Jesus Came To Save, Not Condemn, John 3:17

Since Buddy is now fifteen, he gets more leniency for bad behavior.

Who am I trying to kid? Buddy was mistreated by his prior owner’s husband for three years. I’ve always been lenient with Buddy as a result.

Buddy knows that he has me (and my parents) wrapped around his little paws.

When I first got saved, born again, I was exuberant that God loved me and proved He was real and not a wished for fairy tale. Not being raised Christian, I had no idea that the Holy Spirit would enter my body and give life to my dead spirit. After my salvation experiment, my focus was on Jesus and how wonderful He is.

I didn’t have to try to evangelize. People would ask me, “Why are you so happy?” and I’d tell them how Jesus changed my life.

Then legalism entered and stole my sparkle.

I heard two bad sermons on Christian radio in one week, basically both saying that you had to work hard to earn more rewards in heaven, to sit at the table with Jesus or enter a higher level of heaven.

I knew better. My first Bible lessons were a personal in depth study of the Books of Galatians and Ephesians. The Apostle Paul rebuked the church in Galatia because legalisms from Jerusalem had confused them about God’s grace, so they were mixing law with the gospel of grace.

In other words, the work of Jesus on the Cross was not “finished” (John 3:20), but that I had to work harder to please God. Even though Jesus had already fulfilled the Law (God’s standard of holiness, Matthew 5:17) on my behalf to declare me righteous and holy in God’s sight (Jude 1:24).

I no longer felt joyful because my focus zeroed in on what I was doing for God and whether I was measuring up to the “Christian standard.” I took my eyes off Jesus and His finished work on the Cross.

My focus was on puny me and not my Savior.

I was worried God would “discipline me” if I veer off track. I lived under the shadow of a God ready to hammer me if I got out of line. And not resting in the loving care of a Shepherd Who protects His sheep (John 10:1-16).

How can a person feel happy if they’re always worried about measuring up?

Especially if the One judging me sees everything I say, think and do, being God?

In this sad world of scared and depressed people, the best testimony is a happy Christian who trusts in the Lord’s loving protection and isn’t worried.

Finally, the words and true heart of Jesus finally pushed me off the hamster wheel of trying to please God through my works, by trying hard enough. In John 3:17, Jesus said:

“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”

We’re living in a time of grace. Jesus is focusing on saving souls and gathering them into His kingdom, not condemning them. It’s why He was gracious to the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, who was divorced five times and, consequently, living unmarried with a man (John 4:17-18). Who showed kindness to an adulteress and prevented her from being stoned by the religious leaders for her sin (John 8:4-11). And permitted a former prostitute to wash His feet with her tears of repentance and “anoint them with perfume” (Luke 7:36-50).

Last month a young woman on the Internet was blaspheming the Lord, declaring that if He was real, why wasn’t He striking her down with a lightning bolt for her sin and defiance? I replied that He didn’t want to punish her, but wanted her to repent and come to know Him.

Jesus “did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them (Luke 9:56)”. He rebuked the Apostles James and John who wanted to command fire to rain down upon a village of Samaritans who wouldn’t “receive Him (Luke 9:53).”

So I’m sad when I hear popular preachers declare that God is bringing judgment against America, or Europe, or some other nation or person for their sins. The truth is, evil prevails because people reject the love of God and following Jesus, because they prefer the transitory pleasures of evil (John 3:19) or fear condemnation and exposure of their sin (John 3:20). Their refusal to trust God causes them to continue to engage in self destructive and selfish behavior.

That’s why it’s always best to focus on Jesus and not ourselves.

Judgment Day is coming for those who refuse to follow the Lord. The time of grace and the gathering of the lost sheep has a time limit. But we don’t know when that day is.

So let’s stop looking at God as “The Big Stick Guy,” eager to punish.

But as our “God Who so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16).”

The more I learn about how good, loving and kind God is, the more I understand how to be kind and loving.

Let’s tell people how much God loves them and wants to bring the lost sheep into His loving arms.

And wants to deliver them from their sins, which is causing themselves, others, and our society harm.

Now go out and sparkle with the joy of knowing God loves, and does not condemn, His children.

“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).”

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy.

***

Because we don’t know when Judgment Day is, it’s best not to ignore the Lord’s voice when He’s calling you to repent (Revelation 3:20).

“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 3:18).”

The name of the only begotten Son of God is Jesus, “Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23).”

You see, Jesus doesn’t want to bring punishment and judgment. He wants you to accept Him as your Lord and God, repent of your refusal to obey Him, and give you eternal life. But it’s your decision.

If you’re ready to become born again, please say the following prayer out loud (if you can):

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending Jesus to die for my sin and take my punishment on the Cross. Thank you for not wanting to punish me, but to save and love me. I call on Jesus Christ to be my Lord and Savior. Please forgive my sin. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I want to live for You. In the name of Jesus, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please read the Bible as it’s your spiritual food. Just as your body needs daily nourishment, so your soul needs daily food—soul food. I suggest starting with the Book of Matthew as it’s easy to understand.

Also, please join a Bible believing church or Bible study. And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I suggest these two ministries: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) and http://www.AndrewFarley.org. Both have apps, if that’s your preference. There are other godly ministries, but it’s easy to be misled by false teaching or legalism till you know the Bible fairly well.

Remember, God loves you. Focus on Jesus and His righteousness and love. Keep the focus off yourself and your works. Relax and let the Holy Spirit work through you.

May Buddy and I see you in heaven one day.

God bless you.

God bless you.

