Eternal Love or Eternal Wrath?

"But the steadfast love of the LORD
Is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children's children,
To those who keep His covenant
And remember to do His commandments"
(Psalm 103:17-18)

In contrast to the fleeting nature of man, God's love is eternal. His righteousness will be given from generation to generation.

But notice the conditions. We like to read that God's love and righteousness are eternal. God will never stop loving. God will never stop being righteous.

But both of those have conditions.

God's love is eternal "on those who fear Him."

His righteousness is given "to those who keep His covenant and remember to do His commandments."

God is love. But God is also just. Perfect love and perfect justice. And we wouldn't want it any other way.

God's justice compels Him to punish sin, which is anything contrary to His nature. Because of the sin in our nature and our lives, we are completely separated from the holy God. From birth, we are under His wrath, because He has to punish sin. (John 3:36).

But God, who is also perfect in His love, desires to have a relationship with His creation. So He made a way for His wrath to be justly satisfied.

His Son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross as a sacrifice. He took the wrath of God upon Himself so that the righteousness could be credited to our account (2 Corinthians 5:21).

God didn't have to do that. He didn't have to pay the ultimate sacrifice. He could have left us under His wrath and sent us all to eternal punishment in Hell. But He loved us and wants us to be with Him forever.

So, to benefit from God's eternal love, we have to "fear Him." Respect Him for who He is and take His word for what it says. He really does hate sin and will punish it. He really does love you and wants you to be with Him.

The only way to remove the wrath and replace it with eternal love is through believing what God says is true. Trusting, accepting, fearing, obeying, believing - they are all related words that show the evidence of doing what God wants you to do.

Are you under God's eternal wrath? Or under His eternal love?