Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa contributor and 101.7 The River co-host "Brother" Scott McCown has a few thoughts in response to a question from a listener from Brookwood, Alabama.

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God is Holy. As holy and completely set apart, He expects us to know Him - (Hosea 4:1-2, 6. Hosea 8:12. His holiness demands holiness of His people - (Hosea 7:8-9). Peter tells us, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." 1 Peter 1:16. A holy Godexpects His people to sow good, not evil (Hosea 10:12-13; Hosea 8:7). 

Our problem is that even the best of us falls short of God’s HOLINESS.

God is Just. Justice demands that sin cannot go unpunished - (Hosea 9:9). And God will punish the unrepentant - (Hosea 13:7-8). Paul says, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and that the “wages of that sin is death” (Romans 6:23). We are in a heap of trouble.

Thankfully, God is Full of Mercy. He longs for us to repent (Hosea14:1).  Peter echoes this thought, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!

But according to his promise, we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace, (2 Peter 3:9-14). In gracious mercy, He FORGIVES (Hosea 14:4, 9)  

Ultimately, God is Love. He loves His people, like a man loves his wife or a father loves his child. Because He loves: 

·      He blesses Ephesians 1:3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. 

·      He nurtures 2 Peter 1:3, His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 

Out of love for your He gave ALL for YOU, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16-17).

Without wrath, we could not know the height, depth, length, and breadth of God’s LOVE.