Connie Black @connie1aog - Twitter Profile

about 3 years ago

Abounding in Steadfast Love An unfounded, slanderous rumor about God has been circulating since the days of the early church. The gist of it is this: the God of the Old Testament is mean and bloodthirsty, but the God of the New Testament is sweet and loving. You’ve heard versions of this, right? In fact, one heretic of the second century, Marcion, trashed the entire Old Testament, and parts of the New, because he was convinced of this lie. While those extremes are rare today, we still hear whispers and echoes of such sentiments, even among Christians. All this overlooks the fact, first, that the God of the entire Bible is the same! It’s Jesus the Son, who with his Father and Spirit, is the Holy Trinity. Such a gross misrepresentation also ignores the oft-repeated Israelite confession regarding who the Lord is, his character, his heart toward us. One of these confessions is beautifully expressed in Psalm 86:5, a verse worthy of being written in golden letters: “For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.” You are good, tov in Hebrew. Not okay, not satisfactory, but good. The Lord did not just create a good world and continue to do good things in our world, but he is good. Goodness defines his entire being and character. And he is salach in Hebrew, ready and willing to forgive. He needs no arm-twisting or boot-licking to get him in the mood to be merciful to sinners. As a fish is eager for water and a bird for flight, so our Lord is excited to forgive us for the sake of Christ. Finally, he is rav chesed, a Hebrew phrase meaning large in love, abounding in divine grace. From Genesis to Revelation, from creation to this very day, our Father, his Son, and the Holy Spirit, the God of the Old and New Testaments, is “good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon” him. To you, O Lord, we call! You are our good, forgiving, loving Redeemer.

birdchadlouis's tweet photo. Abounding in Steadfast Love

An unfounded, slanderous rumor about God has been circulating since the days of the early church. The gist of it is this: the God of the Old Testament is mean and bloodthirsty, but the God of the New Testament is sweet and loving.

You’ve heard versions of this, right? In fact, one heretic of the second century, Marcion, trashed the entire Old Testament, and parts of the New, because he was convinced of this lie.

While those extremes are rare today, we still hear whispers and echoes of such sentiments, even among Christians.

All this overlooks the fact, first, that the God of the entire Bible is the same! It’s Jesus the Son, who with his Father and Spirit, is the Holy Trinity.

Such a gross misrepresentation also ignores the oft-repeated Israelite confession regarding who the Lord is, his character, his heart toward us.

One of these confessions is beautifully expressed in Psalm 86:5, a verse worthy of being written in golden letters: “For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.”

You are good, tov in Hebrew. Not okay, not satisfactory, but good. The Lord did not just create a good world and continue to do good things in our world, but he is good. Goodness defines his entire being and character.

And he is salach in Hebrew, ready and willing to forgive. He needs no arm-twisting or boot-licking to get him in the mood to be merciful to sinners. As a fish is eager for water and a bird for flight, so our Lord is excited to forgive us for the sake of Christ.

Finally, he is rav chesed, a Hebrew phrase meaning large in love, abounding in divine grace.

From Genesis to Revelation, from creation to this very day, our Father, his Son, and the Holy Spirit, the God of the Old and New Testaments, is “good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon” him.

To you, O Lord, we call! You are our good, forgiving, loving Redeemer.

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Connie Black

@connie1aog

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