My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
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| FAITHFUL AND JUST FORGIVER |
| 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. |
| This instantly recognizable verse found in 1 John carries with the compound description terms that I didn’t “get” for decades as I read it, over and over again in the midst of my day to day walk with Him. Now, I see this multiple name of God to be reinforcing each term and emphasizing God’s trustworthiness to depend on Him for His work in our lives. Let me try to explain. We understand that for God to be described as faithful speaks of His nature, of His core being. Our last blog tried to explain that idea, and I wont’ repeat the thought here. But when it is combined with the justness of God, God’s willingness to forgive addresses His “just”ness, or righteousness. Righteousness is God’s conformity to His own will, a perfect balancing of the attributes of God. Now this description of conformity to His will is speaking of God Himself. He, in the forgiveness of our sins in response to our confession, is conforming to His own will. But let us not forget that His will is not only forgiving, but His will is also to judge sin, to rid creation from all that does not conform to His will. So when I come to God confessing my sin, God has two seeming contradictory desires. Forgiveness or judgement. Except for one fact, one truth, one action that the Savior performed that allowed God to be just, and the justifier of all those who have faith in Jesus Romans 3:26 … to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (emphasis mine) Now, when I come to God with my sins, it is not only an emotional response from God that provides my ongoing forgiveness. Though true, for us to understand that forgiveness would rest in a subjective knowledge of the love of God. It may even degrade in our thinking to a “feeling”, of how God looks at us, how He is generally good and that due to that we have forgiveness. If I understand our salvation, this is not how God communicates to us. He is committed to our forgiveness, not only in His nature – He is love – but also due to the covenant, the agreement we can read about and believe, that God has acted in real time, provided historical data for us to consider and believe, provided His Son and suffered, dying on a cross and raising again to prove His nature. This is an objective truth that we can return to daily not having to depend on our feelings, but on the justifying and forgiving truth of our Savior and Father in heaven. He is faithful and just. And He wants us to rest in his covenant of grace. |
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
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