He is not safe, but He is good

In C.S. Lewis epic novel The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, one of the characters describing Aslan the Lion says that, “He is not safe, but He is good.” Aslan the Lion is “good” towards the children in Narnia and the other creatures; however, he is not safe and does punish the White Witch for her evil deeds or “sins.” Aslan, the Lion, represents the picture of God which we see in Psalm 76.

Psalm 76 shows us a picture of God which has grown mistakenly absent in today’s post-modern world. The truth of God’s wrath has become ridiculed as an outdated caricature of deity, or worse, denied altogether as a myth. The truth is the Bible clearly portrays the wrath of God as a necessary attribute of His holiness. The Psalmist in verses 1-3 describe God’s wrath as revealing, in verses 4-9 he shows God’s wrath as glorious, and verses 10-12 show God’s wrath as a way to renew our allegiance towards Him. We must always remember that God is good, therefore He must punish sin.

Sin is anything that we do which is not pleasing towards God. Anytime we lie, steal, look with lust, harbor anger in our hearts, or disobey our parents all of that and more is sin. Psalm 76 tells us God’s wrath, His holy anger, is directed towards sinners. If you are living in sin than God is not safe and He will punish sin.

God shows that He is good, however, in sending His Son Jesus Christ. Tim Keller says, “Christ lived the life we should have lived and He died the death we should have died.” Jesus Christ, the spotless Son of God, is the ONLY way we can have a relationship with a Holy and Just God. Psalm 76 asks the question, who can stand before God, and the New Testament answers the question with ONLY the individual who trusts in Christ can stand before Him.

Today, in view of God’s wrath we should redirect our allegiance towards Him. We should submit our lives to God as Lord over everything because He alone is good. We must remember that God is good, but He is not safe. God will punish sin! Psalm 76 reminds us that God’s wrath is directed towards those who do not confess His name. This understanding should urge us to tell others about Him. Psalm 76 should spur Christians to the task of world evangelism. We should be telling all that God’s wrath is directed towards those who oppose Him, however, He has provided a way to have a relationship with Him – through His Son, Jesus Christ. Please take time today to share the message of hope and God’s goodness with someone who does not know Christ.
*Parts taken from NIV Commentary Series