Love Displayed

“In the greatest display of obedience (and love) that will ever be known, Jesus took the full chalice of Man’s sin and God’s wrath, looked shuddering, deep into its depth and in a steel act of his will, drank it all”. - Kent Hughes

Whew, that is some deep mess, and really doesn't quite compute in my head, I think simply because I can't even imagine the depth of ALL of Man's sins, what we are capable of, yet don't act out simply because the Holy Spirit restrains His children at every point. And God's full wrath... whoa! Is that God's grace to me... that He convicts me of sins gently and sometimes one at a time? Obviously He knows me better than I know myself, in that I would be so overwhelmed with grief and would be distraught if He let me see ALL of my sins all at once, and ALL of His wrath in response to my sins. Praise God I never have to see that wrath directed toward me. The only place I know that wrath and feel it's weight is on the cross, on Jesus' shoulders. I wish that picture, His sacrifice, His amazing display of love and obedience would stay plastered in the forefront of my mind and heart from day to day, moment to moment.
Well, there's another picture of my sin... how I am such a wandering sheep of His, so easily distracted and straying off on my own way. I wander off from Him, in my heart, mind, and actions and cannot/will not keep that vision plastered on my heart and mind from day to day.
Ya know, it really is a good thing that God is All in All, a holy, angry, just, and wrathful God towards sins, and yet patient, merciful, slow to anger, forgiving and abounding in love at the same time, because I'm convinced that if He wasn't the latter.......... I would instantly be made into a wool coat and a tenderized, roasted passover meal!!!
Praise God for His amazing display of love that cannot be altered by my sinful rebellious wanderings nor my damnable righteous good deeds!!!!