Photo by Jenny Venturo
Were it not for one man, they would have all been destroyed. God’s patience was exhausted on His stubborn, rebellious people. The straw that broke the camel’s back was when the Israelites made a golden calf claiming it had rescued them from Egyptian slavery (Ex 32:1-6). God’s justice demanded wrath on His lawbreaking people. But Psalm 106:23 says that Moses “stood in the breach before Him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them.” Moses pleaded for mercy for his people for the sake of God’s glory.
One day God’s patience will expire and His justice will demand wrath on lawbreaking mankind. “[W]hen the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction” (2 Thess 1:7-9). Who will stand in the breach and plead with mankind to “know God” and “obey the gospel” to be saved from “the punishment of eternal destruction?”
To obey the Gospel, one must understand the Gospel. Because you have broken God’s law (lying, stealing, looking with lust, hating, etc.), you deserve death in hell (Rom. 6:23), but Jesus took your punishment by dying in your place on the cross (II Cor. 5:21). He was buried and rose again, defeating death (I Cor. 15:3-4). God is offering eternal life in place of eternal destruction as a free gift. To accept the gift you must obey the Gospel by repenting of your sin and trusting in Jesus to save you from God’s wrath (Mk. 1:15; Rom. 10:9-10).
Now that you know the Gospel, will you obey it and bridge the gap by sharing it with others?
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Used by permission. All rights reserved.