Fear No Fear

“For He does not afflict from His heart, nor grieve the sons of men” (Lamentations 3:33, MEV). God doesn’t want to hurt anyone, doesn’t want anyone to be damned, and doesn’t want anyone to die because He loves us so much. But we rebelled. Sin entered Creation. There is a price to pay for Sin. There is a place that was prepared for those who rebelled and refused to be in fellowship with God – but it wasn’t made for human beings (Matthew 25:41). God wanted us in fellowship with Him. God wanted us to never know death or sickness. None of that was the plan. The first two books of Genesis and the last two books of Revelation were the plan. That was the kind of life we were meant to have and that is the kind of life we will have. Why would ANYONE want to believe that in between those two experiences God decided He wanted to hurt us and bring bad things our way? If teachers tried to teach our children that way, they’d be charged with abuse. Parents who try to teach their kids that way ARE charged with abuse. God LOVES us. He will use any circumstances we are in to get a point across to us, but that is VERY DIFFERENT from bringing about those circumstances on purpose. God holds back judgment. God is merciful. God spends YEARS and YEARS trying to get people to turn around and come back to Him. He is NOT eager to punish or to see the consequences for our actions come upon us. That is NOT His deal. Yes, there are consequences. Yes, there is judgment. But God is resisting bringing them about as much as He can – He IS a just God – in order to save the most people. God hurts for us. God cries over us. God laments the necessity of judgment. But He IS righteous and He will not hold back judgment forever. We need to take advantage of the opportunity to repent and to preach repentance. We have the opportunity to get right with God and help other people get right with God. Don’t neglect it. God LOVES us. God WANTS to save us. We need to realize that in the end, we should want to be saved.