February 13, 2023
Two Choices
“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
John 3:17-18 (NASB)
As a lost person, I used to think God was mad at me. I heard it said this way too by others. They said that God is a Cosmic killjoy. He is waiting to pounce on you when you do wrong. He is the judge. We are already condemned. This unfounded fear I had comes from the understanding that God wants to make us into something other than ourselves. This I believe is because we want to do what we want. We do not like anyone to tell us what to do. We don’t like someone “judging” us. This includes God. This is the thought process for lost people. I know it was mine prior to be saved. He was there to make me a Bible nerd. Boy, I misunderstood.
God is so much the opposite. God is a loving God. God created words and circumstances like happiness, joy, and salvation. Mankind created words and circumstances like anger, sin, and unhappiness. Those who are lost see God as an angry God waiting to judge. Although the Messiah does judge the world in the future as Jesus taught in Matthew 25:31, and John 5:27, now mankind could receive forgiveness from this judgment. He would be saved from his present condition before God. In my life as an unsaved person, I remember thinking what I would need to give up for God. I didn’t like the idea of having to give up what I enjoyed. The thing I didn’t understand was life would change when I was saved. For the best! You see, when God comes to each of us, we are convicted by our sin. We realize the judgment we face. It not only is separation from God, but face eternity in an awful place of misery, eternal confinement, and a haunting memory of what could have been. This is where we start, a realization of judgment. But God tells us we don’t have to remain in this state. He provides a way for mankind to escape this judgment by sending His Son to save us. This is what Jesus told Nicodemus, “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” Think about this statement, “He who believes is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already.” It is so refreshing. It is also so simple too. Do one or receive the other. Mankind still fights this battle daily. But why?
I have to go back to my earlier statement about mankind not understanding God. He doesn’t understand perfect love and salvation. I know I didn’t. When I said earlier that some believe God is trying to make us something other than we are, it is a true statement. It is the context that they miss. God does want to change us into something. We just don’t understand what that means. We miss the context because of the fear. The fear of the unknown. I didn’t realize that when God saved me, I would become something different: better, happier, more at peace, and fulfilled. You see, these things I didn’t understand were even missing from my life. I was lost. When Christ saved me, He changed almost everything about me, but He left my body and mind. He did this so I would continue to depend on Him each and every day. To daily deliver me from my greatest enemy and lies underneath my skull, my brain. It still fights for its right daily. Thanks be to God that the Holy Spirit and His new nature within me fights against it. Today trust Jesus Christ as your Savior and enter the unknown. It is worth your present life and your eternity! Move from judgment to salvation. You won’t regret it!