God is a great and benevolent King who delights to bestow on his repentant subjects all the glories of his peaceful kingdom.
People commonly think of the gospel as the message that saves individuals. But the gospel focuses both on individuals and the entire created universe. The gospel encompasses everything.
At the macro level, the gospel is all about the kingdom of God. Matthew 4:23 says Jesus “went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people” (ESV). Pay attention to that phrase “the gospel of the kingdom.” The kingdom of God is a vital part of the gospel message.
Jesus and the gospel of the kingdom
Jesus proclaimed the message of the kingdom of God at the beginning of his ministry, after his baptism and 40 days of testing. Mark says, “Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14–15).
And Jesus talked about the kingdom of God as part of the gospel message at the end of his ministry, as he taught his disciples about the End Times, saying, “This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).
Where God rules
The kingdom of God is his rule. Wherever God exercises his rule, in exorcism and healing and other wonders, his kingdom comes. Jesus said, “If it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Luke 11:20).
Whenever people surrender their lives to his rule, his kingdom has come in them. Colossians 1:13 says, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.”
The great and benevolent King
What does the gospel of the kingdom teach us about God?
The gospel reveals that God is a great king ruling a great kingdom, which he is reestablishing in the earth and the universe after a horrific rebellion. His delight is benevolently to bestow on his repentant subjects all the glories of this joyful, loving, peaceful, eternal, righteous, beautiful kingdom. (See Romans 14:17; Luke 23:42–43; Isaiah 9:6–7; Revelation 11:15)
Jesus said, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).
God’s kingdom is not the oppressive tyranny of a soul-grinding totalitarian state. Rather, God’s kingdom is a paradise into which he graciously welcomes his adopted sons and daughters. He gladly gives his kingdom to us as a gift and a reward, where we can flourish like trees planted by streams of water.
Our way and God’s way
Our way: Fallen souls rebel against God’s rule, even though his will is “good, pleasing, and perfect” (Romans 12:2, NIV), and his laws are “holy and righteous and good” (Romans 7:12, ESV).
God’s way: He invites all the rebellious earth to return to the fold of his life-giving kingdom, before he vanquishes, once and for all time, Satan’s evil empire.
Life principle: Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things [that is, the things of this created world that you need] will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
Jeremiah 9:23–24: “Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.’” (ESV)
God’s opposition to human boasting is more intense than most people, even most Christians, realize.
In this post we explore one of the least understood truths about God. Without this, the gospel will not make perfect sense. You might even think the saving work of Jesus on the cross is ultimately unnecessary, that people can come to God without believing in Jesus. The gospel makes this truth about God crystal clear.
Here it is in a nutshell. James 4:6 says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). “Opposes” really does mean opposes, as in, he is against the proud.
Here it is in a coconut-size shell: Ephesians 2:8–9 says, “By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Here it is in watermelon size: 1 Corinthians 1:27–31 says, “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’”
What’s so bad about boasting?
Why does God adamantly oppose a man boasting in his presence?
1. Because boasting is proud
To boast is to exalt oneself. To boast is to take more credit than one deserves. To boast is to regard oneself as superior to others.
God opposes such pride.
There is a second reason God opposes boasting.
2. Because boasting is a lie
The God of all truth—all truth—will not make peace with one single lie or one single liar in his universe. He hates and exposes each and every falsehood. And for humans to boast as if they have or do anything apart from God is utterly false.
Scripture says, “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7).
Scripture says, “From him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36).
Notice, it says “to him,” to God, not to any man, be the glory forever precisely because everything is “from him.” And for emphasis this truth is solemnly affirmed with an “Amen.” No human has anything except what they have received from God, and what they use through God’s continuous, enabling power. The God-ordained purpose of every human accomplishment is that it be “to him,” that is, that it bring God glory. This is the circle of God’s glory that must not be broken through the lie of boasting.
Similarly, Scripture says, God “himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything…. In him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:25, 28). This enlarges on the truth that all things are through God. God not only made an initial deposit in the person that created possibilities, but he also continuously sustains and upholds the person’s life and accomplishments, as well as the environment in which the person works. For example, God sustains the football team for whom the star player performs or the family whom a mother faithfully serves.
Because he is the absolute source and sustainer of everything, God devised the gospel in such a way that no one may boast in his presence.
There is a third reason God opposes boasting.
3. Because boasting is idolatry
To boast is to act like God, to claim his role and powers. God didn’t do this; I did. I deserve credit and glory.
To act like God is to put oneself forward as a false god, an idol.
In the Bible, what does God do with idols? He sees to it that idols are burned to ashes and ground to powder. They are toppled, knocking off their heads and hands. They are mocked. They are regarded as abominations, as objects of hissing and the worst contempt, as things to abhor and banish, whose names are not even to be spoken in the holy land.
When God himself carved into stone with his own finger the Ten Commandments, the first commandment he wrote was, “You shall have no other gods before [or beside] me” (Exodus 20:3), and the second commandment forbade making idols.
Because his fury rages against idols, God devised the gospel in such a way that no one may boast in his presence.
There is a fourth reason that God opposes boasting.
4. Because boasting seeks to rob God of his glory
A boaster takes what rightly belongs to God. He or she is a thief of something God prizes: glory.
