Light at the end of the tunnel
John 12:47–48 (NKJV)
47. And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.
48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him— the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
I quoted the first verse above in the passage on facebook and had an inquirer ask a good honest open minded question about the next verse that follows; verse 48, which I will answer here as best I can according to what know about it. I would have answered in the comment box on facebook but a short answer would not be sufficient for such a good question. Here is the question: “Hi Dennis. I’m currently investigating Christian Universalism (it wasn’t long ago I thought that was an oxymoron, but not anymore.) Anyway, you quote John 12:47 above, I assume as evidence for universalism. What do you make of the very next verse though, that speaks of a judge that will "condemn" those who reject Jesus "on the last day." To me, being condemned on the last day sounds like some kind of permanent eternal punishment (whether that’s eternal torment or annihilation) – can you speak to this?” My reply follows.
Our religious “programming” has a lot to do with “how we see things”, how we interpret what we are seeing, how it is processed in our understanding of what we are looking at. Jesus said “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” Mat 6:22–23 (NKJV) If you were always taught that God was an old man with a long white beard; when you read the word “God” or think about God this picture is what you will see because of your “programming”. It is the same thing with reading the bible. We have imbedded in our minds certain ideas about certain things that “automatically” come out when we are presented with a topic that pertains to that idea. I am not saying this to say that this person is in more darkness than any one of us has been in before including myself. I was at one time unable to see what I now see; but was seeing what I had been programmed to see also.
This is the case here with these verses. The inquirer said: “To me, being condemned on the last day sounds like some kind of permanent eternal punishment (whether that’s eternal torment or annihilation). I am glad he used the words “sounds like” because that is precisely what and why you immediately come to this conclusion. The way it “sounds” to “you” is being processed and filtered through years of religious calluses and programming that taught that judgment is always a bad thing and most likely is eternal, painful and permanent.
First of all we need to see what these verses are saying and not saying. Because of our prior religious teaching we tend to “read into” text in the scriptures words that are not actually there but only in our minds. You mentioned the words “Condemn”, “Eternal” and “Punishment” when actually none of these words are in the text…. The words used are “Judgment”, “Judge” and “Last Day” I think these are where you are getting the words you used. Concerning these actual words used here I would first like to say the type of “Judgment” we receive from God filtered through the cross – is not a “bad thing” but a very “Good thing” one we should look forward to like getting medicine from a doctor because it is the cure for the illness or infirmity; in other words – what is wrong with us needs to be made right and that’s what the judgments of God do for us in Christ now. That’s a good thing. Jesus Christ is on the throne and the will of God is to bring the earth and all people and operations in it in line with His will or “righteousness, and as it is in heaven. The Kingdom of God will overcome all other kingdoms and defeat every enemy by graciously correcting their errors in love – “Pray for your enemies and do good to them” Mat 5:44. In so doing even death will be destroyed as the final enemy of God’s children. Where there is absolute righteousness, or nothing is wrong – which is what sin is – there can be no death. “The wages of sin is death” Rom. 6:23 no unrighteousness no sin, no sin – no death. The bible says in Isaiah in the Amplified version:
Isaiah 26:9b (AMP)
9 ……for [only] when Your judgments are in the earth will the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God).
You see the judgments of God are meant to bring about a good result in the end. They are not just to inflict pain and cause suffering as we have been taught in traditional Christian theology. That type of judgment from an Almighty Loving God seems rather distorted to me now. Or I could use the word he used in his statement in that it would be an “Oxymoron” to say that the only purpose for our Loving Gracious God’s judgments was to inflict pain and suffering – and that for all eternity….. think about it.
A friend commented after him pointing out that “Satan is called the accuser of the brethren” meaning that Satan is the one that actually is used to judge us guilty using the very law of the bible against us. This has always been Satan’s tactics; Gen 3:1 (did God say?) using God’s word to mislead us in how we view God and his plan for us. I don’t know if this is what she was getting at but here are a few verses showing how God actually uses Satan in the process of Judgment. This is a start anyway in the examination of this subject which can go on into some very deep waters; but these three should be sufficient.
Luke 22:31, 1 Corinthians 5:4-5, 1 Tim. 1:19-20
Luke 22:31 NKJV
And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.
1 Corinthians 5:4–5 NKJV
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
1 Timothy 1:19–20 NKJV
having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, 20 of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.
Just look at the verses stated about how that Satan is used to bring judgment on these individuals; was there not a good end in mind? A “Purpose” for the Judgment? To bring about the needed remedy for the dysfunction or unrighteousness (sin) and end in the unrighteous one becoming righteous! Notice -Peter’s faith was strengthened – the sexual immorality was cleansed from among the group and in this individual – Hymenaeus and Alexander learned not to blaspheme God. These are GOOD things brought about by the judgments of God using Satan. Not only for the others involved but also for the individuals that committed the sin; example – who “learned” not to blaspheme, thus becoming better people! God is Good, loving, and kind to all; including the wicked Mat 5:45. He does not desire to hurt them, that is against all that is in His nature; but God desires to “correct” us or “fix” the problem – whatever is wrong, in so doing bring about right. God does not “lose” anything – or get furious and condemn them to eternal suffering – or being unable to fix them become frustrated and just exterminate them! No, “Nothing is too hard for God” or beyond His reach or outside his ability to make right. Jer 32:17, 27 Mt 19:26
This whole process is for our good and our learning by firsthand experience the righteousness of God so that we can fully enjoy and appreciate our relationship with Him throughout all eternity! Hallelujah! Praise God Who was in Christ Reconciling the world to himself!!!
