READ: ROMANS 3:21-26; EPHESIANS 2:1-10; 3:14-21

Have you ever sat and watched a pendulum clock? The rhythmic back and forth motion can be mesmerizing, even relaxing.

Many things have been likened to the swing of a pendulum. Most of them are not relaxing but instead refer to constant change. Clothing, for example, is compared to a swinging pendulum. This year, women’s pants are wide, and in a few years they will be skinny once again. Popular colors also follow the swinging pendulum. For a while, many new homes had various shades of gray inside, but we’re already starting to see colors return to tans and beiges.

Those preaching the Word of God can also swing on a pendulum. When I was growing up, I remember mostly hearing churches preach on hell. We would regularly hear, “If you don’t repent of your sins, you are going to hell!” And I rarely remember the church teaching about the love and mercy of God.

Today, most people who attend most churches will regularly hear about the wonderful truth of God’s love and how important it is to receive that love. Yet, at many churches, the heavy topics of sin and judgment are rarely spoken about.

Both sides of this pendulum swing are problematic by themselves: the full gospel has to incorporate both parts. We are sinners who desperately need to repent of our sins—and if we don’t, we are on a slippery slope to eternal judgment. But God, in His abundant love beyond imagination, by grace and mercy, offers us forgiveness. We need only put our trust in Jesus to receive the gift of His blood, shed for your sin and mine. • Bonnie Haveman

• Do you have questions about what it means to confess your sin and put your trust in Jesus—receiving His gift of love through His death and resurrection as payment for your sin? Who are trusted Christians in your life you could talk to? (You can also find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.)

• Have you ever presented the gospel as God’s gift of love but skipped the fact that we need to repent? Or vice versa? How can we include both truths when we share the good news?

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (CSB)