John 3:16-18
“This is how much God loved the world:
He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one
need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and
lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely
to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came
to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is
acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the
death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s
failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to
him.
Scripture quotations
from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene
Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All
rights reserved.
Our nephew Nathan will be three in
August, and we recently started taking him to church with us. To be
honest, we didn’t feel we could manage all three children by ourselves
when Nathan was younger…particularly if we ate out after church. But
after a lot of prayer and consideration, I recently felt God suggest
that we make adjustments and come home after church with the children –
and maybe do a “take-out” lunch. So far, this has worked very well for
us.
Nowadays, I cannot imagine not including Nathan…in any
activity! So when Timothy and Zola take swim lessons next week, Nathan
will go along, and I will work with him on some swimming basics in
something of a “mini-lesson.” There are still a few things that one
child gets to do without the others, for a variety of reasons, but the
bottom line is that each child is loved equally. Each child has
feelings and needs…thoughts, ideas and opinions…and each child is
important and deserves to be included and acknowledged.
This is
not only my opinion…it is scriptural! God sent Jesus for all of us…and
Jesus taught us to love others as He loves us, which means we must
include everyone! The Bible tells us in John 3:16-18 that God sent His Only Son to live as a man and die on the cross for the sins of everyone.
Jesus’ love is for all people. Let me say that again in case it didn’t
soak into your soul…the love of Jesus Christ is for everyone…each of
us…ALL people!
We don’t get to pick and choose. We
can’t say, “Oh, he’s a Jew or a Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or atheist, so
Jesus surely doesn’t love him – and neither should I!” or “There
is no way that Jesus loves sexual predators, those who abuse children
and animals, murderers, and those who would behead others in the name of
their Christian faith! Surely we don’t have to pray for these people
and treat them with love and grace!” The truth is that we cannot pick
people who are “like us” to love and care about…and decide either that
all others are wrong, terribly flawed, or so deeply sinful that there is
no hope for them – so we are right to dismiss or disrespect them.
I
keep thinking about the young man who claims to have shot those nine
Christians in South Carolina. Why were there no bullets left in the
guns when he turned them on himself? Why was he unable to take his own
life? Could it be that God wants him to have another opportunity to
give his heart to Jesus? Wouldn’t this be the some semblance of
vindication and victory for the nine lives he cut short? Who will step
up to minister to him? I am praying that someone does!
I know I
am starting to sound like a broken record, but lately, I have heard so
many “Christians” make comments that were filled with judgment, fear,
and downright hatred for this person/group or that one. I am so
disheartened by this…and I know that God must be totally disgusted.
This is NOT what Jesus taught. Nowhere in scripture will you find where
God says that it is okay for us to be selective with regard to whom we
minister, which persons are deserving of our love and respect, or which
sinners merit a “pass” – and which ones should be condemned.
This
is dangerous territory…and God is not pleased when we take matters into
our own hands. We are all guilty of being judgmental and
discriminatory at one time and in one way or another. Each of us should
fall to our knees and ask God to forgive us. We all need to be asking
God daily to show us a “work-around,” if you will…a new way to look at
things and a new perspective on how we are treating each other. Just as
He showed me a way to include little Nathan in our family activities,
God will give each of us insights into how to be more loving – and
inclusive – in our daily living.
God loved us so much that He
sent Jesus. Does your treatment of others reflect your gratitude and
respect? Don’t you think it’s time you did?
©2015 Debbie Robus
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