What do you think brings more joy to God’s heart? Punishing unrepentant sinners or forgiving repentant ones? Considering the expense and the effort he put into saving sinners, it’s pretty clear that God would rather forgive than punish. He will do both—he is perfectly just and perfectly merciful, but he tells us that he takes no pleasure in the death of sinners. In fact, he sent his Son to rescue us from death. He offers to give us a new heart and a new spirit.

God created every living soul. Every single person is precious to him! He died so we can live.

Now the God of the universe is pleading with sinners to repent. “Why should you die, O house of Israel? Repent and live!”

God will judge every single soul perfectly fairly. The soul that sins will die. The soul that is cleansed by the blood of Christ will live!

We know which one brings more joy to God’s heart. Repentance and forgiveness bring joy to ours, too.