Category: judgment

I won’t be able to write for quite a while as Susan and I are to leave for Africa Sunday. We cherish your prayers as we take a group from school to work with missionaries serving children in Namibia. Some think you deserve accolades for going on mission trips… I’m not so sure. Those who offer their lives for the cause of Christ receive God’s encouragement no matter where they are. Our relationship with Him is what is most important.

Jesus gave blunt warnings for those who said they represented God, but lacked humility… and a relationship with the Father: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice the son of hell as you are.” Matthew 23:13-15

How does one avoid such rebukes? Jesus first says, “You’ve got to come to Me.” We would rather go on an adventure… or do something heroic. But Jesus says, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” It takes humility to come to Jesus.

He does not hesitate to ask piercing questions to those who say they are serious. “Are you finished with sin? You know what is right and wrong… are you determined to quit the things that are wrong? I’ll give you grace, but you must make a decision to turn from sin. Unless you repent, you can’t follow Me.”

“Lord, I don’t want to sin. I know my sin put you on the Cross. I know you have saved me. I want to be in your will.”

“Okay, if you want to be complete, put the thing most dear to your heart on the altar and give up control. Offer Me your body, your reputation, your possessions, everything you treasure and everything you are. Whatever I tell you to do, obey. Trust Me completely and follow in My footsteps.”

In the end, those who say ‘yes’ to Jesus’ most challenging words never regret it.

“Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your act of spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2

I guess when you name names you risk getting in trouble. Joe and Perry had problems with my age descriptions. Joe doesn’t consider himself old and Perry denies being my age… he’s two days younger. But disagreements from others seem more serious and, once again, I know God is calling me to change. Having received similar compliments (or accusations) Shane, speaking for himself, his friends, Rob and Nick, and others like them, wrote this: “I think if what we are doing seems radical, then that says more about the apathy of Western Christianity than about the true nature of our discipleship. And that is why ‘radical’ has to be coupled with ‘ordinary.’ (Ordinary does not mean normal, and I lament the dreadful seduction which has resulted in Christians becoming so normal.) Our way of life was typical in the days of the early Jesus movement. We are like the Marys and Marthas, and Peter’s family – houses of hospitality, which was the standard call of the early Christians, who abandoned their personal possessions to a new family. This is to say nothing of the countless others who gave up everything and left their homes with no money or food or even sandals to follow Jesus. Christendom seems very unprepared for people who take the gospel that seriously.” (from IRRESISTIBLE REVOLUTION p. 130 and p. 20)

The truth is there are scores of men and women around the world who take the gospel just as seriously as the early believers. Read some of the stories from parts of China and India and you’ll begin to wonder about God’s perspective as He looks down upon the nations. Are those who have every opportunity and every luxury known to man, but are so distracted with ‘stuff’ that they can’t focus on the Kingdom, really better off than the poor, uneducated believers who only have Jesus and know that they must share Him with others before it is too late? Oh to see with God’s eyes…

But I was most disturbed that the Radical we worship disagreed with my remark that He brought peace. “I have come to bring fire on the earth… Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three.” (Luke 12:49-52)

What kind of statement is this from the One we call the Prince of Peace? Jesus knew most would reject his radical message. And the ones most likely to reject Him are the ones who have the ‘stuff’ on earth to lose… power, position, wealth, reputation, possessions… It was true in the first century and is no less true today. His message does not target the exterior… it addresses the heart of man. But Jesus knew his words would pierce so deep that one would be forced to choose… self or God? … this world or an invisible Kingdom? … tangible wealth or hidden treasure?… pride or humility? The One who searches the mind of every person is accustomed to man’s attempts to ‘justify self’ or ‘explain away’ His words to make them basically meaningless. So today, two thousand years after He walked the earth, I think His message to us would be the same as when He returned from forty days in the wilderness: “From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.’”

“‘For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.’ Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, ‘What? Are we blind too?’ Jesus said, ‘If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.’” John 9:39-41

“You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:17-19

Some may think what is written today conflicts with the message of God’s love, but it does not. When three-year-old John is at our house, something could happen that might not look like love. If John walks into the road without permission, he will receive swift and intense pain. I want the ‘fear of Dana’ to keep this little boy far away from a dangerous step. Is such an attitude meanness… or love?

At risk of being labeled crazy, I want to share three occasions when I faced unique moments of fear (I won’t include many stories from foreign lands 🙂 ).

1. More than eight years ago (before cancer), I was praying in my bedroom and felt God impress something on my heart that made me tremble: “Jesus is coming back soon and most people aren’t prepared.”
2. More than seven years ago, at the doctor’s office, after asking what would happen if I chose not to do anything about the cancer just discovered in my blood, I was told: “You might have three months to live.”
3. In the middle of a sleepless night of an early round of chemo, I could not breathe. I was on our sofa downstairs and it was as if some evil presence was smothering me. I was not hallucinating; I really thought I was going to suffocate. I could barely whisper, “Jesus,” and when I did, the presence left and I was able to breathe again. (Do you think I’m crazy?)

Now of these three experiences, which do you think brought most fear? The answer is #1. Fear of death, fear of evil, fear of the Lord… no comparison.