He is infinitely glorious. That is the truth. And he is worthy to receive all the glory for everything. That is the truth. And the God of truth will not falsely act as though it should be any other way.
He has infinite pleasure in every single word of thanks and praise because it is true. He perfectly enjoys every adoring heart, every bowed knee because it is right.
We would look down on any human that wanted such worship, and that is because we know intuitively it is false. But nothing could be more true than that God be worshiped.
To be God is to be great and greatly worshiped. That is the nature of things.
Therefore he says, “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.” “I will not give my glory to another.” (Isaiah 46:9; 48:11).
What Americans Believe
What this means is that many Americans are in deep trouble with God, and they do not know it.
In a 2017 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, 56 percent of Americans said it is possible to be a good person without a religious belief.
Consider what that implies. If you can be a good person without religious beliefs, then you have something to take credit for, something to boast about.
If you talk to people about their beliefs, as I do regularly, if you ask why people expect to be received into heaven, they will usually say they do indeed expect to get into heaven and the reason is that they are good. They will usually say nothing about Jesus Christ. They often give the feeling that God will owe them eternal life.
But they are trusting in themselves and their moral ability to make the grade. They believe human beings can be good enough to merit—even require—God’s approval.
Our way and God’s way
Our way: We want to earn heaven on our own. We proudly imagine we can be good enough for God. We want to be able to boast in his presence, “I am a good person.”
God’s way: There is no one good, not one (Romans 3:9–20). No one will be able to stand before God on Judgment Day and claim to deserve to enter heaven apart from trusting in Jesus Christ and the forgiveness he provides in his death on the Cross.
Life principle: The right way to boast is to boast in the Lord, and the way to boast in the Lord is to make much of Jesus. When we put all our faith in Jesus Christ to save us, we are boasting in the Lord alone.
Jeremiah 9:23–24: “Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.’” (ESV)
How can we reconcile being perfectly forgiven with giving an account for evil deeds on Judgment Day, as 2 Corinthians 5:10 teaches?
Imagine a family with ten spoiled children. Each day the ten children mistreat their mother, each other, and their house and possessions. Every night the Father returns home from work, hugs each one, and ignores all the wrongs they have done. He tells them how much he loves them and acts as though nothing bad happened. Day after day, year after year, no child ever receives correction or discipline.
Wouldn’t you say something is wrong with that home? Wouldn’t you say something is faulty about that Father’s love? Everything in our sense of right and wrong tells us the head of the home should hold the children accountable and make things right. He should not, with a patient smile, just sweep wrongs under the rug.
2 Corinthians 5:10
On the cosmic scale, that is part of the reason why even forgiven, justified souls will give account to Jesus Christ for every sin of their lives. Scripture does not tell us exactly what that accounting will entail, but Scripture says it will happen. Ashamed of sins, we wish it were not so, but deep down we know it must be true.
Last week we established that it is so by carefully studying 2 Corinthians 5:10 and 1 Corinthians 3:10–15. In today’s post we will seek to reconcile this reality with the inarguable, seemingly contradictory fact that believers in Jesus are perfectly forgiven, justified, blameless, accepted, and saved by grace from all condemnation. How can it be that justified souls give an account for sin—not in the sense of being punished for sin but in the sense of talking with Jesus about them in some way—on Judgment Day?
Not an anomaly
First, we need to see this paradox appears elsewhere in the New Testament.
Exhorting Christians who were suffering persecution, the apostle Peter writes, “It is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17). Peter regarded the suffering of these Christians as ultimately an expression of God’s judgment. But why would forgiven, justified believers in Jesus for whom there is no condemnation experience judgment?
Similarly, Peter writes, “If you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile” (1 Peter 1:17). But why would a forgiven, blameless, justified soul need to fear God’s judgment? How can our Father be our Judge? How can he judge us according to our deeds if he treats us as though we have never sinned (which is a definition often used for the word justified)?
Similarly, Jesus himself says to his church, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent” (Revelation 3:19). But why would Jesus reprove and discipline people who claim to be Christians saved by grace and are therefore blameless, forgiven, accepted?
See also Romans 14:10–12; 1 Corinthians 4:5; James 3:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:6 (3–7); 1 Corinthians 11:27–32.
Your status in Christ versus your conduct
Again and again throughout the New Testament it is undeniable that God deals with his people on two levels. On one level, he treats us according to our status in Christ: forgiven, justified, sanctified. On another level, he deals with us according to our conduct, as we actually are living, in need of admonishment, discipline, training and so on. Both levels are necessary. Though they seem contradictory, neither cancels out the other.
I think this same duality explains what will happen on Judgment Day for a Christian. There are good reasons why Jesus will talk with us in detail through the good and bad of our lives, yet at the same time we will stand before him as his beloved, forgiven, fully accepted saints, free from all condemnation.
So, what are some of the good reasons why forgiven souls will give an accounting to Jesus for both the good and evil in their lives?
Why forgiven souls give account
I believe the purposes for the Lord’s careful examination of a Christian’s life on Judgment Day include the following.
1. Our works will prove our faith (or, in the case of hypocrites, tragically prove the opposite).
James 2:17–18, 22, 24 says: “17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works…. 22 You see that faith was active along with [Abraham’s] works, and faith was completed by his works;… 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.”
