Face to Face, Pt. 2: God’s Steadfast Love
Victory Life Durant, Midweek — Wednesday, January 17, 2024
Psalms: Psalm 33:13-22 (ESV) or (NLT) or (backup) Psalm 103:8-14 (ESV)
OT: Exodus 33:12—34:9 (ESV)
NT: 2 Corinthians 3:17—4:6 (NLT) or (backup) 1 John 4:9-18 (NLT)
Gospel: John 1:1-5, 9-14, 16-18 (ESV)
In relationships that remain face to face, a sacred space is created for God to reveal Himself to us, and through us, in unique ways.
Humans as God’s Image: Representation and Rule in partnership (with God and each other)
The Dilemma: How does a holy, good God resolve sin and destroy evil without destroying the sinful and evil humans he loves?
Steadfast Love: “khesed” (kheced) — mercy, kindness, lovingkindness, favor, unfailing love
Exodus 34:6-7 (ESV) The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
Exodus 34:6-7
6 “Yahweh, Yahweh,
a God compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger,
and abundant of loyal-love and faithfulness;
7 keeper of loyal-love for thousands,
forgiver of iniquity, transgression and sin;
yet he will surely not clear the guilty
visitor of the iniquity of father upon sons and upon the sons of sons
upon the third and the fourth
Psalm 107:1 (ESV) Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!
Psalm 136:1 (ESV) …for his steadfast love endures forever. (x26)
Lamentations 3:21-22 (ESV) But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Psalm 103:8–14 (ESV) 8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9 He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. 10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. 13 As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. 14 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.
Isaiah 54:5–10 (ESV) 5 For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called. 6 For the Lord has called you like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when she is cast off, says your God. 7 For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you. 8 In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord, your Redeemer. 9 “This is like the days of Noah to me: as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, and will not rebuke you. 10 For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
Micah 6:8 (ESV) He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Colossians 1:15 (ESV) He is the image of the invisible God…
1 John 4:9–18 (NLT) 9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. 13 And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. 14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. 16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.