“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 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 (John 3:16-19).
“When we go to Christ’s manger something happens… We are judged or redeemed.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Like it or not, judgment is essential to the Christmas message. Christmas is a celebration of the Incarnation of the eternally begotten Son of God. Yes, God sent the Son… that the world might be saved! That begs the question, “Saved from what, from whom?” John the evangelist answers, “He who does not believe has been judged already.” Why? “…because men loved the darkness… for their deeds were evil” (John 3:18-19).
This earliest of Christian messages is enshrined in the Nicene Creed:
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, …eternally begotten of the Father, …by the power of the Holy Spirit He became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, …For our sake He was crucified … On the third day He rose again …He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end.
The good news that “the Light has come into the world” cannot be fully appreciated without understanding that humanity, and the whole cosmos, dwells in the chaos of darkness and has been judged accordingly (John 3:19).
The human preference for darkness, and evil, is expressed in our need to be affirmed in our sinfulness. Don’t judge me! We hear those words all too often. Anytime someone is reproached for their sinful behavior they seek absolution with the words, “Who are you to judge me?” We see this throughout our society. A recent article revealed that the most frequent grade awarded at Harvard is “A.” Why? Because the “A” is “a new form of entitlement.” This sense of entitlement extends to morality, or maybe I should say, amorality. Amoral entitlement states, “Regardless of the consequences of my actions, you should respect my actions.” In other words, those who live with a sense of amoral entitlement seek amoral empowerment.
Those of us who dare to suggest that humanity is under the judgment of God because of sin are judged as self-righteous and intolerant bigots. The truth is that just as members of Harvard’s faculty have “abandoned their responsibilities” many ministers of the gospel have likewise abandoned their obligation to warn sinners of the consequences of their actions; to warn unbelievers of the judgment of God.
The sad truth is that sinful actions have dreadful consequences. Paul wrote, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption…” (Galatians 6:7-8a). The good news is that confession and repentance have life-saving rewards. Again, Paul said, “but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:8b).
Jesus declared that all humanity lives under the judgment of God. We have been judged because of our love for darkness. We will be judged because of our continued unbelief. An ancient preacher declared, “For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment (Hebrews 10:26-27).
The good news is even as we prefer to walk in darkness, even as we revel in the pleasures of sin, even as we have been judged sinners “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
This is the message of Paul’s notorious words:
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
