Don't Take It Personally
No one ever asked to be born. And no one wants to die yet this is where we find ourselves. Everyone who is born, is born a sinner because of the male human element. It is like a genetic disorder or a deadly virus. Through the Scriptures we learn of the wrath of God upon sin. Sin is dangerous because of the nature of God. He is unchangeable and He is eternal but He is not the problem. Our natural condition is sin. That is the problem. Someone has to be destroyed and it's not going to be God, the Unchangeable One. But please don't take it personally. It's not you.
When we compare ourselves with ourselves we rate pretty well. When we look at others we will always rank above the neighbors. We cannot see the invisible realm or the God of all things, so we look quite well. It is when we understand the “otherness” of God, His absolute righteousness, that we see our ruin and miserable state. But don't take it personally. It's not you. It is the entity or condition of sin that is the problem.
God does not blame anyone for being born. He does not blame anyone for being born a sinner, a human. A loving God does not fault anyone for being born with the “virus” of sin. This is where every one of us finds themelves, at first. Don't take it personally. It's not you.
This is the judgment [that is, the cause for indictment, the test by which people are judged, the basis for the sentence]: the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. (John 3:19 AMP)
The loving God has thrown a life preserver to those drowning in the ocean of sin. He has sent Jesus, God in the flesh, to effect a rescue mission. Tortured and dying in our place, He has worked eternal salvation for the helpless.
The Bible tells us that there is judgment unto condemnation and the reason that people are condemned is not because of sin! Jesus said, This is the judgment: People love their sin and will not come unto the Light. The drowning person will not take the life preserver that God graciously offers to dying people. (This is because of sin, but indirectly.)
Now you can take it personally because God takes it personally. Sin, which would have been the problem, is not the issue now. The sin issue has become The Son issue. The response of God to disobedience would have been a white-hot fire against all sin. A fire like the one that Moses saw that burned the bush but never consumed it or made it go away (Ex 3:2). That was before Jesus' crucifixion. Now, everything is different. It is much, much worse.
Today, the issue is not really sin, directly. The question today is, Do you have the Son?
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)
We really do not have a much of a choice, Life or Death. Amazingly, most people will choose Death. What if I make a choice based upon fear? Fear, in the sense of dread of God's wrath, is not the most noble of motivations. Ideally, we are suppose to see the kindness of God in offering forgiveness and turn to Him in gratitude. But turning to Him for any reason is valid.
When you see the wrath of God upon sin, don't take it personally. Of course, you have hurt God's feelings when you do not regard His intentions for us. When you see the great price God paid to redeem you in Christ, you must take that personally. God does.
Dec. 8, 2024