Unmerited Blessings

We who are guilty, sinful, and worthless creatures receive many unmerited blessings from a holy and just God when we really deserve judgement.
Job 2:7-10 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes. Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die." But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?"In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
You see here that Job knew the truth, that we are being blessed all the time with blessings we do not deserve. He knew that we were doomed to hell without a merciful God who would send His beloved son to die for the sin of man. Why? Because there was no other way to be reconciled to a holy and just God but through the blood of an acceptable sacrifice!
These following words are from this past Sunday's preaching.
God is good and God is great! Can He prevent evil? Yes! Why does He permit evil? We live in a fallen world, evil exists because of sin! That is why we should hate sin. Sin brings death! The existence of evil point us to the existence God. In our hearts we know that some things are bad and some are good.
Romans 2:15-16 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
God relates to sin in many ways, He prevents sin, He permits sin, He limits sin, and He uses sin.
Romans 1:21  For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Gen.20:6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her.
Gen. 50:20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
In Scripture, God never sins, directly causes sin or is blamed for sin.
James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.
God is sovereign over all things: evil nations and rulers, the devil and demonic spirits, trials and temptations, suffering and persecution, moral atrocities, natural disasters, disease and death.
Deut.32:39 "'See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.
No one is good and righteous but God!
Romans 3:9-12 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.  All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one."
God allowed His only son, Jesus to be murdered by sinful man!
Acts 2:22-23 22 "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know-- this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
O death, where is your victory?
1 Cor.15:55-57  "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Rev.21:22-26 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day--and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. Ps.2:8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.
Lord, we ask for the nations. Amen