I heard a sermon this week whose primary verse was Psalm 85:10, “Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other.”
This blows my mind.
What I believe gets so commonly lost about God’s grace is the fact that he never compromised his own righteousness, nor his perfect justice, when he chose to save us; but rather God has made a way to bless his children while still maintaining that pure and just nature. It would take a just God to condemn a sinful humanity to hell. It would take a gracious God (though his grace would be short-sighted) to just simply pardon our sin. But only the true God could pardon our sin while maintaining his justice.
The beauty of his plan—the purpose and intention behind everything that happened leading up to the birth of Christ, and everything that has come after—all testify of the great miracle that is known as salvation. I’ll admit: It is true that I take my salvation for granted. It is also true that I am prone to seeing the story of Christmas as merely the time in History when God’s attitude toward sin changed. But God’s attitude toward sin did not change. God’s attitude toward sin will never change. God’s wrath against sin will forever remain as a testament to his purity and holiness. God hasn’t changed himself, he has changed me.
And this is how his righteousness was able to kiss peace. This is how his justice was able to extend heaven to me, a sinner.
Let us not continue in maligning God’s character by thinking that he has given away gifts that he did not pay for!
You see, we tend to think that Christmas is about the day that God changed his mind, but this is the truth: Christmas is about the day that God purchased our sin by sending the life of his only Son, Jesus, who would eventually suffer and die for ill-deserved sinners. Jesus willingly accomplished this so that those who believe in his name will not suffer death under the wrath of his good and righteous Father, but rather they will be washed clean and given a new nature—his own. It is in this new nature, freely given by God, that you and I will find eternal life.
May we live in awe of the great wonder that is God’s righteousness kissing God’s peace towards men. And may we never forget that this could only happen through the righteousness of Christ, which God has chosen to give to his children.
5 Comments on "Righteousness & Peace: In a Holy Kiss"
Great reminder.
Mark! this is just great… :) what a great read!
Love this!
Love this post! Thanks for this. I’ll be sure to come back again. P.S: I’ve bookmark your site as well.
I couldn’t resist commenting