| For our benefit (John 12:47-50) |
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Left to our own tendencies we're likely to destroy ourselves. One excuse for not following Christ is the attraction to our lifestyle -- we don't want to "give up" certain aspects of our life. The reality is that "our way" more often leads to frustration or destruction.
14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death.
After Jesus' "triumphal" entry into Jerusalem, many people were following him because of the miracles he had performed. Of those, some believed, but many still did not. Jesus had this response:
12:47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
Jesus came for our benefit -- to "save" us or to restore us to the intended relationship with God. If we pay attention and live by what he has said, we benefit. He did not come to deprive us of life but to provide us with life -- abundantly (John 10:10). At the close of his "sermon on the mount" in Matthew 7, he gives the analogy of two builders. The wise builder is portrayed as someone who follows the teachings of Christ. The foolish builder ignores Christ. Both encounter the storms of life, but the wise builder is able to withstand those storms. God knows what is best for us. His pattern for living and the gift of Christ through which it comes is for our benefit. In John 12, Jesus follows with these words: 12:50 I know that his [God's] command leads to eternal life. John 12:50a NIV
There will come a time when we will face the consequences of our lifestyle or in our rejection of Jesus Christ (John 12:48), but that was not why Jesus came as one of us. He came to save -- he came for our benefit.
As we reach out to others with the good news of Christ, our focus needs to be for their benefit as well -- not a focus on judgement. People we encounter certainly need to grasp the ultimate consequence of their decisions, but we should love them first. Allowing Christ to love them through us will put him on display in a way that provides the opportunity for them to see and hopefully believe in him. Reach out to love, not to judge. |
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