Complacency vs Condemnation

Goodness and Holiness are two natures of God that people tend to separate, yet they both walk hand in hand. God is a Holy God and a Good God, both at the same time; He remains unchanged, unlike the misinterpretation of many people. People often tend to link God’s goodness with His grace and ability to forgive every sin, and link His holiness with his intolerance of sin.

Those who dwell on His goodness alone live a scruffy life, believing He will always forgive because He is good and gracious, and also because He died for our sins. Those who dwell solely on His Holiness live a life of fear, with feelings of condemnation, fearing to be punished or rejected the moment they fail or fall into sin, because He hates and condemns sin! But where do we draw the line? How do we balance both natures without falling into one extreme?

It is simple; clarity lies in one truth: God loves the sinner and hates the sin.

God hates sin because of what it does to the sinner. God hates sin because it separates Him from the « sinner » who was in the beginning « created to worship and live in the fullness of His presence ».

People tend to identify with sin and say, «This is how I was made, this is how I am, I can’t change that.» We defend our bad behaviour by calling it nature, saying we can’t help, we can’t change, but the truth is, Sin is an After-Nature. After the fall, after man put God aside… Yes, « man » put God « aside », because sometimes we think it’s God who put man aside, but the truth is that the human race turned its back on God when it decided to listen to the devil and sin against God, when Adam and Eve thought they could be self-sufficient, and no longer need God, when they thought “We can do this life without Him”.

Sin takes us out of God’s presence, and God hates this state because it separates us from Him. Though man sinned and lost his initial nature and got a sinful nature in exchange, God never hated man, but in His lovingkindness, He left heaven through Jesus, and came on earth, in a sinful world, not to validate sin, but to save the sinner from sin.

How can a God so Holy, who can’t tolerate sin, sacrifice so much and come to a messy earth, filled with all that He hates? It’s because He loves each one of us. The sacrifice of Christ was never meant to validate sin or to change the « Law ».

« Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfil. » Matthew 5:17 NKJV

The principles of God remain unchanged, but His love pushed Him to give it all away, so He could separate the sin from the sinner, and have the « sinner » back into the Fullness of His presence, i.e. the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, and restore our nature, which initially was to worship Him.

« But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. » John 4:23-24 NKJV

That being said, how would we worship God in sin and debauchery? How can we have a double nature? How can we think we would still enjoy sin and God’s presence all at once, yet sin is the very thing that takes us out of God’s presence?

People will think God has a double face, that He changes His mind depending on the situation or generation or era, that He renews His principles, but clearly NOT! We have a double face, we are indecisive, and we change our minds, depending on our feelings and struggles. We look for validation in whatever we do, and when the Word of God convicts us, we point the finger at God and say « but God said… but God is gracious, but God is love ». But do we grasp the essence of His Grace? Do we understand the depth of His Love? That aims at not only accepting us but also « delivering » us?

Because what kind of friend would I be if I let my bestie sink into drugs without trying to help? What kind of parent would I be to let my kid play with fire and lean back with my legs crossed? What kind of lover would I be to let the person I love make the wrong choices just because I don’t wanna hurt their feelings?

Does loving mean letting things be? Does loving mean closing our eyes to mistakes? Does loving mean complacency? Keeping quiet, letting the person we love do whatever they want without trying to help, protect, save, bring back, or advise?

Now the question is, is God so evil for not accepting us with our sinful lifestyles, or are we so foolish for refusing the salvation that requires us to heed His instructions? Doesn’t this actually mean that by refusing to live righteously, we are also “rejecting” God? And how would we think we would end up in His kingdom if we never wanted "Him" in the first place? So, is He bad for letting the sinner perish, or are we fools to perish yet salvation has been made available at the cross, through faith? Because salvation implies accepting Jesus not just as a Saviour for when we mess up, but also as Lord, which means He has a Word to say and we choose to obey Him.

« Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. »

Because sinning purposefully and pointing at God, saying He gave you the green light, is nothing but manipulation and gaslighting. And God cannot be fooled: «Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.» Galatians 6:7 NKJV

All this to say: The name Jesus—meaning "God saves"—is the ultimate promise and the defining act that reconciles God’s Holiness and His Goodness. God's love is not passive affirmation; it is a powerful, outstretched hand of Deliverance. He reaches out to the lost, not merely to console them with a gentle "I am with you," but to declare with saving authority, "I am taking you out of there!"

This outstretched hand represents His Grace—the undeserved favour that makes salvation possible. However, the connection is maintained by our reciprocal act of holding on, which is the exercise of Holiness in our daily lives, through prayer, studying His Word and obedience.

Surrendering to spiritual complacency and becoming comfortable in a sinful state can be compared to loosening our grip on the Saviour's hand, resulting in the tides of evil inevitably sweeping us away toward destruction. Salvation is an active relationship that requires perseverance.

As the Scripture affirms: "For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity." (Proverbs 24:16 NKJV).

The mark of the righteous person is not perfect performance, but persevering repentance. They utilise God's Goodness (Grace) to rise again after failure, honouring His Holiness by refusing to remain in a fallen state. Therefore, to walk with God is to trust His hand to lift you (Grace) and to cling to His standards to keep you safe and sound (Holiness).