2. Having our sins brought into the light as forgiven will magnify the Lord’s grace and mercy.
Psalm 25:11 (NLT) “For the honor of your name, O LORD, forgive my many, many sins.”
3. Having both our good and evil deeds brought into the light will be good for us. The light will bring healing and wisdom. God calls us to account because of his love.
Romans 8:28 says, “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
In Revelation 3:19 Jesus says, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline.”
4. God will be glorified as the perfect Judge, just and fair. Judgment Day will be in all history one of the two greatest manifestations of his holiness, righteousness, wisdom, mercy, salvation, and judgments, the other being Christ’s death on the cross. We will know God’s name far better because of Judgment Day. It will be the greatest display of justice in human history, as well as the greatest display of forgiveness. It will leave us astounded, marveling, worshiping, rejoicing, in awe of God our Savior.
Psalm 9:16 says, “The LORD has made himself known; he has executed judgment.”
The stark difference between God’s children and God’s enemies on Judgment Day
Although we will talk with the Lord about our sins on Judgment Day, we will not stand before God as lost souls stand before him giving account. We will stand before him with all the benefits of our status in Christ. We will stand before him on Judgment Day as the beloved. We will give an account like a son or daughter gives account for wrongdoing to a beloved father, not like God’s enemies who hate God and proudly reject Christ.
The contrast between God’s children and God’s enemies on Judgment Day will be stark:
God’s enemies stand before him alone with no one to help them. But God’s children stand before him with the Judge himself as their advocate, mediator, high priest, atoning sacrifice, and Savior.
God’s enemies will experience his demeanor toward them as he recounts their sins as one of wrath and fury. But God’s children will experience his demeanor toward them as he recounts their sins as a merciful demeanor, like a father correcting his child. First Thessalonians 5:9 says: “God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
God’s enemies will be condemned at the end of their judgment to suffer the full punishment of their evil forever. But God’s children at the end of their talk with Jesus will not be condemned (Romans 8:1), but rather, fully forgiven. For them, judgment will end in grace.
God’s enemies will receive no rewards, but only differing levels of punishment based on the degree of their evil. While God’s children will receive extravagant rewards for even the least of their good deeds and will depart from Judgment Day solely with rewards, not penalties.
God’s enemies will be cast into the Lake of Fire. But God’s children will enter the beautiful new heaven and earth and will enjoy their rewards forever.
God’s enemies will pay for their sins forever. But God’s children will never again have their sins remembered. They will be separated from them as far as east from west—for good, forever.
Our way and God’s way
Our way: Fallen souls try to hide sins and avoid God’s light. They deceive themselves to think they can keep their evils secret.
God’s way: God not only forgives us perfectly, he also judges us perfectly. God is light and therefore he brings all things, all sins, all secrets into the light. God’s light is always good.
Life principle: Judgment Day will be a day of divine light shining on all things, a divine light that will heal us and magnify God’s mercy.
Jeremiah 9:23–24: “Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.’” (ESV)
The most momentous day of your life will be the day you give account to God.
If we believe in Christ, we enjoy perfect forgiveness, but that raises a question. If God forgives our sins, why do we still give account for them on Judgment Day?
That even forgiven Christians answer for evildoing is the apostle Paul’s clear teaching in 2 Corinthians 5:10. “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (ESV).
Let’s look at this verse closely. (Being a weighty subject, this article is longer than most, but I thought most readers would appreciate having it in one place rather than divided into several posts.)
All will give account
“We”
The context clearly shows that Paul is referring to himself and all Christians. In the preceding nine verses he has been teaching about what happens to Christians when they die.
“must all appear”
We must show up. It is like being the defendant in a lawsuit. We are required to appear in court. No exceptions.
“before the judgment seat”
So the purpose of this event is judgment. A judge seated on the judgment seat will preside. Even though our sins are forgiven, that does not mean we avoid Judgment Day.
“of Christ”
The judge is none other than our Savior, who has shed his blood on the cross for our sins. That is very good news. He is also our High Priest, who sympathizes with our weaknesses and has experienced every form of temptation we have (Hebrews 4:15). He loves us and gave himself for us (Galatians 2:20).
“so that each one may receive what is due”
The purpose of this event is to give us our due, to give us what we deserve.
“for what he has done in the body”
We deserve something for what we have done in our body during our life on earth. God created us as moral beings to live in a moral universe where every moral action—that is, every human action that is either right or wrong—is accountable to him, for he is a perfect moral being who cares infinitely about right and wrong. As Creator and Lord, he takes final responsibility for giving every human what they deserve, so that his perfect justice is served.
“whether good”
Good deeds receive rewards. This is the purpose of Judgment Day for a Christian. We receive these rewards as our due not because we can earn them but because God has graciously promised them. Scripture says, “Whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord” (Ephesians 6:8).
Jesus regularly spoke about rewards for good works. For example, when enduring persecution, “rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven” (Matthew 5:12). And, “Whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42). And, give money to the needy so that you may “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:20).
All these rewards are given out on Judgment Day. The purpose of Judgment Day for a Christian is to honor and reward us for our good deeds.
“or evil”
Nevertheless, here we return to where we began this post. Not only do we receive rewards on Judgment Day, we also apparently give some sort of accounting for the evils we have done.
