“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NLT)
Some would have you believe that God’s main concern is the sin in people’s lives. To them, He is judge and accuser, and as a result, they become judgmental and critical against others.
But God’s main concern is relationship, not judgment. He sent Jesus “not to judge the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17, NLT). Jesus came to give us the chance to have a relationship with God!
As Christians, we have to make sure that our main concern lines up with God’s. I’m not saying that we ignore or condone sin. However, how we address sin has to reflect God’s main concern. Instead of being judgmental and accusatory, we can approach the topic of sin from a protection standpoint. You see, God created principles and commandments in His Word to protect us from harm.
If you choose to follow Jesus, your relationship with God is secure. And earning God’s love is not the issue. God loves everyone—Christian or not. Our verse today says He loved the world before Jesus died, which means He loved a world filled with non-Christians. And it doesn’t say that He only loved the “good” people of the world.
As Christians, let’s make sure we pass that love along to everyone in our world. Let’s love people the way they are, accept them no matter where they are on their journey, and forgive them quickly when they hurt us.
In fact, I’m also challenging you to love yourself. After all, if God loves you, as imperfect as you know you are, maybe it’s time you began to see yourself through His eyes.
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