Do Not Esteem Lightly

March 26

God loves us with an unfailing love. How do we reciprocate? Do we presume upon His great love? Do we take it for granted? Do we think about it at all? Some among humankind have determined within the vacuous corridors of their own minds that God does not exist and His love, His relevance are non-existent.

The Word takes people of this ilk into account. Of them it says, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no god…’” (Psalm 53:1). Proverbs 10:21 further states that a fool shall, “…die for lack of wisdom.” We see evidence of this in the natural when someone neglects to orient his actions around sound choices.

The greatest evidence of the proverb’s dire prediction will be when those who have negated God will be sent out of His presence eternally. Then we raise the question that is often on the lips of one who challenges the existence of a literal hell as a place of punishment, ‘How can a loving God send anyone to such a place of torment?”

Because God is just and holy and because no sin can abide in His presence, He hasn’t, therefore, an alternative to banishing sin that is not under the blood of Jesus to outer darkness. As Psalm 119:156 states clearly, “Your compassion is great, O Lord; preserve my life according to Your law.”

When we forsake the law by turning our back on Jesus who fulfilled the law in our behalf, we remove ourselves from the covering of His blood--of His love. May we not esteem lightly His precious gift of righteousness in the sight of the Holy One who inhabits eternity.