Why I’m Afraid to Stand Before Holy God without Jesus

It had been a silly difference of opinion. Well, not really silly.

It had been a difference of opinion. I’m a researcher. I study almost every day. I research topics as they relate to our body, mind, and spirit. I research both sides. I write, teach, and speak to appeal to people on the basis of God’s Word. So, when I express my opinion, needless to say, I set myself up for criticism.

But what does that have to do with being afraid to stand before holy God?

I can pour over the Scriptures. I can pour myself into others. But, the more I study the Word, the more I realize my sin.

For the second year, I focused my 365 DAYS of PRAISE blog post on God’s attributes. I, like perhaps you, enjoy reading that God is love and peace. He is patient, kind, and long-suffering. God is our comfort, help, and deliverer. And, even though it’s not as “touchy feely” or a verse we put on our Christmas card, we’re glad He is judge and vindicator.

But, I’ve been holding back from you, and a friend who isn’t a Christian nailed me on it. He said that Christians don’t talk about God’s wrath; that if they don’t follow Jesus, He sends them to hell.

I Have An Answer, Don’t You?

God doesn’t send people to hell. We’re already condemned by our sin nature. God offers a way out of condemnation and hell through Jesus; who willingly laid down His life and paid our sin debt.  John 3:16-17

But, my friend made a point. In all honesty, I do speak more of the love of God. Perhaps that’s because I’m beyond grateful for His love. I do speak more of the mercy of God. Perhaps that’s because I’m so aware of my sin. I don’t write as much about the wrath of God and seldom teach on it.

But, to omit speaking of God’s wrath and righteous anger is to delineate God. It’s an attempt to make God fit our taste. For example, consider a cup of coffee. A child could ask me what I’m drinking and I could tell them water. They could watch me fill my Keurig with water; then press the “brew” button. They could watch me take the cup and drink it. But, if they look inside the cup, they’d see something different than clear water. They’d see black. If they took a sip, they’d taste something different than the water from the faucet. They might burn their tongue on the hot liquid. The taste would be strong; not mild. But, it’s water. The child may argue that they saw the water come from the faucet. Yes, but it’s more than water. Just because the child didn’t stand on tip toe and see the coffee being brewed with the water, it doesn’t change the fact that coffee is more than water.

Why am I afraid to stand before holy God without being forgiven of my sins? Because I’ve stood on tiptoes. I’ve peered over the counter and read Scripture. I’ve seen that God is more than Jesus’s love flowing into people’s lives. His righteous anger is real. God is love. But to limit His nature to love is as naive as to insist that coffee is only water.

So, Christian friends, maybe we need to be more forthright when speaking of God. Maybe we need to say we’re afraid to stand before holy God without our sins being forgiven through Christ’s death on the cross.

““Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him!” Romans 5:9

Believer’s Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me and for Jesus taking my place on the cross. Help me live a more honest life and speak the truth in love to neighbors and friends.

Sinner’s Prayer

Lord God, I’ve rejected You. But, I know I’m a sinner. I’ve done wrong. I can’t stand in Your Holy presence and my sin not be exposed, so I’m afraid to die. I don’t understand everything. But, if You’re willing to forgive me because Jesus stepped up to the cross and took my place, I accept. I thank You. I ask Your forgiveness. I don’t understand Jesus being willing to do that, but I want to follow someone who would do that for me. Forgive me. Make me a new person. I need and want Your Holy Spirit to come and change me from the inside. 

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever calls on Him will not perish, but have eternal life, For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” John 3:16-17.