Perspectives

John 3:17-21 … 17) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18) Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.19) this is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20) Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21) But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”(NIV1984)

This month’s discussion paper brings us face to face with both love and judgment. It is much easier for us to talk about the love of God. But here we are faced with the love of God as well as His judgment. First, the apostle John writes that God so loved the world that He sent His Son to save the world. But then John also writes that Jesus said He came into the world to pronounce judgment on those who reject His message. Can both be true?

Those who refuse to believe that Christ died for the sins of the whole world stand judged. Condemned by their refusal to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and died to save humanity from their sin. They and they only have decided their own fate.

This is how judgment works. Judgment is the separation between our wantonness, shamelessness and lack of remorse and the love that Christ brought into the world. The love that Christ was talking about proved to be a great dividing influence in the world because people are so emotionally involved in a way of life that in the eyes of Christ is evil. Those who do evil things hate what Scripture teaches because it reveals their evil deeds. When we make the choice to remain enmeshed, trapped and spellbound in sinful behaviour and refuse to come to Christ, we pass judgment on ourselves in our own denial of the choices we have made. But when people are confronted with what Jesus taught, some respond in a very positive way by accepting Christ as their Lord and Savior who removes that future judgment.

But what about believers/Christians: How does love and judgment affect the way we live our daily lives? The first thing we must remember is that Christ has died for all past and future sin in our lives. Having said that, I do not believe that we have the right to sin willfully; when we do sin, we can humbly come to Jesus to repent of our sin knowing that He will forgive us.

But, we do not always come to Christ because we might be involved in, let’s say, “A secret sin.” It is in times like that, that the Holy Spirit wants to bring to our attention that what we are involved in is sinful. That attention might be carried out by Satan but conceived by God. Often the insults and buffeting we suffer will be of a spiritual nature as we struggle with holiness and perhaps even spiritual pride. Many times, we can hurt on various levels, not all which are noticeable or in plain sight for others to see, we should never be surprised at how the thorn in our side will be noticeable because God wants us to understand that His love for us endures forever.

When we Christians/believers find our faith being challenged with a spiritual pain (my pain maybe very different from yours) in our side, and that spiritual pain lingers in our life, we should not be disheartened or discouraged. Rather, we should think of it as God continuing to be at work in our lives. His desire is for us to change whatever it is we are involved in. We may never know all the reasons why we have had to suffer all the thorns in our side. Remember the apostle Paul asked God 3 times for his thorn to be removed (2 Corinthians. 12:7-10). However, God said that His grace was sufficient for Paul. I believe that same grace is sufficient for you and me… To God Be the Glory great Things He Has Done!

Would you pray this prayer with me? “Lord Jesus, come into my heart. Forgive my sins. I want my life to change. My thoughts and my attitude need to change. I do not have the peace in my heart that I yearn for. I really want that peace, joy and happiness that fulfills my heart’s desire. Please let the Holy Spirit help me be the kind of Christian that will honour Your Name. Amen”