Obviously this seems like an enormous contradiction. God forgives us perfectly through our faith in Jesus, because of his atoning sacrifice for our sins. Jesus has paid completely for our sins (1 John 1:7). God promises to forget our sins (Hebrews 8:12). He says we are blameless, justified, free from accusation (Colossians 1:22; Romans 3:24). He says we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21). He says there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). As he breathed his last, Jesus said, “It is finished” (John 19:30).
With the entire New Testament teaching all this clearly, how could it be that on Judgment Day Christians give an accounting for evil deeds?
Is 2 Corinthians 5:10 the only place the New Testament teaches this?
No, it is not.
Christian leaders will give account
First Corinthians 3:9–15 describes in more detail how the evils done by Christians are taken into account on Judgment Day. Here the apostle Paul wrote about the experience of some saved Christians who go through Judgment Day like people escaping a house on fire, yet they still end up in heaven.
The people being judged are pastors and Bible teachers who succeeded Paul in the churches he planted. Paul says God will judge the faithfulness of their ministries. But the principles of that judgment apply to all Christians. Paul compares the leaders’ ministries to the work of building a house. They are like carpenters who follow the cement contractor who put in the foundation. He compares the relative faithfulness of their work to building with materials that are either high quality (gold, silver, precious stones) or lesser quality (wood, hay, straw).
[10] According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. [11] For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. [12] Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— [13] each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. [14] If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. [15] If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. (1 Corinthians 3:10–15, ESV)
“the day will disclose it” (v. 13)
“The Day” is clearly Judgment Day, the final day at the end of this age when he calls each person one by one to stand before him and give an account for their lives.
“each one’s work will become manifest” (v. 13)
On Judgment Day, our deeds are disclosed. Again, this is true even for Christians.
Jesus said, “Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.” (Luke 12:2–3)
Paul writes, “Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.” (1 Corinthians 4:5) The last line in this verse shows that the people whose deeds are brought into the light includes Christians, for lost souls receive no commendations (Romans 8:8).
“it will be revealed by fire” (v. 13)
This is speaking figuratively. The fire represents God’s all-knowing and perfectly holy evaluation of one’s works. It is like the penetrating gaze of the risen Jesus, whose “eyes were like a flame of fire” (Revelation 1:14)
“the fire will test what sort of work each one has done” (v. 14)
Scripture repeatedly says God will judge us by our works.
Jesus said, “The Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done” (Matthew 16:27).
(See also Romans 2:6; Revelation 20:13; 22:12.)
All our thoughts, motives, words, and deeds will pass through the “fire” of God’s holy evaluation.
“If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives…If anyone’s work is burned up” (vv. 14–15)
What either survives or is burned up is one’s work. Again, Paul is specifically describing God’s judgment of the work of Christian leaders who succeeded him in churches, but the general principle is that God judges our deeds, thoughts, motives, words. (1 Corinthians 4:5)
Heb 4:12–13 “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Again, the “we” in “we must give account” is we who believe in the Lord.
Jesus said, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36–37). Thankfully, Christians will not be among those condemned but will be in the group that is justified. But notice that our words are judged.
On Judgment Day, the deeds, thoughts, motives, and words of Christians that are evil are burned up.
“If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward” (v. 14)
What is at stake? Rewards. God will reward whatever he approves, even what seem like the most insignificant actions.
“Whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42).
In one parable about a master evaluating and rewarding his servants, Jesus pictures what it will be like when he rewards his people: The master said to his servant, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:21).
In a similar parable, Jesus said the master told the good servant, “Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities” (Luke 19:17). Jesus wants us to know our rewards will be extravagant. Judgment Day will have its temporary fiery moments, but it will have great and enduring joys.
“If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss” (v. 15)
For the Christian leaders and their ministries in view, what is burned is their unworthy works. These works receive no rewards. The sacrifice and toil come to nothing, which is a great loss.
When we consider the broader judgment of the entire life of a Christian, what will be burned up are all the deeds, words, motives, and thoughts that are evil. They will come to nothing, receiving no reward, no commendation, which is a great loss, a painful collection of wasted opportunities.
“though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire” (v.15)
Paul reassures readers. Sincere Christians who do poor work for the Lord will be saved. They will enter heaven. Their failures will be burned up on Judgment Day and left behind. Sincere believers will enter the joys of heaven.
The same is true for all Christians regarding all their evils.
But Judgment Day will definitely have emotional pain. It will be as though believers are going “through fire.” I suggest that means God will sift through a Christian’s works one by one, identifying failures, and people will have to acknowledge what the Lord is revealing.
Then the Lord will pronounce these failures as atoned for by the blood of Jesus. And then will be fulfilled the promise that God will forget our sins and evildoing. He will never bring them up again through all eternity. “I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12).
Judgment Day will bring closure. For true Christians, it will conclude in complete salvation.
What about the last judgment? Will our sins be remembered? Will they be revealed? Anthony Hoekema puts it wisely like this: “The failures and shortcomings of…believers…will enter into the picture on the Day of Judgment. But—and this is the important point—the sins and shortcomings of believers will be revealed in the judgment as forgiven sins, whose guilt has been totally covered by the blood of Jesus Christ.”
