The idea of God is much bigger than any human mind can perceive. 

It is totally unfitting for anyone to flippantly refer to God as “the man upstairs.”  He’s worthy of our total respect as from what we know, even remote exposure to His personhood would utterly consume us with the worst possible horror. 

Yet, where did the idea “the man upstairs” originate?  There are many illustrations which the Holy Spirit and the Bible gives us to begin to understand Who He is.  Two of those have such opposing ideas that you wonder how it could possibly be.  Those are the Lion and the Lamb.

He is described as the “Lion of the tribe of Judah” and the Lamb of God. 

In addition to the pages of the Bible, God manifests Himself in the natural world.  There is the terror of the storms, earthquakes, horribly vicious creators; and the tenderness of the sunrise, a kitten, a flower and a lamb.  The Bible says that the things about God are clearly seen revealed to us in the natural world and perceived by knowledge ingrained in our souls.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness, because what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.  For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse.  Romans 1:18-20

For whenever the Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature the things required by the law, these who do not have the law are a law to themselves. They show that the work of the law is written in their hearts, as their conscience bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or else defend them, on the day when God will judge the secrets of human hearts, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.  Romans 2:14-16

It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of an angry God.

For those who know what is right and wrong and persist in choosing wrong, there will be terrible consequences to pay.  What we know about the life hereafter is little yet those pictures of hell we do have describe a place I would not want to be in for a second. 

We know that adultery is wrong.  By very nature we know that sex is good and made to be shared in a secure loving relationship between a man a women who have made a public profession of their love for one another.  Anyone who sins by taking another women or man or by desiring to do so has a sentence over his head “GUILTY.” 

The same goes for hatred.  If there is someone who we can’t forgive, who we would like to harm then we are “ GUILTY.”  To make things worst, the Bible records Jesus as saying that even just thinking evil is like doing it because it is the heart God looks at.  Because God is morally perfect only those who are perfect are accepted. 

Theft is also forbidden.  It is a command to not steal.  All the commands the Bible gives equate to loving your neighbor.  Because if we love our neighbors we will not steal from them, hate them or have illicit sexual relationships that harm them.

My mother owns a property in Western New York that backs-up to U.S. Government land.  When walking back there you see posted every fifty feet, bright red, white and blue signs that say,

“NO TRESPASSING.  PROPERTY OF U.S. GOVERNMENT.  VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED.” 

It is a pretty clear statement that no one is to cross that boundary.  God has put up signs which we feel are like speed limit signs, mere suggestions but not to be heeded.  It should be clear and excepted that every “trespasser” going to places in his heart where God says not to, will be convicted and sentenced.

The lion is known to be the “king of the jungle.” He earns the respect of every other animal by virtue of his strength.  Jesus is the “Lion of the tribe of Judah” and in the heavens, where He is seen to be who He really is, He is held in great respect.

For who in the skies can compare to the Lord?  Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings, a God who is honored in the great angelic assembly, and more awesome than all who surround him?  Psalm 89:6-7

A lion has roared! Who is not afraid?  Amos 3:8

If this was all we knew about God we have nothing to look forward to.

All of us have done things we know are wrong and all of us deserve punishment.  If it were not for the Lamb of God we would have no hope of finding safety from the Lion.

A lamb is a baby sheep.  Sheep, even mature sheep, are the most timid defenseless animals.  It was such a harmless creature that God chose to symbolize the innocence that would be needed for the transference of “trespasses.”  In other words, the only way anyone could be freed from the load of guilt would be to pass it on to another who had none!  A lamb symbolizes such a one.  Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah who will bring punishment on those who continue to rebel against His rule, and He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.  Because He became a man and had no sin, He is able to carry our sin. 

As God required the Israelites to shed the blood of a Lamb and sprinkle the blood on the doorposts of their homes to keep death from entering, the shed blood of Jesus, when sprinkled on a guilty heart, will keep a person a live.  When Jesus died on the cross He became the sacrificial Lamb who would forever supply the blood to cleanse us from our sins.  His blood will forever be the payment required to pardon guilty sinners. 

You know that from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors you were ransomed – not by perishable things like silver or gold, but by precious blood like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, namely Christ.   1 Peter 1:18-19

If you believe this you can receive it by prayer. 

Lord Jesus, I am a sinful person who has broken your law.  I confess that you are the Lamb of God who died for the sins of the world.  Cleanse me of my sins. 

There are many ways of saying the same thing.  The Lord looks at the heart and true prayer comes from there.  My prayer is:

Father, hear the prayers of those who realize that they are guilty of sin and need pardon.  Send your Spirit to convince them of Your truth and lead them into the paths of eternal life.  Stretch out your mighty hand to deliver them from any and all evil spirits and fill them with the Holy Spirit.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen

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