“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17 Who doesn’t know John 3:16? Verse 17 is not so popular; however, I think it is so powerful as it states Jesus didn’t come to condemn us but to save us. A statement in another chapter of John really stood out at me recently. John 1:14 states that Jesus was full of grace and truth. It is no secret our world is polarized. We have those who are so full of “grace” that they accept everyone, overlook everything and stand for nothing. Their mantra is let’s not offend anyone because God is a God of grace and love. On the opposite extreme stands the legalist beating their Bible and pushing their religion down people’s throats because people MUST KNOW THE TRUTH! They judge others, are quick to point out faults and act in a self-righteous arrogant manner.
Which one is correct? Somehow Jesus models something radical – He was full of BOTH grace and truth. What does this mean? He didn’t water down the gospel. He didn’t sugar coat the truth or lower His standards but he didn’t come to condemn people. He came to save them. How does this work? When we share the unfiltered raw gospel message which tells people they are a sinner, what if that exposes their sins and make them feel a sense of guilt that makes us and them feel uncomfortable? If we teach God’s word and it highlights to someone that they are actually living in a way that is opposed to the standards of the Bible, we could get labeled as pushy or judgmental. It doesn’t bode well in our “politically correct” world. Shouldn’t we rather just love on them and keep what we believe to be the Truth to ourselves?
