God always infuses judgment with hope.
The Scriptures are full of warnings of judgment and calls to repentance. From the fall and flood in early Genesis to the various judgments of Revelation, we see God judging sin. These stories of judgment and the warnings of its coming can weigh heavily on us in a world affected by the fall. But God never offers bare judgment. He always offers the glimmer of hope with the judgment.
One way God does this is by offering the lifeline of repentance. The call to repentance is the subtext of the warnings of judgment. And the stories of judgment encourage us to repent so we can avoid judgment. God reveals judgment not to paralyze us with fear, but to encourage us to action and repentance.
Another way that God infuses hope in judgment is to show us His purpose and what comes on the other side. God uses judgment to purify His people as He draws us to the repentance mentioned above. When we repent, God offers restoration and joy on the other side of judgment. Indeed, judgment is painful, and in that pain we feel its weight. But it is also purifying, and in that refining we find its hope.
So don’t avoid God’s messages of judgment; see the hope, and immerse yourself in it. God isn’t out to destroy us; He’s out to save us. That salvation comes through repentance and restoration, the objects of God’s hope-infused judgment. –Pastor Rory
Sunday at Liberty
9AM: BTH–John Chrysostom–2 Timothy 4:2
10AM: Pastor Rory–God Restores–Amos 9:11-15 (sermon notes)
No Evening Gathering
Leave a Reply