Seeing the One God: Bridging the Old and New Testaments

Brother, Sister, have you ever felt like you’re standing at a crossroads of scripture? You read about the awesome, sometimes stern, God in the Old Testament—the God of mountains, covenants, and mighty judgments. Then, you turn the page, and suddenly, you’re immersed in the New Testament, where the emphasis seems to shift entirely to perfect, unending love through the Savior.

It’s a question that has stumped sincere students of scripture, and it’s a question that can make even seasoned disciples pause. “How can God be so different?”

If you’ve ever wrestled with this, you are not alone. It’s a sign that you are digging deep into the Word, and that’s exactly the kind of spiritual work we need to be doing in our lives as disciples of Jesus Christ. It’s natural to look at the surface and see a contrast, but the Spirit guides us to see the seamless tapestry woven by our Heavenly Father.

The Immutable Heart of the Father

The core truth we need to hold onto, the truth that anchors us as Latter-day Saints, is this: God is immutable. He does not change. His nature—His perfect love, His perfect justice, His perfect mercy—is constant through all time.

What we are seeing when we study the Bible is not a change in *who* God is, but rather a progressive *revelation* of *how* He reveals Himself to us. Think of it like a master artist revealing a masterpiece in stages. Each stage is beautiful, but they all point back to the single, perfect vision.

The source video we looked at tackled this head-on, showing how both the Old and New Testaments reveal God’s compassion—Exodus 34:6 speaks of Him being "compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness." And what do we see in John 3:16? The fullness of that love! It’s the same God, just revealed in greater measure through the Atonement.

Judgment and Mercy: Two Sides of the Same Coin

Sometimes the contrast seems most apparent when we look at judgment. The Old Testament details God’s wrath against sin, and the New Testament speaks of the wrath of God against godlessness. A careful study shows us that these are not two different emotions, but two sides of the same divine justice. God *is* perfectly just, and sin *must* be accounted for. But because He is also infinitely merciful, He provided the ultimate payment.

The sacrificial system of the Old Testament was a beautiful, temporary foreshadowing. It was pointing—always pointing—to the ultimate, perfect sacrifice: Jesus Christ. The Son wasn't a new concept; He was the fulfillment of every promise, the ultimate revelation of the Father’s love for us, His children.

Bringing This Home: Being Christlike

As we walk in the covenant path, whether we are in the MTC, serving in a stake, or right here in our own homes, our goal is to become more like Christ. And what is Christlike? It’s being both perfectly righteous *and* perfectly loving. It means understanding that God’s love is not just a feeling; it is an active, covenant-keeping power that redeems us from our deepest failings.

My challenge to you this week, as you study for your next missionary discussions or while preparing for your own service, is to keep asking: "How does this passage point to Christ?" Don't let the historical context distract you from the eternal narrative. God’s love letter to mankind is written in both testaments, and the signature on that letter is always the Savior.

If this study helped clarify a passage or deepened your understanding of the Atonement, please share it! We need to keep these insights circulating among the rogue disciples.

For those who want to dive deeper into the nature of God, I highly recommend J.I. Packer’s Knowing God. It’s a bedrock text for understanding the immutability of our Heavenly Father.

If you want to discuss this further, join us for our weekly Bible Study Group in HolyPlaces this Sunday! Let’s wrestle with the scriptures together.