Friday, June 12, 2015

"JUDGE THE WORLD!"

John 3:16-18                            (NASB)
"“For GOD so loved the world, that HE gave HIS only begotten SON, that whoever believes in HIM shall not perish, but have eternal life. “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."



It maybe the most memorized verse in the entire Bible.  John 3:16 is SO full of life lessons one cannot begin listing them all in one setting.  Yesterday afternoon I saw this verse on a plaque hanging in my own office, and it had been hanging up there for months!  While reading the plaque my attention was drawn to John 3:17 "For GOD did not send the SON into the world to "JUDGE THE WORLD", but that the world might be saved through HIM"!

Judging is so "natural" for us to do!  The enemy, the "natural" one himself (1 Corinthians 2:14), displays his craftiness by trying to make it seem as though we actually care for the people we are judging!  But when we realize that, according to the very words of JESUS, HE wasn't sent to "JUDGE THE WORLD" but to SAVE it causes me to understand that if my desire is to be like HIM, then I must be about the same focus!  GOD is quite capable of judging without my help.  

John 3:17 begins with "For GOD did not send the SON into the world to "JUDGE THE WORLD"...  If GOD sent HIS only begotten SON and that SON was not given the authority to judge, what makes me think HE has given that authority to me?  We humans are Created as fallible beings.  We were not Created to be without sin.  An imperfect people worshipping a "perfect" GOD is what we were Created to be.  GOD not only sent HIS SON for a purpose, HE sent you and me for a purpose!  And it was NOT to "JUDGE THE WORLD"!

The Rev. Billy Graham once said "It is the Holy Spirit's job to convict, GOD's JOB TO JUDGE and my job to love!"  GOD is love (John 3:16; 1 John 4:8...) and if I desire to be like HIM then I must love also!  We will not be content trying to be something other than what GOD has Created us for.  LORD, cause me to be more like YOU and realize that I was not Created to "JUDGE THE WORLD", but to love the world!  

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