By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil.

Proverbs 16:6

I am so excited to have found this verse in the book of The Proverbs! This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ in one verse of the Old Testament! Let’s follow it through.

Lovingkindness can also be translated mercy, merciful. This beautiful attribute of God is threaded throughout the Bible. Hebrews quotes Jeremiah 31:34 which are a companion to our key verse.

Hebrews 8:12

“FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE.”

Notice that iniquity is not atoned by our goodness or worthiness, but by lovingkindness (mercy) AND Truth! Only The Truth of the Gospel can save us from ourselves.

Titus 3:5

He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us rightly through Jesus Christ our Savior.

Only by the fear of the LORD are we kept from evil in this world and from the eternal evil reserved for the father of lies, Satan. James tells us that this “fear” is not a scardy cat kind of fear, but that it is a reverence for God’s pure and gentle mercy which gives us peace. 

James 3:16-18

For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

As we begin our celebrations for an early Easter, better to be known as Resurrection Sunday, let us remember that God saves us and not we ourselves! It is God’s lovingkindness (mercy) and Truth that provides the atonement to bring us to Himself and to save us from evil! 

Romans 5:8-11

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then having now been justified by his blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation [atonement].