Shall Not Perish Pt. 5 - The How of Judgement - Jan. 22 2017 - a podcast by VOX Community Podcast

Mike Erre continued his analysis of the "shall not perish" portion of John 3:16. This week, he dissected the nature of God's judgment, which is widely misunderstood. While many see His judgment as God's relishing the opportunity to smite misbehaving humans, judgment is actually the natural outcome of our sins. The bible is replete with language and imagery exemplifying the fact that sin and destruction go hand in hand; sin inevitably leads to death. Just as a long-time smoker cannot be angry at God for a lung cancer diagnosis, we cannot be be angry at God for death when it is the sinful choices we make that lead to that death. Within that framework, when we find ourselves in challenging circumstances, we cannot think that God is punishing us for our sin. Such circumstances demonstrate God's mercy and kindness; without such challenges, we would forget that our human path leads to death. If God were to punish us, he would do so by not intervening and letting us have our selfish way and the death that comes naturally from that selfishness. Thankfully, God does step in occasionally, saving us from ourselves.

Story By Casey and Stephanie Olsen

Casey and Stephanie reminded us that God works in mysterious ways that may be evident only in hindsight. One day we may say, "why do we deserve this?" but the next day we may look back to the challenges that made us question God and see his beautiful plan. Circumstances that may bring about anger and depression can lead to renewed and strengthened faith in the future, if we can hang in there and recognize that God's plan is perfect, but often feels far from perfect in the moment.

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