Picture it like this. God has a file on every person (the “books” of Revelation 20:12). All you’ve ever done or said (Matthew 12:36) is recorded there with a grade (from “A” to “F”). When you stand before “the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:10) to be judged “for what [you have] done in the body, whether good or evil,” God will open the file and lay out the tests with their grades. He will pull out all the “F’s” and put them in a pile. Then he will take all the “D’s” and “C’s” and pull the good parts of the test out and place them with the “A’s”, then put the bad with the “F’s.” Then he will take all the “B’s” and “A’s” and pull the bad parts out of them and put them in the “F” pile, and put all the good parts in the “A” pile.
Then he will open another file (“the book of life”) and find your name, because you are in Christ through faith. Behind your name will be a wood-stick match made from the cross of Jesus. He will take the match, light it, and set the “F” pile, with all your failures and deficiencies, on fire and burn them up. They will not condemn you, and they will not reward you.
Then he will take from your “book of life” file a sealed envelope marked “free and gracious bonus: life!” and put it on the “A” pile (see Mark 4:24 and Luke 6:38). Then he will hold up the entire pile and declare, “By this your life bears witness to the grace of my Father, the worth of my blood, and the fruit of my Spirit. These bear witness that your life is eternal. And according to these you will have your rewards. Enter into the everlasting joy of your Master.”
Our way and God’s way
Our way: We naturally want to escape having to give an account for our evil actions.
God’s way: The Lord is the final and perfect Judge because he is perfectly moral, and he will not allow his creation to be a place where evil is ignored.
Life principle: Knowing that we will give account for both good and evil actions produces in our hearts a proper reverence (2 Corinthians 5:11) that keeps us close to Christ and far from sin.
I invite you to read my weekly posts about knowing God and his ways better. —Craig Brian Larson
Chicago is in the news with plenty of negative stories, so let’s put a few positive pictures before us. Here are some recent photos from a rooftop lunch our church enjoyed after a recent Sunday morning worship meeting. The park below is where we have been meeting outdoors for worship each week.
Church happenings: The building where our church normally rents space has been closed for coronavirus. When we resumed our Sunday worship services in July, we began meeting outdoors each week in Grant Park, the huge park on the lakefront in downtown Chicago. It has been a great experience. We are giving glory to God in public, being a testimony for him, and as a side effect, we get to enjoy being outside.
Reading:
J. I. Packer, “Rediscovering Holiness”
Thinking:
I am extremely pleased to have written this month about a paradox that has puzzled me for years: What sort of accountability do Christians have on Judgment Day? I have puzzled over that for years.
What’s to puzzle? you might ask.
For one thing, 2 Corinthians 5:10, which says, “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” Paul wrote that to Christians. So it seems to me we have a paradox. Christians are fully forgiven, yet we will “receive what is due” for both good and evil deeds on Judgment Day.
That is what has puzzled me for a long time. So, I finally wrote about it for three posts, beginning with the post about forgiveness on August 10th and continuing the theme on August 24th and 31st. I hope you read them all, because the most important day in your life is Judgment Day. On that Day you want to have as few surprises as possible because on that Day all decisions are final and forever.
New resource now available: I created a new email course called “How to Recognize the Presence of God.” Share this free resource with people you know by sending this signup link: https://forms.aweber.com/form/91/817532891.htm
Imperfect people desperately need God’s perfect forgiveness.
The gospel is God’s message of forgiveness. Since our need of his forgiveness is great—indeed it is unlimited and occurs daily—let’s explore its characteristics. God is perfect (Matthew 5:48), so he forgives perfectly.
Here are 14 characteristics of his perfect forgiveness.
Perfect Forgiveness
1. Perfect forgiveness means God forgives you willingly, gladly, wholeheartedly, freely, rather than being pushed into it.
Isaiah 43:25 says, “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”
Romans 5:20 says, “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.”
2. Perfect forgiveness means God forgives every single sin, including your worst sin.
Psalm 103:2–3 says, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity.”
Isaiah 1:18 says, “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”
3. Perfect forgiveness means God never again holds your sin against you, but rather, forgets it.
King David wrote: “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.” (Psalm 32:1–2 NIV)
Hebrews 8:12 says, “For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”
Psalm 103:12 says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”
4. Perfect forgiveness means God does not punish you for sin.
Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
God does not punish a follower of Jesus as a legal consequence of breaking his laws. The punishment fell on Jesus at the Cross.
Nevertheless, when a child of God sins, the Lord may in fatherly love discipline them for their ultimate good (Hebrews 12:5–11). He allows them to reap the natural consequences of the seeds they sow (Galatians 6:7–8). And sinful actions reduce a Christian’s rewards (1 Corinthians 3:12–15). These actions, too, are marks of perfection.
5. Perfect forgiveness means God has full, unqualified favor toward you.
In Jesus’ Parable of the Prodigal Son, “The son said to his father, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.” (Luke 15:21–24)
6. Perfect forgiveness means God forgives your most serious sins as completely as the least serious.
The apostle Paul wrote: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.” (1 Timothy 1:15–16, NIV)
7. Perfect forgiveness means God forgives justly.
He forgives because of the atonement he makes available through the substitutionary death of Jesus. He does not forgive anyone and everyone. He does not clear the guilty, that is, those who have not repentantly received the salvation that is in Jesus Christ. He satisfies and upholds perfect justice.
Acts 2:38 says, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”
Exodus 34:6–7 says, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty.”
