It is to our peril if we believe that just because God has not, or does not execute immediate judgment upon sin, that he’s okay with sin. He is not. His word tells us so.

But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips? 17 For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you. 18 If you see a thief, you are pleased with him, and you keep company with adulterers. 19 You give your mouth free rein for evil, and your tongue frames deceit. 20 You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother’s son. 21 These things you have done, and I have been silent; you thought that I was one like yourself.” – Psalm 50:16-21

Here, God calls the professing covenant community wicked. Why? Because they knew his commandments, his laws. We too know his commandments. We know what he has called us to, yet like the covenant community back then, we ignore his word. According to this psalm, he’d rather not hear us speak his word because we do not obey it. He goes on to say in Verse 21, that just because he has been silent, and hasn’t responded, that we figured that he was just like us. He is not.

God is not like us. We are his created being. God is holy. God is perfect. God is a God of justice. God is a God of compassion, and because we are the called out ones, the church, he expects the same from us.

But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” – 1 Peter 1:15-16

You therefore must be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect. – Matthew 5:48

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? – Micah 6:8

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. – Ephesians 4:32

If we read through the Old Testament, we see the heart of God in how God responds to wickedness, and how he responds to the oppressed, the outcast, the widow with compassion. In the New Testament, we see Jesus as a living example of the Father’s love and compassion in how he responded to the needs of the people, but also pronounced judgments on the wicked. How do we respond? How should we respond?

The Old Testament prophet, Micah makes it plain: to be just in our own dealings and seeking justice for others. See Isaiah 1:17 We who are the called out ones are to love kindness, which is to be kind to one another. We are all, regardless of ethnicity, or station in life, created in God’s image, and ought to treat one another with kindness and respect.

The call to be holy is to recognize that we are his chosen possession, set apart for him, so we no longer live fulfilling the lusts of the flesh, but live to please him.

The call to be perfect involves killing sin. John Owens puts it this way: “Be killing sin or sin will be killing you. Colossians 3:5 puts it this way.

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and covetousness, which is idolatry. – Colossians 3:5

While true believers know that our righteousness is found solely in Christ Jesus, there is an aim, or pursuit to live to please him in all they do. They recognize that they will falter and sin, but readily confess and repent of their sin to God. They recognize that this life is one of God conforming them to become more like Christ, his Son.

That should be our aim, to be more like Christ, for if we can take the grace of God for granted, it may be that we are not who we think we are.