For many people with little to no knowledge of God, they tend to have two favorite verses:
- “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”-John 3:16
- “Judge not, tat you be not judged.”-Matthew 7:1
It seems as if people think you can combine those verses into, “God loves us so much, we will never be judged.” Is that what the Bible teaches about God, Jesus, or for that matter, judgement? God has expressed wonderful, sacrificial love to us, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God;”-I John 3:1. What are the lessons we should receive? Here are the wrong answers:
Sin Is No Big Deal: How much has sin cost you in this world? Certainly the payment of our sins can find us out in this life. Many of us have seen sin take loved ones from us as an earthly consequence of immoral behavior. But God’s Son had no sin (II Corinthians 5:21). God has never, nor will ever be guilty of sin (James 1:13). Yet he sent his only Son to die at the hands of those Jesus sought to save. God paid the ultimate cost of my salvation from sin, “with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”-II Peter 1:18.
Sin cost our Father in heaven more than we can imagine. Should we bathe in the very sins our Savior went to the cross to provide? “God forbid.”-Romans 6:2 (KJV). The lesson God’s love teaches us about sin, is to flee It!
God Created The World, But He Is Not Involved Today: God literally directed thousands of years of history in just such away as to bring about a nation of Israel, through whom king David and eventually king Jesus would descend. At the one moment in history where one language and one empire dominated the known world. During the one period of time in history when you could spread a message by road or sea lane, God sent his Son, the very fullness of the gospel in human form, into the world. Within 35-years, the apostle Paul could say, “if indeed you continue in the faith…the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven,”-Colossians 1:23.
This is what is known as deism; “belief in a God who created the world but has since remained indifferent to it”-Dictionary.com. In a way, this is what many in our churches, believe about God today. They believe God has ceased to guide nations and intervene miraculously in the world today. This is seen in the view that the Holy Spirit is the word or works only through the word.
But God did not set this world in motion only to leave Christians as orphans. God through his Spirit: seals us, guarantees our inheritance, strengthens us, regenerates us, helps us, speaks for us, and gives life to our mortal bodies. God answers prayer. The Spirit convicts the hearts of people. God is alive and his love provides us with all good things.
A Loving God Will Not Judge Us: In all the ways God has shown his love, it is he who paid the price for our reconciliation. We all stood in sin and without hope in this world. But God sent Jesus to die for us. The Father raised the Son from the dead and made him king of heaven and earth. Do you think God has an opinion about what we do with that gift of grace? Do you think God cares whether you acknowledge Jesus as your Lord?
For those of us who are living in the obedience of faith, our names are written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Holy Spirit dwells in and strengthens us, and we will face no judgement, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”-John 5:24.
Praise God! Come Lord Jesus.
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