I invite you to read my weekly posts about knowing God and his ways better. —Craig Brian Larson
8. Perfect forgiveness means God removes all your moral guilt.
God, the Lawgiver and Final Judge, justifies you. When he looks at the Law and looks at you, he regards you as utterly blameless because of Jesus.
Colossians 1:22 says, “He has now reconciled [you] in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him.”
Romans 3:23–26 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
9. Perfect forgiveness means God removes all your shame.
First Peter 2:6 says, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
10. Perfect forgiveness means God forgives in a way that discourages repetition of the offense.
When we sin, he does not say, “No problem.” Rather, he says, “That is a problem, but I will forgive you completely because of Jesus, and I will cleanse you of wrong living.” He fixes us, making us a new person who desires to be godly.
Romans 8:1–2 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”
Psalm 130:4 says, “With you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.”
11. Perfect forgiveness means God forgives in a way that requires sincere confession and repentance.
First John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
12. Perfect forgiveness means God forgives many varieties of sin.
God describes himself as “forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” (Exodus 34:7) The NIV translates this phrase as “forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” The idea conveyed by piling up these three words is that God forgives all varieties of sin, including
(b) Willful, eyes-wide-open sins. (However, see Hebrews 10:26–31 about a type of deliberate, habitual, unrepentant sinning by hypocritical “Christians” that will not be forgiven.)
(c) Sins of weakness, capitulating to evil desires and passions that feel irresistible.
(d) Sins of omission, failing to do what we should have done.
(e) Sins of commission, doing what is forbidden.
(f) Sins of ignorance, which we do not know we have committed, which are innumerable.
All are forgiven if a believer in Jesus sincerely confesses and repents.
13. Perfect forgiveness means God forgives in a way that vindicates his holiness and his name.
To forgive your sins he does not compromise his holiness or character one iota. On the contrary, he forgives in a way that magnifies his holiness.
That is the message you should see in the Cross of Jesus. It was horrific because forgiveness cost you nothing, but cost God much. At the Cross, God upheld his holiness.
Ephesians 1:7 says, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.”
14. Perfect forgiveness comes only by a perfect savior.
Your forgiveness is perfect because it was obtained by God himself, not by an imperfect man. God perfectly redeemed sinful humanity through the atoning death of Jesus on the Cross.
The blood of animals under the Old Testament only brought forgiveness because it was a proxy for the blood of Jesus.
The Old Covenant required that the sacrificial animals be perfect, with no blemishes or faults. This symbolically revealed the need for a perfect Savior, who in the fullness of time turned out to be God’s own perfect, divine Son.
Lev 22:19–20 says, “If [the sacrifice] is to be accepted for you it shall be a male without blemish, of the bulls or the sheep or the goats. You shall not offer anything that has a blemish, for it will not be acceptable for you.”
1 Peter 1:19 says we were redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (NIV)
Our way and God’s way
Our way: On the human level, fallen people hold grudges or forgive reluctantly. Many sinners assume God will never forgive them.
God’s way: The Lord forgives sinners completely, willingly, perfectly because—and only because—of what Jesus accomplished by suffering and dying on the Cross.
Life principle: God would rather forgive you than judge you. When he forgives, he perfectly forgives.
God will bring everything into judgment and render perfect justice.
Caroline Skinner and Samantha Springer write:
“The telephone rang just past 3 o’clock on an April morning, piercing the silence of the darkened Long Island home where James McGlone and his wife slept. When he picked up the phone, McGlone was drowsy and disoriented, but the voice on the line made his stomach drop, jolting him awake.
“The late-night caller said McGlone’s nephew was in legal trouble and needed immediate financial assistance. He’d been in a car accident that had caused the other driver—a pregnant woman—to lose her baby. Thinking his nephew’s future was on the line, McGlone didn’t hesitate to send the cash.”1
McGlone, retired and in his 80s, sent $22,000, nearly all of his life savings. But the call was a scam, and his money was now gone for good.
The Federal Trade Commission reported that in 2019 scams cost people age 60 and over almost $149 million.
What kind of person is willing to steal the life savings of the elderly?
What kind of world do we live in where thieves can get away with it so easily?
The gospel of final judgment
The world we live in is an evil place where it appears that evil people usually get away with evil deeds. That is a depressing scenario. The message of the gospel, however, is that scenario is false.
The apostle Paul says there is coming a “day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus” (Rom 2:16, ESV).
According to the gospel—the good news—no one will get away with anything. On the contrary, what we learn from the gospel is that God himself will make all things right. That is what Judgment Day will be: the day when God—the Final Judge—makes all things right, when he brings all evil deeds into the light, when every evil deed receives its recompense.
Hitler and every other despot will get what he deserves. Scammers will get what they deserve. Sex traffickers will get what they deserve. Pickpockets, liars, rapists, and murders will get what they deserve.
The gospel affirms that God is the Final Judge of every human soul. He will settle the score and make all things right. Judgment Day is payback time.
The perfect judge
But you and I also will get what we deserve.
That is where things get uncomfortable. For we all have done evil things, and God does not ignore them any more than the deeds of scammers.
That again is where the gospel comes in. At the center of the gospel is the Cross of Jesus Christ. The Cross was judgment day. Not Final Judgment, but momentous, all-important judgment, the day when all things were made right for God’s people.
