Sometimes I question myself. Much of what I write here to encourage myself and others does not sound very loving. I write mainly of the change that needs to occur in our lives and the consequences that come when that change is not had. This is a message I am passionate about. But this is not a message the world is passionate about. The world would rather take Jesus’ love and hide His wrath. They want to be accepted for who they are in their sin. They believe a loving God is one who saves everyone no matter what, but this is not biblical. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 You’ve probably heard this verse before. I have it memorized. It’s nice, because in and of itself, this message makes people think that all they must do to receive eternal life is say, “I believe in Jesus,” and go on living as they always have. But read what comes directly after this verse: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son...Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.” John 3:17-18, 20 Jesus was not sent to damn us all to hell right then and there. Rather, He was sent to save us from this inevitable fate. Some of us will be damned to hell. Many of us, actually. But Jesus was sent to save those who were willing to believe, and not just believe, but to stop doing evil because those who do evil hate the light. Salvation is not just a couple words you say and try in your heart to believe. Yes, confessing that Jesus is Lord is an important part of it, but so is change. We cannot truly say we believe in and love Jesus if we continue to do evil. “This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.” 1 John 3:10 Anyone who does not do what is right is a child of the devil. Yes, if someone says, “Jesus is Lord,” and does not repent of their sins, they are a child of the devil. Hard to hear, right? God is asking more of us than to just admit He is real. True belief comes with full repentance and a life change. Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” John 3:3 We need to be born again. We need to turn from our old ways of life, fulfilling the desires of the flesh. This means putting to rest all of our sins. This means becoming filled with the Spirit through baptism and allowing God to make us disgusted with our sins. Yes, even those who think they are inherently good because they have not murdered or committed adultery, etc., they too have sins to put aside. All have fallen short of the glory of God. Perhaps their sins are not as obvious as others and people call them good, but in the end we are not judged in relation to other people. We are judged in relation to the law, and all humans have broken the law and are equally deserving of punishment, and equally in need of God's grace. Reader, I know this post does not sound very loving. I know this post does not sound like it deserves the title I gave it. But tell me which is more loving: to butter you up with lies and tickle your ears with things you’d like to hear, allowing you to continue in the path that leads to eternal punishment? Or to tell you the truth of the Bible, which God has given us full access to, so that you may know what He requires of us to receive eternal life? Reader, this is an urgent message. So many of us are on the wide road which leads to destruction. We say, “God loves me, even though I continue in sin,” and we are not wrong, but God’s unstoppable love for you does not mean you will be saved. God desires to save all of us, He does not want to punish us, but He is Just, and He is clear that without His grace—without being born again and living new lives—we will not be saved. I question myself because the majority of Christian messages today do not sound like this. They are lathered in God’s unstoppable love, but they do not touch on His equally unstoppable wrath. God does love you. His love for you is unstoppable, and no sin you commit will ever keep Him from desiring to save you. But you cannot continue in a life of sin and expect to be saved. This is why I am confident in such a harsh message: It is the topic Jesus spoke of most. I am nearly done with reading the Gospels, and not once have I heard Jesus saying, “God loves all of you, repent because He loves you.” Yes, God loves us. The Gospel of John is clear about this in chapter 3. But what does Jesus say instead? “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 3:2, 4:17; Mark 1:15). This Jesus, who died and rose to offer us salvation freely and gives us our whole lives to turn to Him, overturned tables in a temple with a whip (John 2:13-17), harshly called out people for their hypocrisy (Luke 11:39-52), and spoke openly and often of the punishment that awaits those who do not turn from their lives of sin (read the Gospels). Friends, the message of the world is diluted. God loves all sinners, but God will not save all sinners—only those who repent. This is Biblical. Read the Bible for yourself. Many will try to deceive you and tell you that God’s grace covers everyone. They will try to define what Compassion is and say that those who believe God sends some people to hell are not compassionate. But who are we to define God? He is Compassionate, and He is Just. In His Word, He has made clear the fate awaiting those who repent and those who don’t. Read the Scriptures for yourself. Don’t let anyone deceive you with messages that tickle your ears and sound too good to be true. “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4 Read the Bible. Seriously. If you don’t, you’ll believe anything, and you’ll surely be deceived. Read it for yourself, test everything you hear to make sure it is in line with the Scriptures (yes, even what I write on this website—I am a flawed human being who errs in everything I say), or else you will not survive in this world that is full of false teaching. “God knows our situation; He will not judge us as if we had no difficulties to overcome. What matters is the sincerity and perseverance of our will to overcome them. Before we can be cured we must want to be cured. Those who really wish for help will get it; but for many modern people even the wish is difficult. It is easy to think that we want something when we do not really want it." - C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity Here's the great news: we don't have to do this alone. Despite all this harsh talk about punishment if we don't change and about God being both Loving and Wrathful, He is still rooting for us. For the entirety of our lives He is on our side, eagerly waiting to welcome us into His presence with open arms. He really wants to save us, and His loving offer is open for anyone, no matter what they have done to offend Him in their pasts.
I used to look at my life and how many times I've messed up and how colossally I've messed up and think, "This just isn't going to happen for me. I must be evil." But God loves us so so much that He helps us. Yes, we need to repent and be baptized. Yes, there is punishment for those who continue to live in sin. But say the words, commit your life to God, seek after Him, and He will guide you in paths of righteousness. We will never be perfect, but God, who is Faithful and Just, is patient with our weaknesses and forgives us each time we stumble. We need only to keep getting back up and walking with Him.
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AuthorFighting complacency and advocating change in myself for the world around me. Posts by Date
February 2019
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