"... You have heard it said..."
The Grace found in Jesus in no way alleviates the Judgement from the Father. It only redirects it.
The OT Law was clear about it's conditions to meet the righteousness of God. We better not commit adultery, bear false witness, worship other Gods, forsake the Sabbath, and so on down the line. Violation of these God-graven commandments induce the consuming judgement of a Holy God against a Rebellious Tribe.
The NT Law of Love doesn't get us off the hook, either. Jesus kicks it up a notch, reveals the rebellion of our hearts, and says in essence, "No way can you make God happy with you. You just don't have it in you. "Whoever looks at a woman to lust..." Whoever considers telling a lie..." "Whoever wonders if the worship of another God is valid..." "Whoever secretly longs to work on the Sabbath." And so on down the line.
And yet, as we embrace him as Savior - turning all we are and entering into the Stream of Forgiveness - he does a curious thing: He clothes us with a Cloak of Perfection, thus causing us to at least appear sinless before the Throne of Judgement. Thus, as the old song reminds us, "When he looks at me, he sees not what I used to be, but he sees Jesus."
Does his undeserving Grace change, or lesson, the demands of holiness from the Holy One? Does is ease his anger towards the rebellion of Created Order? Not in the least. (Nor does it give us the freedom to sin all the more so that Grace may abound.) God's wrath is not dismissed. It is only redirected, redirected onto Jesus.
That's how much he loves you.
Followers of Jesus, embrace his Grace and spend the rest of forever thanking him for his indescribable Gift. He became you, that you may freely live in him. He was tempted, yet did not sin, so that his Grace would stealth the very issues of your heart.
So walk in fear, walk in thanksgiving; expressing that same Unmerited Favor others, as a loving act of worship for his Grace he has bestowed on you.
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