The good news is that for God’s people “mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). Jesus took the judgment we deserved. The good news is God is the perfect judge, and he will get the final judgment perfectly, exactly right, to the utter amazement and wonder of his people. At the judgment, every mouth will be stopped. Every insolent tongue will become mute. No one will be able to accuse the great Judge of misjudging anyone.
Who is the judge on the throne at the final judgment?
And here is the surprising thing. Just as Jesus was at the nexus of momentous, all-important judgment as he hung on the Cross, so he will be at the nexus of the momentous, all-important judgment that occurs on that Final Judgment Day. For on that day he himself will be the Judge rather than the judged.
Jesus said, “The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22). He also said, “The Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done” (Matthew 16:27). (See also Acts 10:42; 17:31)
At the center of it all, Jesus will sit on the throne of Judgment and reveal every secret, every sin, every good and righteous deed. He will be the one who pronounces rewards for his followers or condemns unbelieving, wicked souls to perdition.
A loving judge
This is the good news for believers in Jesus. The Judge we face on that final day will be the one who loves us and died for our sins. He knows us by name. The Judge will be our Savior, our High Priest, our advocate. The Judge will be the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of his people. On that Final Judgment Day, when you stand at the center of it all, if you trust in Christ, you will look into the loving eyes of Jesus.
Our way and God’s way
Our way: People of darkness act as though there were no such thing as Final Judgment Day. They ignore it.
God’s way: There is a God in heaven who judges righteously. In the end, God settles the books. He brings to account every person’s every intention, word, and deed. The good news of the gospel is, he also wants to save us.
Life principle: Live every day in light of Judgment Day.
Jeremiah 9:23–24: “Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.’” (ESV)
Ephesians 2:8–10 is one of the most important statements in the Bible about the gospel of grace, but it also tells how important our good works are to God. Notice the emphasis on both:
“[8] By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9]not a result of works, so that no one may boast. [10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus forgood works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8–10, ESV)
All three of these verses are the gospel, and we learn about God and ourselves from them. Verse 10 describes the person who is a new creation in Christ Jesus. That is good news. It describes the purpose of this new creation: believers are “created in Christ Jesus for good works.”
Good works are good news
Thank God that our good works matter to him. He does not save us by grace and then say: “Do whatever you want. Take life easy. Maximize your comfort. Focus on your next dose of entertainment and your next material purchase. Live selfishly. How you spend your days does not matter to me.”
That self-centered outlook describes the philosophy of many people in Western culture, and it leads to emptiness. Humans were not created for that.
Instead Scripture says you are “created in Christ Jesus for good works.” And this lifestyle of unselfish good works results from God’s “workmanship” (v. 10). It is what God creates in you by his grace. You do not design your life; God designs your life. You are his workmanship.
Good works are God’s workmanship
Think of the workmanship that went into your mobile phone. Many people feel their mobile is their most useful tool in daily life. Think of the workmanship that went into your favorite apps. The Android phone in my hand is one of the most dazzling pieces of technological workmanship in human history.
You are God’s workmanship, infinitely more amazing than a mobile phone. Indeed, you can do much more good for other people than their mobiles can. You are a glorious piece of work—divine work. And the divine masterpiece that you are is not an end in itself, but rather for the good of others and the glory of God.
Good works are important
God is a creator, a designer, an architect, an artist, a poet, a songwriter, a carpenter. God is an artist, and you are his painting, his sculpture. He is a songwriter, and you are his song. God is a carpenter, and you are his building. God is a product designer, and you are his design.
God’s creation is not just you, but what you do. Your good works are God’s creation, God’s design.
Your deeds matter. They are God’s works. He wants to make your life into a colorful tapestry of servanthood, sacrifice, ministry, loving acts, helping others, saving souls.
“Let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful” (Titus 3:14).
“Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need” (Ephesians 4:28, NIV).
He did not create you to waste your time.
Our way and God’s way
Our way: Have the greatest house filled with the coolest possessions so we can experience maximum comfort and entertainment. Selfish living brings lasting happiness.
God’s way: He wants to use each person for the high and lasting purpose of helping others. Our good works are his workmanship. Our greatest happiness comes from fulfilling our divine purpose by doing good for others with our resources.
Life principle: “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
Jeremiah 9:23–24: “Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.’” (ESV)
God’s call for repentance perfectly fits his nature.
What did the gospel preaching of John the Baptist and Jesus have in common? Matthew describes the initial message of each man:
John the Baptist — “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matthew 3:1–2, ESV).
Jesus — “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matthew 4:17).
At the onset of a new era, the everlasting era of the glorious kingdom of God, each man preached the same one-word imperative: repent.
That was not a new idea. Repent was an important, frequently used word under the Old Mosaic Covenant. Yet here was that word again, on the lips of John the Baptist and Jesus, as the gospel preaching of the New Covenant begins. Repent.
It continued in the preaching of Paul, the apostle of grace, who said he testified “both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21).
What does this tell us about God?
Repentance and truth
First, it reminds us that the forgiveness and mercy offered through Jesus does not compromise God’s concern for truth one iota.
The most searing display of repentance under the Old Covenant was that of King David after his adultery with Bathsheba and cold-hearted murder of loyal Uriah. In the throes of repentance, David wrote Psalm 51, the expression of repentance without equal in the history of literature, and it is painful to read. Verse 6 records one key concept recalled by David, “Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being.”
