Three Things That God Delights In (Jeremiah 9:23-24)
God shows three things that he delights in here in the book of Jeremiah. These are as follows; lovingkindness, judgement, and righteousness. He also says that he exercises these things in the earth. He tells Israel in this verse that if man is going to glory in anything it should be in having understanding and knowledge of him. In this sermon we are going to look at these three things to get a greater understanding and knowledge of God.
Three things that God delights in:
1) Lovingkindness (Psalm 17:7 ; 25:6)
- This is the one that everyone knows and loves to talk about (John 3:16 ; 1 John 4:8)
- Few have problem with this and it is often misquoted by the world when it comes to overlooking sin.
2) Judgment (Revelation 16:7)
- This is the one that most do not believe. Most do not believe a loving God will truly judge.
- Job 34:12 (God will not pervert Judgment)
- Ecclesiastes 12:14 (God will bring every work into Judgment)
3) Righteousness
- This is one out of the three that most do not understand.
- Jesus Christ is the righteousness of God (Romans 1:16-17 ; Romans 3:21-22 ; 1 Corinthians 1:30)
- Before Jesus came God did accept a personal righteousness based on works but then Jesus provided a way for us to receive the righteousness of God which is by faith and it is what is needed to be right with God (Philippians 3:9 ; Titus 3:5)
How could a loving God send someone to Hell?
Putting these three things together we can answer a question that many ask and very few understand. Note which one of these is in the middle, it is Judgment. Many ask how a God of love can be right in sending people to hell. The answer is found in judgment, which is the one that most do not believe.
1) God’s love is the reason that Jesus died (John 15:12 ; Romans 5:8)
2) Jesus suffered the Judgment of God on sin when he became sin and it both pleased and satisfied a righteous God (Isaiah 53:1-2 ; Acts 2:25-31)
3) The standard for our judgment is the righteousness of Jesus Christ (Acts 17:31)
- If God were to overlook those who reject the sacrifice of Jesus for their sins he would be unrighteous on behalf of Jesus Christ if he did not send them to hell. He will not pervert judgement or be unrighteous remember!