I felt terrorized. I was nine years old, standing outside the principal’s office, waiting to be called in for discipline. It was the most afraid I had ever been. The principal was not a kind person. She always looked angry. A few weeks earlier she disciplined me for something I never did. My teacher even told her she had punished the wrong boy, but she didn’t apologize. She said, “He probably deserved it anyway.”
So standing outside her office again was terrifying.
Many people fear that this is what it will be like when they one day stand before God — their conscience stirred up by every mistake they’ve ever made. That fear drives them to push God out of their minds, renaming Him a crutch for weak people, denying He exists, or reinventing Him into something more comfortable. They would rather avoid thinking about God altogether than feel terror at the idea of standing before Him.
But they feel this way because they don’t know Him.
Their ignorance of His mercy, kindness, and love is tragic.
God is nothing like my less-than-wonderful school principal.
God is God.
He is merciful, patient, kind, just, holy, all-knowing, all-seeing, and infinitely good. Your mind cannot grasp His depth, love, or wisdom without the help of the Holy Spirit.
People can deny His existence, but He is still God — good, not evil; loving, not vengeful. He is not waiting to pounce on you for every wrong you’ve done. His mercy is new every morning because we desperately need it. He has a plan for every person to stand before Him without fear. And that plan is Jesus.
Jesus paid the price for our sins through His death.
He took our punishment on the cross.
Receiving Him as Savior is what enables us to stand before God washed and cleansed.
He did this out of love — not out of a desire to punish us.
The book of Revelation describes a moment in Heaven where all creation sings about His sacrifice:
Revelation 5:9 (NLT) — “And they sang a new song with these words: ‘You are worthy… For You were slaughtered, and Your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.’”
God is not someone to be afraid of.
He is someone to run to.
Terrorists represent the heart of Satan — indiscriminate hatred and destruction.
Jesus represents the heart of God — love strong enough to give His life for all.
God didn’t love us because we were perfect.
He loved us when we were at our worst.
We struggle to love people who reject or mistreat us, but God doesn’t.
Jesus is the proof.
Romans 5:8 (NLT) — “But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
This is a love so great we can barely comprehend it. We receive it by faith.
And what if you blow it?
You will.
We all do.
But God already made provision for that. He knows learning to live for Him is a process of growing and trying.
1 John 1:8–10 (NLT) —
“If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrongdoing. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that His word has no place in our hearts.”
Every one of us is surrounded by two kinds of people:
- Those who don’t know the Lord and fear God because of what they think He will do to them.
- Those who do know the Lord but still battle condemnation, guilt, and the lie that God is rejecting them.
Is that you?
If so, settle this in your heart today:
Jesus is not out to get you.
He is out to love you, save you, and help you get your life right.
If you know the Lord but struggle with feeling unworthy or not measuring up, then confess your sins, receive His forgiveness, regroup, and begin learning of His love.
He loves you.
Isaiah 1:18 (NLT) —
“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.”
