Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©
Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."
(John 9:39 (NIV))
If Jesus states that this is why He first came, what do you think it will be like when He returns?
Too many people simply claim that Jesus is love, and they are correct. However, they have a distorted understanding of love. Love is not complete acceptance of sin. Love is desiring the best for those you love, and if that means what we call tough love must be administered, then love is not always acceptance.
Love can mean judgment, and to be honest with you, humanity does not like judgment!
Even though we may not like judgment, it can come in two forms. We have a choice to make as to which form we will see in our lives. The first is correction and teaching of what is right and wrong. The second is a punishment for not obeying the correction and teaching. All that you have to do is think back on your childhood for clarification. The first time that you did something wrong, were you punished or were you taught that it was wrong and that you shouldn't do it again? What happened if you did it again?
Even though it is overly simplified, the concept applies to Jesus. When He walked the earth, He corrected and taught what we should do. He did this out of love, for He does not wish for any to perish. He did not wish for any to face judgment.
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. 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. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
(John 3:16-21 (NIV))
Sadly, too many people stop at this passage and never go any further. They never come to a complete understanding of why Jesus came into the world.
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."
(Luke 19:10 (NIV))
This passage implies that there will still be lost people. They are the ones who will not accept fully what Jesus came to do. They will only see Jesus as love and then continue in their sin. They will ignore the judgment.
Why do so many ignore judgment?
Copyright 1998 - 2024 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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