Not To Condemn The World

Not To Condemn The World

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

John 3:17

A father and mother don’t scold, spank, or punish their children because they want to see their children die. They discipline their children so that they won’t fall into the hands of the executioner later. In the same way, God doesn’t want us to run wild. He directs and disciplines us in order to restrain us and keep us from being punished. God wants to protect us and make us heirs in the kingdom of heaven.

God disciplines his chosen ones and even sends them many trials and troubles. When you find yourself thinking, “Oh, God is so angry with me,” then say to yourself, “I believe in you and in your Word. You won’t deceive me. Even if you send me many troubles, it’s not because you are condemning me. You will never throw me out. As Psalm 143:2 says, ‘Do not bring your servant into judgment,’ for you haven’t been sent to judge the world.” Even if God was to send plagues, don’t think that he wants to destroy everything. When the Corinthians behaved foolishly at the Lord’s Supper and God allowed many to become ill and die, Paul declared, “But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world”(1 Corinthians 11:31–32).

We should understand that God disciplines us so that we will be saved, not condemned. By disciplining us, he hopes to pull us back from the condemnation and judgment reserved for the world. He doesn’t want us to be judged along with the world. Christ didn’t come to judge. We shouldn’t look on him as an executioner. He isn’t angry. He doesn’t want to condemn us. Instead, Christ wants to help us.