How do you view the world? Do you see it as black or white, right or wrong, good or bad? Does your view include gray areas, degrees of right and wrong, the possibility of best, good, not good, bad, worst? How do those views apply to your view of Jesus?
We often use gradients to describe the variations between good and bad. We have a scale in our minds between 1 and 10, with 1 being the worst and 10 being the best. We are used to grading or judging things based on that scale. We apply it nearly every aspect of our lives.
We are told that Jesus did not come into the world to condemn it. We are also told that He is the judge. So, how do we interpret that? He can be both the judge and have the desire to save. The purpose behind Jesus stepping into His creation is to save it. He didn’t come to save part of it but all of it. He came to redeem the world, a world that was disobedient.
Just because that was the purpose for Jesus coming into the world does not mean that all will accept His redeeming grace. That is where His judgment comes in. He came to offer Himself to bring all of creation back into a right relationship with God. It was a selfless act. It was a righteous act. It was God’s grace on display in the most obvious way.
All of creation has a choice. We can accept God’s grace by accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior or we can reject Him. There is no gray area. There are no conditions set. It is not for a select few. It is for all. When we accept Him, we are saved. Our sins are forgiven, both past and future. The offer has been made. Will we accept it or reject it? The choice is ours.
I pray we all know that Jesus came into the world to save it. I pray we know He is the judge. I pray each one of us will accept God’s gracious offer of salvation. Jesus came to save rather than condemn. Jesus is judge. Jesus is Savior. Accept God’s gracious offer. Accept salvation.
John 3:17 “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
Marty Pressey 