“I, the LORD, will punish the world for its evil       and the wicked for their sin. I will crush the arrogance of the proud       and humble the pride of the mighty.”

Isaiah 13:11

For those of us who are so used to the grace of God, it’s easy to forget God’s justice. He does not dismiss evil as no big deal, something so common in our culture. Rather, God hates evil. He judges it and punishes it.

This would be terrible news, except for the fact that we know how God ultimately judged and punished human sin. Jesus took the judgment and punishment by dying on the cross. God the Son thus absorbed God’s own judgment.

Because of this extraordinary act of grace, we don’t have to live in fear of divine punishment. In the words of the classic hymn:

    Jesus paid it all,

    All to Him I owe;
    Sin had left a crimson stain,
    He washed it white as snow.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: Do you find it easy to forget that God hates evil? How do you respond to the fact that Jesus took the punishment for your sin upon himself?

PRAYER: O Lord, in your holiness and righteousness, you hate evil. You judge it and punish it. I must admit that sometimes I forget this. I can almost wink at my sin as if it is no big deal, when it is such a big deal to you that you took it upon yourself on the cross. Forgive me, Lord.

Even as I live in the freedom of your grace and forgiveness, help me never to minimize the vileness of evil. Even as I love what you love, may I hate what you hate . . . not the people who sin, but the sin itself.

Even as I take my own sin seriously, may I live truly and daily in your grace, knowing that “Jesus paid it all.” May I live my whole life for you in gratitude for this amazing grace. Amen.