Supersessionism | The Consequences of Diluting God’s Judgment (Part 2)
God’s judgment, sometimes referred to as God’s wrath, is a subject that is commonly avoided in the Westernized Church. It can carry connotations of being too disconcerting, intolerant, ungracious, and condemning.
We simply cannot reconcile a loving God pouring out His judgment on His creation. However, as Christians we have a duty to understand the full character of our unchanging God.
Unfortunately, instead of exploring the truth about the characteristics of God, the modern Church chooses to either ignore or replace His truth with one that is more palatable.
When this happens, it comes at a high cost to the Church as a whole. Yes, we remove the terrifying danger of God’s impending judgment against our sin, but we also remove His grace and His love.
This approach leads to a diluted perception of what God’s judgment is, as well as what His wrath has accomplished and continues to accomplish today, thus trickling down to other areas of the Gospel, which leave us in a position of discerning the answers to difficult questions using biblical truth.
- What can we gain by leaning into the biblical truth about God’s judgment?
- How can Christians understand and balance God’s judgment with His grace?
- What is lost when we dilute the judgment and instruction of God?
Let’s continue to look at the price we pay when we fall victim to a diluted Gospel and the lie that judgment is given out of anger instead of loving-kindness.
Remember, judgment is the friend of those who seek right standing with God.
Understanding God’s Judgment
The judgment of God in the Bible is not one of emotional outburst. It is rather His holy and settled opposition against anything sinful and evil. The Bible goes so far as to say that God is slow to anger but will not acquit the wicked.
“The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. The LORD has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet.”—Nahum 1:3
God is opposed to sin, and all of mankind is born sinful. Mankind is the ‘wicked’ this verse is speaking of. In fact, our situation was so terribly dire that it took God’s own Son to save us. God’s judgment is a part of His unchanging character, and it is provoked by our sin.
Understanding the problem is the first step to solving it. The problem is not and has never been God’s judgment. The problem is our sin nature.
The Necessity of God’s Judgment
God’s judgment is a necessary counterbalance to His righteous character. The foundation for One New Man Believers was built upon God’s judgment and instruction. Without it, we are still separated from Him and His Holy Spirit.
“He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”—John 3:36
Make no mistake—the price of diluting God’s judgment is costly. God is holy, righteous, and just. These are more than words—they are characteristics of a perfect God. If you want to partake in the fatness of the olive tree, you must also fully understand what it means to be separated and not walking in the ways of the Lord.
The High Cost of Diluting God’s Judgment
When we dilute our perception of God’s judgment, it is as if we are saying our sin is not a big deal. As Christians, we are called to recognize our sin, confess it to God, then turn away from that sin and return to the Lord.
“I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah”—Psalm 32:5
The shofar is sounded to stir our conscience, to confront our past errors, and return our focus to God, who is always ready to welcome the penitent.
Repentance is not an optional stipulation for salvation, but rather a command.
“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.”—Acts 3:19
Repentance also deals with walking in the ways of the Lord and truly living in your divine purpose today. Repentance is a prequel to righteousness.
“But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live.”—Ezekiel 18:21-22
In order to truly fulfill that condition, our souls must align with our faith. We must recognize in our hearts the true unblemished character of our Savior and the power of His blood that was spilled on our behalf—as well as the biblical truth that, through that blood, we are now co-heirs with Him in Heaven.
Then, we must contrast that with the way we live and step into agreement with Christ, aligning our hearts with His will.
The biggest problem we incur when our perception of God’s judgment is watered down is that we then dilute all of the blessings that come with it. Just as a loving parent will discipline a child in love, God disciplines all who follow Jesus.
“If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?”—Hebrews 12:7
What Does God’s Judgment Accomplish?
God’s judgment is a reminder of His goodness and the hope that we can have because of it.
“Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”—Hebrews 12:11
Another way to see God’s judgment is as a refining process, growing us in Spirit and faith, that we may be voices for His Kingdom here on earth. He is a refiner’s fire.
God does not refine us to sit idle in fear, but to take action and stand in His authority when we align with Him.
“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.”—Hebrews 12:28-29
Reclaiming What Is Lost
The Gospel is full of good news, and God’s judgment is no different. His discipline, instruction, and judgment are reminders that though we separated ourselves from Him, lost in sin and self-destruction, He reconciled us back to Himself.
“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”—2 Corinthians 5:18-19
He paid the highest cost to adopt us as sons and daughters into His family, as co-heirs with Christ. We are fully anointed to partake in the blessings that have been promised throughout centuries of scripture.
“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’ Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”—Galatians 4:4-7
So, what are those promised blessings? Those that were given to our spiritual ancestors…
Returning to Our Jewish Roots
There is false teaching in the world that says the Church has replaced the role of Israel in God’s original plan. This could not be further from the truth. The promises that God gave to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are the same blessings that He offers to us today.
Through understanding the covenant relationship between God and man, the Holy Spirit reveals the Jewish source of Christian faith and how that covenant can be restored.
The Jewish roots of Christianity hold significant revelatory power. As we seek to understand them, they transform our faith and deepen our walk with the Lord. This journey has the supernatural power to transform lives when it is activated in bold faith.
Start your journey today. Click [here] to find out more about how the Jewish roots have been removed from Christianity and how that impacts your faith walk.