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bradfreeman

Read the Old Testament and you haven't really seen God...

Acts-dicted Posts: 9027 **5/6/16 6:11 am**

At the end of the Old Testament John boldly declared:

John 1:17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.

Under the old covenant, you couldn't really see God. It was a system that God never took pleasure in or desired (Heb. 10:5-9).

It hid a Father whose desire is, and has always been:

1. To justify the ungodly (Rom. 4:5).
2. To turn the other cheek and not resist an evil person (Mat. 5:39; Luke 6:29).
3. To give His coat to the one who takes his shirt (Mat. 5:40; Luke 6:29).
4. To go 2 miles with the one who forces you to go 1 (Mat. 5:41).
5. To give to all who ask (Mat. 5:42; Luke 6:30).
6. To turn no one away who wants to borrow (Mat. 5:42; Luke 6:34).
7. To love, not hate, His enemies (Mat. 5:43, 44; Luke 6:27,35).
8. To be for those who are against Him (Mat. 5:44; Luke 6:28; Luke 23:34; Acts 9:5).
9. To brighten the days of the evil (Mat. 5:45).
10. To water the crops of the unrighteous (Mat. 5:45).
11. To do good to those who hate Him (Luke 6:27).
12. To bless those who curse Him (Luke 6:28).
13. To be kind to evil men (Luke 6:35).
14. To be kind to ungrateful men (Luke 6:35; Luke 17:12-19).
15. To give life, forgiveness, blessing and righteousness freely.

But now Jesus showed us a Father whose desire has always been to:
1. Offer water freely to woman who has had 5 husbands and is living with a man (John 4).
2. Offer no condemnation to a woman the Law would have stoned to death (John 8).
3. Offer mercy to a town the Law would have called down fire upon (Luke 9:54,55).
4. Offer life to those so dead they stink (John 11).
5. Offer forgiveness to those who don't deserve it (Luke 23:34).

And after the life of Jesus, we've seen and truly know the Father.

John 14:7 If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”
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I'm not saved because I'm good. I'm saved because He's good!

My website: www.bradfreeman.com
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