BEHOLD THE GOODNESS AND SEVERITY OF GOD
“Behold therefore 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.”
— Romans 11:22
The Holy Spirit, through Paul, commands us to behold—to gaze deeply, to meditate reverently—on both the goodness and the severity of God. Not one without the other. Not either/or, but both/and.
Yet we live in a time when men choose their “version” of God. Some exalt His love while neglecting His holiness. Others emphasize His wrath and lose sight of His mercy. But God is not divided. He is not fragmented. He is not an idol shaped to fit our preferences. He is who He is—unchanging, eternal, and full of both truth and grace (John 1:14). To truly know Him, we must know all that He has revealed of Himself.
The Love of God — A Cross-Shaped Invitation
“But God proves His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
— Romans 5:8
God is love (1 John 4:8). His love is not theoretical—it is manifested in the Cross. It was His idea to save us. It was the Father who sent the Son (1 John 4:14). Jesus is the love letter written in blood. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16). The Gospel is not the story of man seeking God, but of God seeking man.
“He delighteth in mercy.”
— Micah 7:18
He delights to forgive. He wants to forgive. “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). God does not forgive reluctantly. The Cross is proof of that. And yet…
The Wrath of God — A Cross-Shaped Warning
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.”
— Romans 1:18
To preach the love of God without the wrath of God is to gut the Gospel of its meaning. If there is no wrath, there is no need for a Savior. If sin is not punished, grace is cheap and Christ died in vain.
Jesus did not die a martyr’s death. He was not executed by Rome alone. He died as a sacrifice under the righteous judgment of a holy God. “It pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief… when Thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin” (Isaiah 53:10). He drank the full cup of divine wrath (Matthew 26:39) so that we would not have to.
“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.”
— Galatians 3:13
This is the mystery of redemption: that the Lamb was slain (Revelation 5:12) to satisfy divine justice and open the floodgates of mercy. Love and wrath met at the Cross—and justice kissed mercy (Psalm 85:10).
A Balanced View — A Needed Message
“Therefore consider the kindness and the severity of God.”
— Romans 11:22 (ESV)
Many want a God who pardons, but not a God who judges. Others want to thunder judgment but cannot offer mercy. But Scripture won’t let us have a one-sided gospel. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10), and “perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). These truths do not cancel one another—they complete one another.
We must tremble before His holiness and run into His arms of love. We must never presume on His grace or think lightly of His judgment. As one wrote, “God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.” But that means we yield, we repent, we surrender.
Someone Will Pay for Sin
“The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
— Romans 6:23
God’s justice demands that sin be paid for. Either Jesus pays for your sin, or you pay for it yourself. There is no neutral ground. The offer is free, but it is not optional without consequence.
“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?”
— Hebrews 2:3
To reject Christ is to say to God: “I do not care that You gave Your Son to die for me.” That is not just ungrateful—it is spiritually suicidal. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).
But to receive Christ is to find that mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13). That the One who should have condemned you now calls you friend (John 15:15), child (Romans 8:16), and beloved (Colossians 3:12).
Run to Christ
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
— Hebrews 4:16
Run to Jesus. Don’t delay. Don’t harden your heart (Hebrews 3:15). Run to the Cross, where justice was satisfied and mercy was poured out. You will find grace—not grudgingly given, but abundantly supplied (Romans 5:17).
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
— Romans 10:13
Bryan Dewayne Dunaway
