Luther on Judgement

John 3:19

And the condemnation is this: that : the light came into the world yet people loved the darkness rather than the light because their actions were evil.

Martin Luther wrote, "to us God might appear to be angry. Sometimes He seems to be unjust, harsh, even stern. But God is saying. 'listen, I'm going to cancel the charges against you. You no longer have to mourn. To be sure you have earned my judgment, but I am declaring that your sin will be pardoned. The death penalty will be removed. I'm no longer remembering the sinfulness of this world, the sin into which people are born, and in which they continue to live. Everything is settled. I just won't see your sin anymore, and all you have to do is trust in my son. What's missing?

So, why then does judgment still hang over us if our sin is removed? Judgment remains because people reject Christ, the son of God. Suppose a doctor could heal a sick person. Suppose this doctor promised to get rid of the patient's pain; he suggests a remedy for the illness or an antidote for the poison the patient had ingested. Suppose then that the patient also knew without a doubt that the doctor had the power and skill to heal him.

But in spite of this, the patient says, 'get out of here. I don't want or need your advice. You're not a doctor, you're a fraud! Besides, I'm not sick anyway, I ate no poison, and even if I did, it won't hurt me! Now let's go one step further....the patient tries to kill this doctor! Would you say that this person is not only sick in body but also in mind? Well, let me tell you that the spiritual madness of refusing the help of God's son is 10 times worse than this example I've just given!"

Nothing subtle about Luther! We don't tend to think much anymore in categories of sin, judgment, and punishment. Sin has become an abstract notion that hardly impacts our day-to-day living. Certainly the way we view our leaders has changed in this regard. I remember when President Clinton was caught in an affair and lied about it to Congress. While many did not believe this act rose to the level of an "impeachable act" it was most certainly reprehensible and displayed him as a person of dubious character who maybe did not deserve to be president!

My how far we have come from that day to this . Now politicians are able to get away with anything, say whatever they want, no boundaries, expectations, or limitations...we seem willing to overlook anything they do, think, or say so long as they agree with us! This is a microcosm of the larger problem we're facing in this world. We just don't think sin is all that big a deal anymore.

But our problem is: God does! God still believes when we don't do his will, when we disobey his commandments, we are helping to disrupt the natural flow of his universe, we are polluting his creation. We need, I think, to stop and ask for God's intervention, God's guidance, and God's forgiveness. And the good news is God has promised us these through Jesus Christ. In fact, he guarantees them by the cross and resurrection. Maybe at some point in the near future we will once again open our eyes and see we truly are sinful and unclean, and we cannot save ourselves. And seeing this, we will turn to God in the faith and the hope that his will and his forgiveness will transform both us and the world!