January 19
Justification
“The Lord… will not at all acquit the wicked.” —Nahum 1:3
Read Nahum 1
Yesterday we read that God has no desire in our death, but that we should live. Perhaps you were subconsciously thinking: “If God is almighty, could He not save the whole world?” If so, why does He not do so?
We find the answer to this question in verse 3: “and (the Lord) will not at all acquit the wicked.” God must be true to His Word. He warned Adam when He said, “in the day that thou eatest (of the forbidden fruit) thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17). We know what happened: Adam disobeyed God’s clear command by eating the forbidden fruit, and therefore, God had to punish him. God’s verdict was that He must die and be separated from Him forever. But God sent His only Son to bear the punishment that was due to Adam and all those who believe on Him by faith. And so the barricaded way has been opened for Adam and for us to return to God. Maybe someone would reason, “Is this not unfair? I am not Adam and yet I am judged as if I ate from the forbidden tree.” This is what we call original sin. Besides, if we were placed in Adam’s position, would you or I have remained standing? Also, how are we living our lives right now?
The Lord Jesus commands us to turn to Him to be saved. When we do not obey this command, we too are guilty. Therefore the fact that He “will not acquit the wicked” also applies to us. We are the wicked who stand guilty before God. Have you ever been impressed by this? Because of this truth, we must be born again.
Does the thought of God’s judgment ever fill you with fear?
This devotional was taken from “The Time of Your Life” a daily devotional published by the Youth & Educational Committee of the FRC. To order a printed copy of this book, contact: bookorders@frcna.org.