Deeper Reflection
IT IS NOT ARBITRARILY AS HE PLEASES THAT GOD “DOES not retain His anger forever” (Mic 7:18). It is the cross that makes this divine act possible.God requires nothing short of total and perfect obedience from man whom He created. Thus, when Adam and Eve sinned just once, God’s judgment fell on them, which was death – separation from God (Gen 2:16-17). And all of humanity become sinners through Adam’s sin (Rom 5:17-19). Then God gave the Law, the Ten Commandments (Exo 20:1-17; cf. Rom 13:8-9), and God will judge humankind – both Jews and Gentiles – by the Law (Rom 2:11-16). God requires humankind to keep the Law totally and perfectly (cf. Jas 2:10-11), in order to get right with God – that is, having the righteousness of God − which is impossible. And “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the Law, to perform them” (Gal 3:10). Being under the divine curse is being under the wrath of God (Rom 1:18).But God “made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor 5:21). And “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us” (Gal 3:13-14). The result is, “But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested…through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe” (Rom 3:21-25a), and “having been justified³¹ by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him” (Rom 5:8-9). This is the Gospel (Rom 1:16-18).

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³¹ Being “justified” (dikaioō) is theologically synonymous with “become the righteousness (dikaiosunē) of God in Him” (2 Cor 5:21).