2 Corinthians 5:19–21 (NLT)
“For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”
We need to see these words of Christ in John 12:47-48 by the Spirit Who knows no limits rather than seeing them through the limitations of the fleshly nature of the natural man. Let’s take verse 47 first. It is easily understood and means exactly what it says; “And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world” We simply do not see the magnitude of the words because of the limitations imposed on our thinking through the preconceived notions of our fleshly nature – “Surely God doesn’t really mean that” or “God could not be that Gracious could he?”. We have the same problem with the second, verse 48, “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him— the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.” We read this and immediately our lower nature and limited fleshly thinking says “This surely means that God will judge and condemn us” because we are thinking in a legalistic mentality from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil giving more recognition to our works resulting in sin rather than thinking in a Spiritual state of mind, giving more recognition and Glory to the Love and Grace of God toward all of his creation; especially His Children.
Actually Jesus says the ones that reject him and do not receive His “Words” NOW will be judged LATER (‘in’ the last Day) by the “Word” He has spoken.
Two completely different Greek words are used here for “words” and “word” the first is not the plural of the second as we would think of it in English. “Words” here in Greek is “Rhema” meaning a presently spoken, or being spoken word NOW which is only “part of the whole – “Word” here, which in the Greek is “Logos” is the whole “Message” “Reasoning” “Topic” “Compilation” or even “treatise, systematic treatment of a subject (Ac 1:1)” which HAS been spoken by Christ.
The phrase “in the last Day” is regretfully translated “at” the last day” in some translations which gives it a onetime thought of finality or strictness. This is not what the Greek word means here Ref. in the Louw, J. P., & Nida, Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament : Based on semantic domains it is (Louw Nida 83.13) Greek “en” and means here a position defined as being within certain limits—‘inside, within, or “in” the last day, as the NKJV has it and many others. “en” is often translated as “in those days” or “in that day” giving it a broader meaning than limiting it to one day or the strictness of a onetime final event. In fact Jesus only uses the phase “the last day” six times and four of those does not have this word preceding it. The only other place Jesus used this phrase with “en” preceding it was in John 6:39 where he says “John 6:39 (NKJV) “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.” And we know that the Father had given “All to Jesus” for it says in John 3:35 (NKJV) “The Father loves the Son, and HAS GIVEN ALL THINGS into His hand.” And better yet, the word “things” is not actually in the manuscript but was added by the translators. So the passage says “The Father has given ALL into his hand” Then later Jesus says of this “all the Father had given him he would LOSE NOTHING” – he saves ALL! So the only other place Jesus used these words in John 12:48 He was saying He would “LOSE NOTHING”. So whatever this judgment is it is not one where he would be losing anything! (accept our sinful nature)
So what is this judgment all about? The same thing all of God’s Judgments are about – “LOVE”. In His Love and mercy our Father desires ALL of His Children and All of creation to be RECONCILED back into a right relationship with him. This is why He created us – for the His pleasure and enjoyment in our relationship with Him. He would receive no pleasure in our ending up in an eternal torture pit or annihilating the ones that sin against him. And by the way, that would be all of us.
His judgments are for our correction, reconciliation and salvation; bringing about “repentance” – literally “a change of mind” turning us to his way and righteousness. And according to Jesus and Paul He will not give up until the last one comes home. He will not accept just 99 of His sheep but will continue to seek for and follow after that very last one until He brings it home with rejoicing! Luke 15:3-7. This is when it will be fulfilled that “every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Jesus Christ as LORD to the Glory of God the Father” Phil. 2:9-11, Isa 45:23, Rom. 14:11 When Christ will have the final victory destroying the last enemy – death. Then all that will be left is LIFE as it has swallowed up death forever. And Judgment will have served it’s purpose and be finally and forever finished!
YES! The Judgment of GOD is a GOOD THING!
So I said all that to say this: Being judged in the last day after we have received the whole counsel and message of God through Christ (Word=Logos) in our understanding – the logos – will certainly bring about the will and desire of God which is YOUR SALVATION! No matter how painful or difficult the process may be – that’s up to you now and then – “in the last day” You see “God’s Mercy endures Forever” and doesn’t’ even stop when our physical heart may stop beating. He is faithful to his word! His plan and redemptive purposes for mankind. Jesus Christ promised He came to SAVE THE WORLD! I believe He did what he said he came to do! In writing this I can hardly contain myself. Just the thought of it makes my heart overflow with unspeakable joy! It truly is GOOD NEWS! Hallelujah! Praise God in Christ Jesus!
About Universal Salvation or Reconciliation:
These verses dealing with judgments have nothing to do with our “ultimate” final and finished salvation and reconciliation back to God – that is a done deal through the Cross, death and resurrection of Christ; He said “it is finished” and He meant it – from His perspective. Now “we” are in the “process” of “working out our salvation” in Christ – making a reality in the physical world what is already done in the Spiritual Kingdom of God. Making God’s will to be done now on earth and in our lives what is already done in heaven or the Heavenly Kingdom/Realm/Rule – that is coming to earth through the Lordship of Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords progressively ruling and reigning in the lives of people in the earth. This is what Jesus was talking about when He said to pray to the Father that His “Kingdom would come and His will would be done in earth as it is in heaven” Mat. 6:10
Philippians 2:12–13 (NIV)
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, [awe and reverence – (NET. AMP.)] 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Hope this helps you along your journey into the Kingdom and Knowledge of God and His Christ.
Peace,
Evangelist Dennis D. Caldwell
