (NLT) “Look, God is all-powerful. Who is a teacher like him? No one can tell him what to do, or say to him, ‘You have done wrong.’” 
2. Those  who experienced the two sides of God
   • The nation of Israel
   • David – the man after God’s heart
   • Job – the perfect and upright man.  Job 3:25 – “For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, And what I dreaded has happened to me.” 
   • Stephen – a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit – Acts 6:5
3. Two Sides of God 
   • Love of God vs. Wrath of God  1 John says God is love. Romans 5:8 speaks of His love •Romans 5:8 (ASV) “8 But God commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  Romans 5:9 goes on to speak about his wrath.   Romans 5:9 (ASV) “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, shall we be saved from the wrath of God through him.“ God’s wrath is His passion for holiness.  Wrath allows us to face the consequences for our sin. Romans 1:18
     • Many of us have created God in our image.  We don’t like to talk about the wrath of God.
     • “His wrath is what makes Him not to hold us guiltless and allow us to face the consequences of our sin.” – PKO.
   • Reward of God vs. Punishment of God
     • Obedience is rewarded with blessing; disobedience attracts curses.
   • Refiner’s Fire vs. Consuming fire
     • Refiner’s fire purifies (Malachi 3:3);  It does not destroy indiscriminately like a forest fire.  It does not destroy completely like an incinerator. It is under control.  God is in control of the refining process to make the impure pure.  We will be as precious as silver or gold.  We experience furnaces of affliction to be better.  Luke 3:16, John the Baptist speaks about this.  Job 23: 10 (ESV) – “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.”
     • Consuming fire destroys indiscriminately.  It is a symbol of the wrath of God.  Deuteronomy 4:24 (NKJV) “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.“  Hebrews 12:29 (NKJV) “For our God is a consuming fire.”
   • Mercy of God vs. The Judgement of God
     • Mercy makes God defer His anger.  Isaiah 48:9 “For My name’s sake I will defer My anger, And for My praise I will restrain it from you, So that I do not cut you off.” 
       • Habakkuk 3:3
     • Judgement displays His glory and demonstrates His righteousness; defends the weak; it punishes sin, it turns the hearts of men back to God.
       • 2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.“
       • Hebrew 9:27
   • Eternal Life vs. Eternal death
     • Eternal Life
       • John 3:16 (NKJV) “… whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
       • Eternal life is the gift of God to those who believe in Him. (Romans 6:23)
     • Eternal death 
       • This is the damnation for those who denied the love and gift of God.  It is for those that refused to forsake the life of sin and embrace the life of holiness in Christ Jesus.
4. Conclusion
   • Continue to live in reverence to God. Hebrews 10:31. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of God
   • Even though we may be punished, we will be preserved from destruction e.g. Children of Israel. 
     • Jeremiah 46:28 “Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the LORD: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.” 
     • Jeremiah 46:28 (GNT) “I will come to you and save you. I will destroy all the nations where I have scattered you, but I will not destroy you. I will not let you go unpunished; but when I punish you, I will be fair. I, the Lord, have spoken.“ 
     • God will preserve you.
   • Everything that is happening is for our good.
     • Romans 8:28 (NKJV) “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.“ 

Which side of God are you going to embrace?