The other day, I was having a conversation with my daughter about the importance of living out our faith in public while also staying relatable and relational in the process. She completely agreed, then we discussed the challenge it can sometimes be to do that well.
In the midst of that discussion, she described a friend of hers who struggles with that balance. As she described him to me she said that it's clear that he takes his faith seriously, which she certainly appreciates, but at the same time, he has a bad habit of making people feel awkward and condemned. Instead of engaging in friendly conversation, he over-spiritualizes things and doesn't hesitate to make sure others know that his beliefs are superior to theirs.
Even though it isn't his intention, he seems to be chasing people away from experiencing genuine faith in Christ, more so than he's inviting them to consider the benefits of following Him.
Have you ever met a well-intentioned believer who seemed to engage in some of the same practices as this young man? Do you think this is a struggle all believers wrestle with to some degree?
When the unbelieving world interacts with Christians who take their faith very seriously, it's not uncommon for them to fear experiencing a sense of condemnation. Right or wrong, I think that's what they've come to expect. Yet Jesus made a point to express a different perspective when He described the reason for which He was sent into this world.
In John 3:16, Jesus made it very clear that anyone who genuinely believes in Him will receive the gift of eternal life. Jesus said, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16). That statement is one of the most commonly quoted sentences from the entire Bible. In that sentence, Jesus explained that God genuinely loves the people of this world. He loves us so much that He sent His Son into the world to atone for our sin so that through faith in Him, we would live forever. That's a beautiful thing, and certainly something worth thinking long and hard about on a day like today.
But have you also considered the statement Jesus made immediately after explaining how the gift of salvation is obtained? Jesus said, "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." (John 3:17).
Jesus wasn't sent here to condemn us. That wasn't the mission of His incarnation. The action He took when taking on flesh was a rescue mission, not a mission of retribution. He offered to save us because we already stood condemned. We were already under the cloud of condemnation. We were already guilty of sin, steeped in shamefulness, and distant from our Creator.
When Jesus came to this earth, He came to take our condemnation upon Himself so that we will no longer remain under the wrath of God. Jesus said, "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." (John 3:18). We experience true liberty in its fullest sense when we trust in Jesus.
In my years as a pastor, I have been invited to spend time with people in some of their low moments and challenging circumstances. Often that has involved visiting prisons and other detention centers to have conversations and pray with those who have been condemned for various offenses. I will confess that those experiences have regularly caused conflicting emotions.
Some of those experiences have left me feeling depressed. It's depressing when someone chooses to live in a perpetual state of condemnation - when they're convinced there's no hope for them beyond their present circumstances. At the same time, it's uplifting to encounter those who once lived under a sense of condemnation, but now they've been spiritually liberated through an encounter with Jesus who has forgiven them and set them free.
A couple of nights ago, I heard my wife's voice call out to my son from the kitchen. She asked, "Daniel, how many peppermint patties have you eaten?" For context, I should let you know we were just given a large box of peppermint patties as a Christmas gift from a family friend.
My son confessed to my wife, "I think I eat one every time I walk into the kitchen." She replied, "Well, based on how many are left in the box, I think you'll only be able to make one more trip to the kitchen."
Hearing this, I felt a little bad because I knew how many of those candies I had eaten too. He was taking the blame, but my conscience was feeling condemned, so I confessed, "I too am guilty."
We laughed about it because the matter was inconsequential, but I can't help but wonder how many people live the bulk of their lives in this world under a cloud of condemnation because they hesitate to confess what's troubling their conscience. They forget Jesus came to save them because their mistaken belief is that He'd rather condemn them.
Christ's desire is to save and liberate us from condemnation. Sadly, many people reject this offer, largely because they prefer to embrace the darkness of this world. Jesus said, "And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil." (John 3:19).
Jesus, the light of God's holiness, came into this world. He came because He loves humanity, but does humanity love Him? What does mankind love? According to Jesus, apart from the intervention of the Holy Spirit, we love darkness. Our misplaced love is so destructive and counterintuitive, yet that's the state we were in when He came for us. He loved us, but we loved the dark.
In a strange way, that dilemma reminds me a lot of a girl I went to high school with. I could never understand why she would always date guys who treated her like garbage. As soon as one relationship would end, she'd barely take a pause, and would run after another one, only to be hurt and treated poorly again.
Her behavior used to frustrate and puzzle me. I watched it happen year after year, and in the end, it negatively impacted my view of her sense of discernment. But then I look at the words of Jesus in this passage, and I realize that my behavior, and the behavior of us all, must have looked even worse than a young person chasing after failed relationships. The darkness is trying to snuff out our lives, yet we keep chasing after it and showing it our affection. It hurts us, yet we love it. It's amazing to think that our discernment could be so faulty, but that was the state of humanity apart from Christ's intervention.
So now, in view of the light of Christ that has come into this world, we are presented with a choice. We can continue to embrace the darkness and live under condemnation, or we can embrace the light and have our condemnation removed. As Jesus explained, "For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (John 3:20-21).
There are two major ways to live our lives in this world. We either run from the light, or we run toward the light. If we're running from the light, we're demonstrating that we're fearful of our motives and actions being exposed. But if we're running toward the light, we're demonstrating that we're trusting in the work Jesus did on our behalf and relying on the power of God to carry out His work in our lives.
Have you ever considered the work God wants to do in your life? Jesus spoke of the opportunity for us to experience works that "have been carried out in God." Is that something you'd like to see the Lord accomplish in your life? Are you interested in Him doing something amazing and unexpected through you?
I grew up in an area where many of the people I knew didn't seem to expect anything amazing to happen in their life or through their life. It's an area that seems to have the cultural expectation that its best days are behind it, and that attitude can easily seep into the mindsets of those who live in the region. I wish that wasn't a common perspective of the area because I truly think the people and the region are lovely, but I have definitely noticed that pattern.
I'm not exempt from wrestling with that perspective as well, but the Lord provided a few people in my life during my formative years who would often challenge me not to adopt that mindset. One of those people was my Sunday School teacher. Her name was Jean Constantine, and I thought she was a lovely person. She was the same age as my grandmother, and she faithfully taught our class every single week.
I never wanted to disappoint her, but her words would often puzzle me because it was obvious that she saw me differently than I saw myself. At some of the lowest seasons of my childhood when I felt a genuine sense of discouragement and despair, she would make a point to tell me, "John, I don't know what God has planned for you, but I'm convinced He's going to do something amazing through your life." She told me that regularly, and she believed it long before I ever did.
And then I read the words Jesus spoke in John 3:21 where He said, "But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God." Do you believe God wants to carry out an amazing work in your life? Are you willing to depend on Him, welcome His help, and listen to His leading? Do you think He cares enough about your life to actually make a meaningful contribution in the world through you?
I'm convinced He cares because I believe what Jesus said and what Jesus did. Jesus said there are works, carried out in the power of God, that are done in and through the lives of those who trust in Him. He said it, I believe it, and I've seen Him do it.
I also believe this is true because of what Jesus did when He came to this earth to take on flesh. Why would He bother to go through such pain, shame, and humiliation on behalf of humanity if He wasn't going to facilitate amazing things in and through us as a result? He didn't just come to this earth to be observed, He came to redeem and transform. We were under condemnation, but through Him, we're set free. We were bound, but through Him, we're liberated.
This world misses the point of what Jesus came to do. It's their mistaken understanding that He came to condemn when really He came to save. Do you share His perspective and understanding of His mission? Are you ready to accept your part in His unfolding and ongoing efforts to save the lost?
““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” ”
