"But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction." Psalms 1:4-6
I read somewhere recently the suggestion to go through Psalms and write down what you learn about God in each one. I've never done that before, so I'm giving it a shot. Today, I read Psalm 1, and I learned that God separates the godly from the wicked. He sees them differently, and he treats them differently. This idea was expanded in the other passage I read for the day from John 3.
"Jesus replied, 'I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit... God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.'" John 3:5,17-18
Between these two passages, I learned that God separates the godly from the wicked, and has very specific conditions that need to be met in order to be considered "godly". Those are:
- Believe in God's Son, Jesus, through whom we have salvation.
- Be born again
If someone meets those requirements, there is no judgment against them--which I find to be a remarkable statement--and the Lord watches over their path. However, if anyone doesn't believe in Jesus, they have already been judged for their unbelief. They have been judged, they will be judged, and their path will end in destruction. This is both a warning for those who don't believe, and a sobering reminder for those of us who are responsible for sharing the truth with those who have not heard it. It tells us what is at stake, and helps to explain the state of our culture, especially in the United States.
In our culture, many people have refused to believe in Jesus and God, and their lives lack all true peace, joy, and hope. Depression, suicide, wickedness, selfishness, apathy, and mental health illness are all on the rise. See the way the book of Romans describes the lives of unbelievers, and the consequences that have resulted because of their unbelief:
"But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like.
As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.
So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired.
As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.
That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires.
Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.
Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.
Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too." Romans 1:18-32
This passage describes the progression of a life full of death. First, God reveals himself, but people refuse to acknowledge him. Then, they replace him with worthless things. So, God abandons them to do what they wish. This results in sins and shameful acts that carry with them natural consequences, which God allows them to experience. And, with them continuing to refuse God's authority, they live lives that are full of wickedness, and empty of God. They still have God's law written on their hearts (otherwise known as morality - see Romans 2:15), yet they do not obey it. As a result of all of this, they experience a taste of death even while they live. This is the judgment that unbelievers experience while in this life.
However, their judgment is not final--not yet. While their lives on this earth continue, there is still opportunity for them to turn to God and experience the blessings of having him for them instead of having him against them. There is still time to abandon their sin, believe in Jesus, and have his blood wash them clean of their wickedness. On the other hand, if they instead continue as they are, a final judgment is coming, from which there is no escape.
What a contrast this story is to the story of the believer! When someone acknowledges God, believes in Jesus, and abandons their life of sin, they are given a life that is so new that it is referred to as being "born again"! Jesus baptizes the believer in the Holy Spirit, which equips that person to be changed from the inside out on a daily basis. Every moment, the believer has access to God's counsel, his comfort, his correction, his peace, his joy, and his love. Everything God is, he offers to those who come to him. That constant access is a little taste of what eternity will be like in God's presence. And it is the exact opposite of the abandonment that is experienced by the unbeliever.
Thinking about these things this morning made me realize that believers are not the only ones in the world who are being given a taste of their eternity. Believers are experiencing new life, and it gives heaven a present reality for them that refreshes the soul and gives the heart hope for what is to come. Unbelievers, on the other hand, are experiencing death and decay in their hearts on a daily basis. Their only hope is that things will one day get better for them. But the reality is, they are simply experiencing the eternity they are destined for: an existence without God.
I don't know about you, but for me, this reflection has given me a fresh compassion for those who are perishing, and a fresh perspective for what they are truly experiencing in their daily lives. Our motivation for sharing the Gospel with people is often to save them from the hell they are headed for, but what about the hell they are living in now? If we only think about their eternity, we get to excuse ourselves with the assurance that there's still time. But not only is more time not guaranteed, but we also need to keep in mind that every day we are experiencing a taste of our eternity, so are those around us. For better or worse, light or darkness, life or death. Every day they live without God is another day of hell. Yes, the actual hell will be worse, just like the actual heaven will be better. But let's not forget that the constant access we have to God's presence makes all the difference in being able to face another day on this dying earth. And for every day we give excuses, we are withholding that life from those around us.
Now I feel I understand better what "cold love" can look like, that Jesus referred to in Matthew 24:12. It's a love that stares a dying person in the face, has compassion for his condition, but passes by without offering the salvation that he needs. I always thought that "cold love" was something that was going to happen in the future. But now I have to ask myself, is that the character of the Church today? Cold love?
I also feel like I better understand what valuable weapons distraction and delay are in the hand of the Enemy. This brings to mind the passage from Luke 21, which, along with Matthew 24, is another account of Jesus warning his disciples about the end of ages:
“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:34-36 (emphasis mine).
I guess what I'm saying is that, if our love as a church has grown cold, that in itself is a sign of the coming of the end. And if the end is indeed nearer than we thought, it is all the more important to throw off all distractions and hinderances. They do not equip us to stand, to keep standing, and to still be standing when Jesus returns for us.
So what now? I can think of a couple of responses, depending on where each person is:
- If you are living in the present reality of a future death, respond by turning to God. Acknowledge his authority over your life, confess that Jesus is your only hope of salvation, and then ask him to save you. His sacrifice can cover over all the sinful and shameful things you've done in your life, and his resurrection is the promise of the life he has the authority to give to you in replacement. Once you've done that, connect with a church to learn more.
- If you are surrounded by those who are experiencing this taste of an eternity without God, and you hold the key to their life, but have been resisting the command of God to offer it, stop resisting. Repent of your delay, distraction, and dullness. Ask God to fill you with new power and boldness, and then go in his grace. Don't worry about what to say. Just like Peter and John did when they encountered the crippled beggar at the temple (see Acts 3:2-8), don't offer what you don't have. Just give them what they truly need.
- If you don't know what you're supposed to do--or if you're like me, and God has a different role for you in this story--pray. Ask for his direction on what to do with this information. For me, I am to pass it on to others, because I have been gifted with teaching. I am also praying for the unbelievers on my heart, begging God to send someone to do for them what he has called me away from doing. And I, too, am examining my heart for dullness, coldness, delay, and distraction. I encourage you to do the same.
Now, if you're a believer, and you've been convicted by the Holy Spirit, do not be afraid. Time may not be on your side, but God is.
"Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?" Romans 2:4
God's correction is kindness, and it is his kindness that changes us. So if you've discovered that you're off the path of obedience, I encourage you to turn around, and let his kindness lead you back to him. After all, for the believer, there is no judgment, and your life is a taste of a wonderful eternity to come.
