To Save not to Condemn

Having spent my whole life in the ministry, I've heard lots of questions from people about lots of different things. Some of the most unusual and unexpected questions have been about cycling. Yes, cycling. I know it sounds strange, but once I became an avid cyclist, all of a sudden everyone else in my congregation who had an interest in cycling seemed to view me as an expert. I'm not, but their questions led to a lot of fascinating conversations about a subject I'm passionate about (cycling, not theology, even though I'm passionate about that too!).

One of the most common questions that has been asked of me through 35 years of ministry goes something like this. "What about the person who never heard about Jesus? Do they go to hell just because no one ever told them about Jesus?" It's an honest question I've heard time and time again that expresses genuine concern for the lost and an honest inquiry about God's justice. And it's addressed directly by both Jesus and John in John chapter 3.

The error behind this question is exposed by Jesus' words in John 3:17: "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." Jesus came as a means of salvation, not condemnation. This common question, however, makes it sound as though people could be saved without Jesus, but once Jesus came they would be lost if they did not trust in him. The error lies in thinking that a person's "default" position is to be right with God. WRONG!

In verse 18 Jesus says: "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." The key word here is the word "already." It comes out of the tense of the verb "condemned," which is in the perfect tense, describing ongoing past action. Thus, a person who does not trust in Jesus is already under condemnation and remains in that state apart from Jesus. Why? Because of his sin.

The reality is that everyone of us is born condemned because we are sinful by birth and nature. And this plays itself out in the lives of every human being "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Thus, the "default" position for everyone of us is condemnation. Without Jesus we perish because "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). All of us, without exception, are "by nature objects of [God's] wrath (Ephesians 2:3). And if we are condemned by God we get what we deserve.

John reveals the same truth in John 3:36: "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." Here, John uses the word "remains" to express the fact that we are by nature objects of wrath, and that unless we put our trust in Jesus, we remain in the "default" position of condemnation. God's rightful anger over our sin continues to rest upon us.

This is so important for us to understand. Apart from Jesus ALL will perish! Why? Because they didn't hear about Jesus? NO! Because that is what we all deserve. This is what everyone of us has earned. It is our "just deserts." But thank God, he has done everything necessary to save us from our "just deserts." He sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save the world through him, so that anyone and everyone, without exception, who puts their faith in him will be saved, not condemned as they deserve.

Have you heard of the new TV series, "Undercover Boss"? I haven't seen it but I understand it's a big hit. To most people the thought of the boss going "undercover" is a frightening one. Their fear is that he would be spying on them to catch them doing something wrong so that he could fire them. (In fact, that's exactly how a lot of people think about God.)

That's not the concept of "Undercover Boss" at all. Instead, the boss is going undercover to find out what it's like to do the job of an ordinary worker in the company and to find out how to make their job easier and their life better. It's a tiny little bit like what Jesus did. In his case the "Boss" went undercover, became a real human being and lived among us, not to catch us doing wrong so that he could condemn us, but instead to do our job for us... to live the perfect life we couldn't live, and to pay the debt for our sins that we couldn't pay, so that we could be saved. What Jesus did is greater than anything any other "Undercover Boss" could ever do. He saved us. Which is exactly why God sent his Son, not to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Thank God!