God is perfectly just. Therefore, the unjust must be punished. We all have sinned and been unjust. Therefore, we all deserve God's punishment and wrath (see Eph 2:3).
However, we can "flee from the wrath to come" (Mt 3:7) by being baptized into Jesus' justifying death and by living our Baptisms. In this way, we accept that Jesus on Calvary took our punishment on Himself. "Now that we have been justified by His blood, it is all the more certain that we shall be saved by Him from God's wrath" (Rm 5:9). However, if we don't live our Baptisms but disobey God, then Jesus' justifying death for us will be in vain (see 1 Cor 1:17). Then we will have to take our punishment ourselves. "Whoever believes in the Son has life eternal. Whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure the wrath of God" (Jn 3:36). If we refuse to repent of our sins, our hard and impenitent hearts are "storing up retribution for that day of wrath when the just judgment of God will be revealed, when He will repay every man for what he has done" (Rm 2:5-6).
Therefore, live your Baptism, obey the Lord, repent, and go to Confession. God's wrath is sure to come, but you can be delivered from it (see 1 Thes 1:10). Thank Jesus forever for suffering and dying in your place.
| PRAYER: | Father, thank You for not sending Your Son into the world to condemn us but to save us (Jn 3:17). We give our lives to Him. |
| PROMISE: | "He commands the unclean spirits with authority and power, and they leave." –Lk 4:36 |
| PRAISE: | Pope St. Gregory referred to his bishops as physicians. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College