The
Goodness and Severity of God
Introduction:
Many say “the God of the Old Testament is not the God
of the New Testament.” Did God change His nature or character?
Text:
Romans 11:22 “Therefore consider the goodness and severity of
God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you
continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.” NKJV
Body:
I.
The God of the Old Testament
A.
Good in the Old Testament
·
Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:8-9) “The Lord
God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom
He had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree
grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of
life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil.” NKJV
·
Blessed Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3) “I will
make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And
I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the
earth shall be blessed.” NKJV
·
Provided food/water in the wilderness (Exodus
17:6) “Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in
Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it,
that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of
the elders of Israel.”
(Exodus 16:35) “And the children of Israel ate
manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate
manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.” NKJV
·
Blessed the Jews (Esther 8:16-17) “The
Jews had light and gladness, joy and honor. And in every province
and city, wherever the king’s command and decree came, the Jews had
joy and gladness, a feast and a holiday. Then many of the people of
the land became Jews, because fear of the Jews fell upon them.” NKJV
B.
Severity in the Old Testament
·
Flood (Genesis 6:5-7) “Then the Lord saw
that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every
intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And
the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was
grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, ‘I will destroy man whom I
have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast,
creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made
them.’ ” NKJV
·
Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24-25)
“Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from
the Lord out of the heavens. So He overthrew those cities, all the
plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the
ground.” NKJV
·
Death of the Firstborn (Exodus 11:5-6) “and
all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn
of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the
female servant who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of
the animals. Then there shall be a great cry throughout all the
land of Egypt, such as was not like it before, nor shall be like it
again.” NKJV
·
Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10:1-2) “Then
Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put
fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the
Lord, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the
Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.” NKJV
·
Achan and Family (Joshua 7) 1 “But the
children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed
things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of
Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the
anger of the Lord burned against the children of Israel.” 22 “So
Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and there it was,
hidden in his tent, with the silver under it.” 23 “And they
took them from the midst of the tent, brought them to Joshua and to
all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the Lord.” 25
“And Joshua said, ‘Why have you troubled us? The Lord will trouble
you this day.’ So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they
burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.” NKJV
II.
The God of the New Testament
A.
Good in the New Testament
·
Loved the whole world (John 3:16) “For
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting
life.” NKJV
·
Cured the hurting (Matthew 11:5) “The
blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf
hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached
to them.” NKJV
·
Was compassionate to Mary and Martha (John 11)
“43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice,
‘Lazarus, come forth!’ 44 And he who had died came out bound hand
and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth.
Jesus said to them, ‘Loose him, and let him go.’ NKJV
·
Wept over the city of Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44)
“Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, ‘If
you had known even you, especially in this your day, the things that
make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For
days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment
around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level
you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not
leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the
time of your visitation.’ ” NKJV
·
Sacrificed Himself (Matthew 20:28) “just
as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to
give HIs life a ransom for many.” NKJV
·
Desired all to be saved (II Peter 3:9)
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count
slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any
should perish but that all should come to repentance.” NKJV
B.
Severity in the New Testament
·
Anger in the Temple (Matthew 21:12-13)
“Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who
bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the
money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said
to them, ‘It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer,
but you have made it a den of thieves.’ ” NKJV
·
Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:5, 10) “Then
Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So
great fear came upon all those who heard these things.” 10
“Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last.
And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out,
buried her by her husband.” NKJV
·
Disobedient and ungodly (Matthew 24:51)
“and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the
hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” NKJV
Conclusion:
God has never changed His nature or character. He is
the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
(John 5:24-29) “Most assuredly, I say to you,
he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting
life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death
into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and
now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and
those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so
He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him
authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.
Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are
in the graves will hear His voice and come forth – those who have
done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done
evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” NKJV
Bobby Stafford
December 13, 2015
