I came to know the Lord through reading the Bible. I was a sinner extraordinaire and reprobate and was not liked by society. I could see the look of hatred for me in the eyes of ordinary people on the street and I glared right back at them ready to beat them senseless if they looked at me too long. In essence I hated the society that hated me with equal, if not more, fervor.
The thing that enamored me as I read about Jesus Christ was that He was not filled with condemnation for me, rather by love and compassion. I read verses such as John 3:17 where He said: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” And John 8:15: “You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one.” And in John 12:47: “As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.”
Jesus didn’t glare at the reprobates of society; instead he wined and dined with sinners stating that He came as the Great Physician to attend to the sick. He said in Mark 2:17: “On hearing this, Jesus said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'” He said in Matt. 9:13: “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” The Apostle Paul got this loud and clear as amplified by his statement in 1 Tim. “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners–of whom I am the worst.”
As a chief sinner myself I got the message of hope and salvation offered by Jesus loud and clear when I read the Bible. I had never gotten that from religion and religious people. All I had received was looks of disgust and condemnation and the chances of me finding salvation through them was zero.
Recently I received an e-mail from someone who is dear friends with a homosexual. She was concerned about this man’s salvation and asked a religious leader in her church what would become of him. He told her that since this person had lived in sin with his partner for 33 years and would not change, obviously he was not born again and was doomed to hell and eternal damnation.
Hmmm… I’ve had anger problems all of my life and I’m 64. Anger is a sin and I have tried very hard to remove it far from my being, but sometimes even now it overcomes me. Does that mean that since I have not changed that I’m eternally damned?
It may be an interesting thought provoking question but it’s not ours to answer. That job is way above our pay scale my friends. If Jesus Christ did not come into this world to judge anyone, what gives any of us the right to think that we should be in the judging business?
There is a great lesson to be learned here. God came to SAVE the world and not condemn it; we should emulate Him. When the Pharisees wanted to stone the woman caught in the act of adultery, Jesus told them that whoever was without sin should throw the first stone. They all left beginning with the eldest until there was no one left.
The problem with some of those who think they are so righteous that they should judge and condemn someone else is that they fail to see the sin within their own lives. The Bible states that we all sin and are guilty but in John 3:16 states: “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.”
I had a WFTD reader write me yesterday and tell me she was a homosexual and had been involved in a relationship for thirty plus years. She is a recovering addict, and states that since being in AA she is more spiritual and much more accepting of people. She has recently read my book and is trying to stay sober and to stay close to God. She is disgusted with organized religion because she is condemned by it. In our communications I told her that my personal belief system is that followers of Christ can love the sinner and hate the sin. I hate the sin in my own life and I hate the sin in her life, but the Bible tells me to first love God and second my neighbor and I don’t condemn her and couldn’t without condemning myself for my own sins.
“Nuff” said.
So the big Weiner roast that is going on nationally for Anthony Weiner’s missteps? He is cocky, arrogant, full of pride, a loud mouth, and his liberal politics are anathema to most people, and now he is being ridiculed nationally. Jon Stewart typified the reaction when he addressed the issue of Weiner apologizing to Bill Clinton (of all people), for behaving in a sexually inappropriate manner to all those women. Stewart exclaimed:
“ARE YOU KIDDING ME? HE APOLOGIZED TO BILL CLINTON?
FOR WHAT?
COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT????
I admit that I thought that was hilariously funny and clever, but as I thought about this man being ridiculed all over the world, I envisioned Jesus sadly shaking His head.
I don’t like Weiner’s political views; I don’t like his cocky, arrogant, loudmouth, New York rude demeanor; and I don’t like the fact that he holds one of the highest offices in the land and makes a mockery of it worldwide, but I don’t like to see he and his wife’s lives utterly destroyed. It reminds me of the Romans watching (strictly for their amusement) blood being spilled in the coliseum and roaring their approval. It is not the way of the Christian.
God loves us and His offer of salvation is real.
Take advantage of it while you can, because when Christ returns to this earth the next time it will be expressly for the purpose of judgment and the time to turn to Him (and the period of grace in which we currently live) will have passed.
And if you are among those who think God is all about love and no vengeance, all one has to do is read the account of Noah to understand what that will mean. Remember that the entire world was destroyed in the flood with the lone exception of Noah and his family. God is a loving God, but He is also a Holy and righteous God who despises sin and He has made no bones about punishing it. Mal.4:1 “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the LORD Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them.”.
The only thing that can save us from our sins, (present or past), and God’s judgment and His fierce wrath and punishment will be the precious blood of His Son Jesus Christ. When He looks upon someone bathed in it, He will remember their sins no more. Just as during the Passover in Egypt when the avenging angels passed over the homes with the door posts covered with the lamb’s blood and spared the first born, those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior will be wonderfully spared the punishment that Jesus endured on the cross on our behalves and instead we will be welcomed into heaven to dine with our Savior.
I think this might be a good place to stop. Have a great weekend and go to church this Sunday!
Luke 6:23
“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven.”