Repentance is a central theme in the good news of Jesus because when God offers amazing grace he never strays a fraction of a degree from his perfect commitment to absolute truth. We cannot be saved apart from telling the truth about God and the truth about ourselves. Our heart must believe and our lips must confess that we have sinned against a holy God and against his holy laws.
We must acknowledge that we are in the wrong and he is in the right. We cannot undo the wrongs of our lives, but we can fully embrace the truth. Although we have been bad, the truth is good; and because the truth is good, repentance is good. In the embrace of repentance we actually become like God in his pursuit of truth.
Repentance and righteousness
Second, the centrality of repentance in the message of the gospel tells us that the grace of God offered in Christ does not compromise God’s concern for righteousness and holiness.
In Jesus, God offers the forgiveness of sins, not a license for lawlessness or a pass on purity. The love-based commands of God still matter because they are right, because they reflect the unchanging heart of a righteous, holy God.
“The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:11–14)
These verses describe true repentance and the connection of repentance to the grace of God.
Repentance and light
Third, the centrality of repentance in the gospel teaches us that “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).
A day is coming when God will shine the light on everything now in darkness.
Jesus warned, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops” (Luke 12:1–3).
The apostle Paul speaks of a coming day when “God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus” (Romans 2:16).
Hiding and ignoring our sins is an act of walking in darkness. Repentance is an act of coming into the light.
Therefore both John the Baptist and Jesus proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom of God: Repent.
Our way and God’s way
Our way: Fallen sinners prefer the cover of darkness.
God’s way: God saves sinners by bringing them into the light of his holy truth and giving them the grace of repentance. Praise to God for his light, truth, righteousness, and holiness! All praise to God that his gospel does not compromise these in the least! Eternal praise to God that his grace does not foster moral darkness, falsehood, or wickedness.
Life principle: Sinners embrace a holy God through repentance and faith. Through repentance we find life, joy, and peace in Jesus Christ.
Jeremiah 9:23–24: “Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.’” (ESV)
The message of the gospel to a godless person is not that you need to be more religious, or more self-disciplined, but rather that you need to be born again from above.
There is a stark difference between religion and regeneration, between self-improvement and being born again from above by the Holy Spirit.
Consider the man who realizes he has a problem. Perhaps he is addicted to alcohol or drugs. Or he has ruined his marriage and family through selfishness. Maybe he is sinking deeper and deeper into credit card debt. Or he has a lust and pornography habit or is feeling suicidal or depressed or afraid. Whatever—he realizes he must change.
He probably thinks he needs to be more disciplined or religious. He needs to reform his ways, break bad habits and start good ones. And he needs a new set of friends. He should listen to motivational speakers and read self-improvement books or maybe even go to church. He must turn the page and become a better person.
What he does not realize is, all these efforts at self-reformation are like bathing and dressing in clean suit and tie a muddy pig. Once he is cleaned up and turned loose, he will soon or later end up once again in the mud.
Instead, what he needs is a new nature. Someone needs to turn the pig into a prince.
Born again through the gospel
That is the message of the gospel. A sinner does not need religion; rather, he or she needs a new nature. She must literally become a new person.
Jesus told one religious leader, “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).
To be “born again” is to get a new nature.
It is important to understand that Jesus is not talking figuratively, as though “born again” is merely a metaphor for “change one’s thoughts” or “become a better person.” No, “born again” means literally that our human spirit has a new birth from the Holy Spirit. The third person of the divine Trinity comes to live inside of us. He unites with our human spirit, thereby transforming our desires, attitudes, thoughts, motivations. He transforms a pig into a prince.
Born again by the Holy Spirit
What the gospel teaches us about God is that the Holy Spirit is the giver of life and transformer of the human spirit. He regenerates the human spirit giving us a new nature. He gives believers in Jesus the desire to do things they did not want to do before, such as to love and obey God, to love and do what is right in God’s sight, to deny ourselves and serve others, and to renounce evil pleasures.
2 Corinthians 5:17 say, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
Jesus said, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit” (Matthew 12:33). You are a tree, either a good tree or a bad tree, a tree with either a good nature or a bad nature.
You cannot change your fruit without first changing the nature of the tree. Jesus said, “Every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit” (Matthew 7:17–18).
When the Holy Spirit regenerates our human spirit, we become good trees and by nature produce good fruit. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23).
Born again with new desires
What this means to the person who realizes he or she needs to change is, any sort of good and godly behavior that sounds impossible and undesirable now before you become a believer in Jesus becomes entirely possible after you become a Christian.
For example, at this moment the last thing you may want to do is go to church, hang around Christians, worship God, and hear the Bible taught. But after you become a Christian, this becomes your favorite thing to do.
At this moment, partying or clubbing with some wild friends may sound like a great way to spend a Friday night. After you become a Christian, that sounds like a journey into darkness.
How could this be? It is because you have a new nature.
Our way and God’s way
Our way: People without the Holy Spirit cannot live in a way pleasing to God. By nature they follow the flesh. (See Romans 8:5–8)
God’s way: The Lord gives every believer in Jesus the Holy Spirit and through him a new nature.
Life principle: “If you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (Romans 8:13–14).
Jeremiah 9:23–24: “Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.’” (ESV)