We may think, “But if we talk about ‘fearing God’ people will be scared away from Him. Shouldn’t we just talk about His love and kindness?” Paul wrote, “Consider the kindness and severity of God.” Jesus said, “I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you who to fear: fear the One who after He has killed has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!” Why would Jesus, who knew God better than anyone, and who described Him as the Father who ran to forgive and restore the prodigal, tell people to fear Him? Such a question is not difficult to answer; Jesus knew the “fear of the Lord” was “the beginning of knowledge” and “the beginning of wisdom.” He knows God’s “mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation,” and He knows “the Lord delights in those who fear Him.”

So where’s the “fear of the Lord” in my generation? Where’s the “fear of the Lord” in my children’s generation? Has a misunderstanding of perfect love made “living in the fear of the Lord” (a description of the early church) incomprehensible? Oswald Chambers wrote: “Beware of the pleasant view of the Fatherhood of God – God is so kind and loving that of course He will forgive us. That sentiment has no place whatever in the New Testament. The only ground on which God can forgive us is the tremendous tragedy of the Cross of Christ…” (from “My Utmost For His Highest” – Nov. 20) The Cross is the place where the humble can receive the unfailing love of God… and the place where we can understand the fear of the Lord. If you saw Mel Gibson’s film, “The Passion,” you were shocked (and perhaps sickened) with the torture Jesus endured… the beating, the humiliation, the crucifixion. If indeed Jesus had to die, why did His death have to be so horrible? Because of sin – your sin, my sin, the sins of the world…

Sin ruins, destroys, damns, and separates us from the loving Father. No wonder it brings God’s wrath. From Paul’: “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things (sexual immorality, any kind of impurity, greed) God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.” God hates sin no less today than when the punishment fell on His innocent Son. Does this not bring fear… and praise? “My sin – O the bliss of this glorious thought: My sin, not in part but whole, is nailed to the Cross and I bear it no more, praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul.” From Peter: “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed.” “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives…”

From God: “They shall be My people, and I will be their God; and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good, and for the good of their children after them. And I will make an everlasting covenant that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so they will not turn away from Me.” Jeremiah 32:38-40

About eight years ago, a friend had some pretty serious health concerns. He was hospitalized for a few days and I remember going to his room to pray that God would heal him. A thought came to mind recently after I saw this friend and noticed his good health. If an all-knowing Jesus had come into that hospital room eight years ago, he could have said, “Dana, the condition of the friend you are praying for is not as serious at it seems. He’s going to be OK, but I am going to tell you something about yourself. The pain you’ve been experiencing the past couple of months is not muscle pain. You have cancer and you’re soon going to begin a long battle with a life-threatening disease.”

One of the truths that should keep us humble on this earth is the fact that we really don’t know too much. This ought to affect the way we think, talk, and live. James warned about boasting, “Tomorrow we’ll do this or that.” We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, so we should say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will do this or that.” Leaving God out of our discussions leads to bragging and James calls this evil.

To keep from making improper judgment, we must admit we don’t know the hearts or circumstances of others. A casual observer watching two men pray on the temple steps might have made this evaluation: Person A is religious; person B is not. Person A is a pillar of society; person B is a thief. Person A really knows how to pray; person B is floundering. But Jesus gave God’s evaluation: Person B went home justified; person A did not.

More humbling is the admission that we don’t even know our own selves as well as we think we do. As a sinful woman washed the feet of Jesus with tears and anointed her Savior with perfume, a religious man thought: “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is – that she is a sinner.” The truth was ‘this man’ was more than a prophet and the conclusion he shared with the Pharisee was stunning: “Simon, she loves me much more than you do.” (see Luke 7:36-50)

Would you rather walk in reality or in a façade? Would you rather know the truth or stay in the dark? Would you rather be confident in your own mind or be vulnerable before your Creator? Could God not bring each one of us revelation at any moment that would shake us to the core? Perhaps out of his mercy he keeps much from us, but the older I get the more I’d like to walk in reality. If things aren’t right on my team, I would rather problems be exposed than to coach in ignorance. If things aren’t right in my home, I’d rather know the truth so I could ask for God’s wisdom to be a better husband and father. And if things aren’t right in my heart, I want to be convicted so I can confess my sin, receive forgiveness, and walk in the Light. May this truth always keep us humble before our Heavenly Father: “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

“O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit down and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord… Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:1-4, 23-24

About the only station I can pick up in the ’84 Maxima is talk radio. While many of the views expressed by conservative spokesmen are logical and right, I’ve noticed that good positions don’t always equate with a Christ-like heart. I talked to my students about this tendency toward arrogance, sarcasm, and mercilessness… and then at different times during the week I found myself being arrogant, sarcastic, and merciless.

So this week I’ve been reading Jesus’ familiar warnings about judgment and attitudes. While we are to speak the truth, love must rule our hearts. And we must do more that just “talk the talk”… In the first chapter of Romans, after Paul reveals all types of wickedness that will eventually bring God’s wrath, he gives this stunning warning: “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?” (Rom 2:1-4)

One day I’m going to stand next in line to face God, the righteous Judge. As I watch Him execute perfect decisions for every person that has ever lived, this is what I’ll probably think: “He’s treating people like they treated others while they lived on earth! Oh no… Was I kind? Was I merciful? Did I forgive others?”

“Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners’, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:31-38