From the ArcaMax Publishing, Billy Graham Newsletter:
http://www.arcamax.com/news/billygraham/s-338766-425632
Q: Is the God you read about in the Old Testament different from the
God of the New Testament? A friend of mine says that the Old Testament
God is angry and cruel, while in the New Testament He is loving and
kind. Is this true? -- D.McK.
A: No, it is not true. God never changes: He is the same today as He
was 3,000 years ago -- and He will be the same 3,000 years from now as
He is today. As the Bible says, "I the Lord do not change" (Malachi
3:6).
The world does change, however, and it's true that God's people in Old
Testament times faced different challenges from those their
descendants would face. Often they were surrounded by hostile nations
that were determined to stamp them out, and God said they must defend
themselves against their enemies in order to survive. But repeatedly
God assured them of His love; the prophet Jeremiah wrote, "The Lord
appeared to us in the past, saying: 'I have loved you with an
everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness'" (Jeremiah
31:3).
We see God's love most clearly, however, in the person of Jesus
Christ. He was God in human flesh, who came down from heaven to
express God's unchanging love to us. He did this by taking upon
Himself the judgment we deserve for our sins, dying on the cross for
us. The Bible says, "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he
loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins" (1
John 4:10).
Have you opened your heart and life to Christ? The greatest discovery
you will ever make is that God loves you, and He wants you to be His
child forever. Give yourself to Christ today.
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Send your queries to "My Answer," c/o Billy Graham, Billy Graham
Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, N.C.,
28201; call 1-(877) 2-GRAHAM, or visit the Web site for the Billy
Graham Evangelistic Association: www.billygraham.org.