Helping family today.

Hoping you have a restful weekend.

God bless and much love from Dawn and Buddy.

Believing The Lie That You’re Not Enough, Genesis 3:5

When Buddy wants attention, he’ll sometimes head for the bag of paper shredding in my parents’ den and live it up by kicking shredded paper everywhere. I don’t want him to inhale any paper shavings, so I’ll interrupt his fun. But no matter how he misbehaves, he’s still the perfect dog for me. We have a great partnership.

I had planned a different topic tonight but felt the need to write something encouraging again. Yes, I’m going to squeeze more “juice” out of the Adam and Eve story. (Some claim it’s apple juice, but that claim cannot be confirmed.)

Adam and Eve were declared “very good (vs 1:31),” not only because humans were designed in “God’s image (vs 1:27),” but because they were perfect. Flawless. The very best of God’s creation. They were complete.

And God had created a beautiful world for them to live in, full of delicious foods and animal companions that they could speak to.

But they bought the devil’s lie that they were incomplete, that they didn’t measure up. That they could be more.

“For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”—Genesis 3:5

Adam and Eve didn’t accept themselves as created. There was something more and better that they could be, Satan said. They were inadequate as they were. They didn’t measure up. They needed to be wiser and more knowledgeable like God. They were blind to their true potential.

As you know, they disobeyed God by eating fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and fell from their glorious perfection. They became dead spiritually, when they were once alive and in perfect union with God in their spirits. They also began to age, when their bodies were created beautiful and magnificent.

By buying Satan’s lie, they became seriously flawed.

Modern Western culture, and sadly the church, is swallowing the bitter apple Satan offers: That they are not good enough.

Christians are declared, once accepting the blood sacrifice of Jesus to atone for their sins, “holy and blameless and beyond reproach (Colossians 1:22), and can “stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy (Jude 1:24).”

Even the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah, described our future cleansing from our sins by the one time sacrifice of Jesus in Isaiah 1:18: “Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.”

And King David of ancient Israel, who also prophesied about the coming Messiah, said in Psalm 103:12: “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgression from us.”

Yet many Christians confuse their spiritual condition (blameless and forgiven) with their lifelong process of sanctification. They feel dirty and undeserving before a holy God, rather than rejoicing they are a beloved child. They believe they need to earn the Father’s love by trying to be as perfect as possible, rather than resting in the finished work of Christ—Who already fulfilled the Law—that God already loves them perfectly, that His love doesn’t need to be earned by being “good enough.”

God knows we’re flawed beings, which is why Jesus had to come to save us from our own self destructive behavior.

And unbelievers cannot accept themselves either, as they were created. They wish they were another sex, another race, had a different metabolism or body shape, were smarter or had different skills or talents, etc.

They often accept the devil’s lies through another person or our culture that they are not lovable or acceptable unless they look a certain way, achieve certain goals or status, or health, or have certain talents and interests.

Instead of viewing their current sex, or race, or body type or intelligence or talent or physical appearance as a gift from a loving God who designed them to follow a particular path in life, they reject themselves for who they are.

If you discover as a child that you have one amazing skill—can play football, build things or dance—it’s pretty easy to find your life path.

But if you’re multi-talented, it can be a bit more difficult to figure out which path is the best one, or how to fit all the different pieces together.

Or it’s not so obvious, and a person needs to work a little harder to discover what they’re naturally gifted at.

Most often, I believe, it’s not that the person doesn’t know what they’re good at or naturally interested in, but they don’t believe that talent or skill is important or special enough.

I also believe that some of our interests are God-given. And Science is proving that we’re born introverts or extroverts, that our basic personality can only be modified so much (note the book, “Quiet, by Susan Cain). As David declares in Psalm 139:13-16, He lovingly creates us, even forming “our inward parts,” ie. our personality.

God made you in His image.

You are NOT an accident of the universe.

You were deliberately designed to be loved…

By an amazingly patient and loving God.

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

I viewed a short clip online by a young woman, tricked out in piercings and tattoos and risqué clothing, who commented that God wasn’t real because He wasn’t zapping her for being blasphemous.

I responded, “He isn’t punishing you because He loves you and wants you to repent and come into relationship with Him. He doesn’t want you to go to Hell.”

Jesus said in 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.”

We’re made in God’s image, but fall short of His glory spiritually because we’re born dead in our sins (Romans 3:23, Ephesians 2:1). He wants to give everyone the spiritual life we were designed to have, but don’t, because Adam and Eve decided to believe Satan’s words rather than His word.

If you realize you feel incomplete and acknowledge only Jesus can give new birth to your spirit, please pray the following:

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for loving me so much that You want to be in relationship with me. I realize that I need You in my life. I’m tired of feeling inadequate and not enough, because of other people’s criticism or my own self condemnation. I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please forgive my sins and wash me white as snow. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. Help me to stop believing the lies of my culture and other people by revealing to me how much You love me. May the Holy Spirit guide me into all truth. In the name of Your Son Jesus Christ, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible as it’s your soul food. Just as your body needs daily nourishment to be healthy, so your soul needs God’s holy word to be healthy. I suggest starting with the Book of Matthew as it’s easy to understand. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you as you read.

Also, please join a Bible believing church or Bible study. And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I suggest these godly ministries, in order of my personal preference: http://www.AndrewFarley.org and http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way). They also have apps, if that’s your preference. There are other godly ministries, but they can sometimes be legalistic and you need a firm foundation in the truth to recognize when law and grace are being mixed together.

May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.