Already Judged

Lesson #54

John 3:17 tells us that “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him,” but there is something about the name of Jesus that causes division among people. There are some who embrace Jesus and escape judgment and others who oppose Jesus and go away into judgment.  Even though Jesus did not come to judge, judgment is happening and people are gathering into groups of belief and unbelief.

With this in mind let us move on to John 3:19 – 21: ¹⁹ “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. ²⁰ For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. ²¹ But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God” (NASB).

What is this judgment that has come into the world? That judgment is related to “the Light that has come into the world. Jesus is the Word and the Word is God. “God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5 NET). But Jesus is more than light. He is “the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Jesus comes into the world as truth and light which exposes the hearts of sinful people. Being exposed to this light is like walking out of a dark room into the bright sunlight. The pain is so great that you immediately seek less light. Those who are in their sin and do evil hate the light and do not come to the Light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. This fear of the light and desire to hide in darkness goes all the way back to the sin of Adam and Eve. They covered themselves with fig leaves and hid from God after they ate the forbidden fruit in disobedience. Even believers feel the urge to hide after they sin because shame is painful.

Light always exposes that which is hidden in darkness and when it shines on the evil hidden in the darkness of our sinful hearts it causes pain, resulting in the person withdrawing further into darkness and unless God intervenes that person is not willing to come out of hiding and into the light. If God were to choose to touch a person, like he did Paul on the road to Damascus, then that light will lead that person to repentance and faith. The person who continues to hide in darkness and continues to sin stands condemned and Judged, but those who come forth through the grace of God are set free and embrace the Light. We will consider this further in the next lesson.

Prayer

Father, I confess that even as a believer when I do wrong there is a desire to somehow cover the transgression up, but because of conviction by the Holy Spirit I find the only way to obtain peace is through confession. I can’t imagine what it would be like to desire to withdraw deeper and deeper into the darkness of despair without any hope of peace. Father, I find that unresolved sin causes me to be at war with you, with myself and with others. Thank you for the peace and the living hope you have given me in Christ Jesus.