Study the Bible and you will quickly see that judgment sits on the horizon. Scripture makes it clear that a day of judgment is coming in which the righteous will inherit eternity in Heaven. While the wicked will be sentenced to eternity in hell. God is the judge and will give His verdict on the last day. This is a truth of the Bible known by Christians and non-Christians alike. But what many don’t know is that God’s desire is not to judge but to forgive.
For just as you can easily find scripture that speaks of judgment within the pages of the Bible. You can also find passages speaking of forgivenesses. The truth is that judgement is not what God wants to do at all. Instead, He grants every person the ability to be forgiven. This is the very reason that Jesus came into our world. So that all people could have the opportunity to be saved.
John 3:16–17 (ESV)
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Many outside the church and even some inside the church believe that God enjoys judging people. That God likes sentencing souls to hell. But that couldn’t be farther from the truth. As God loves all creation regardless of what they have done. He wants nothing more than to forgive everyone of all their inequities. God Himself declared through Ezekiel that He does not find pleasure in the death of the wicked. But desires that the wicked turn from their wickedness and live. A truth that still stands true today.
Ezekiel 33:11 (ESV)
11 Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?
Not only does God want to forgive instead of judging, scripture indicates that God does all He can to make it possible for everyone to receive forgiveness. As both Peter and Paul write that God desires all people to be saved. Explaining that God is not slow in returning for the church as some assume but is in fact offering everyone ample opportunities to repent.
2 Peter 3:9 (ESV)
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
1 Timothy 2:4 (ESV)
4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
It’s true that the Bible speaks a lot about the impending judgment of the world. Telling of the pain, sorrow, and suffering that lies ahead for the many who will never come to God. But it is those very passages that show it is not God’s desire to judge or punish anyone. As they act as a warning to all who read them. A desperate cry to change one’s ways and accept the forgiveness and salvation God is freely offering.
Revelation 20:15 (ESV)
15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation 21:8 (ESV)
8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Matthew 25:46 (ESV)
46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
2 Thessalonians 1:9 (ESV)
9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,
If God’s greatest desire was to judge and punish then He wouldn’t have tried to steer us away from being judged in His word. Instead He would have allowed us to blindly follow the lusts of our flesh all the way to the judgment seat. Giving us no life changing knowledge or offering the plan of salvation. If God didn’t want to save the world, he would not have provided a way for the whole world to be saved.
Acts 2:37–38 (ESV)
37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 6:23 (ESV)
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
He also wouldn’t have told us where a sinful lifestyle leads. Nor would He show us examples of forgiveness in the Bible. Such as Paul who referred to himself as the chief most sinner. The very man who shows that anyone can receive God’s forgiveness despite their past actions.
1 Corinthians 6:9–11 (ESV)
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Timothy 1:15–16 (ESV)
15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.
But God gave us all this because He doesn’t want to judge anyone but wants to forgive everyone. There is not a soul that God wants to punish. No one that God wants to see face the perils of hell. Because He is merciful and deeply loves every single person in this world. Judgement is coming but it doesn’t have to come for you. In this moment you can choose to repent of your sins and receive the forgiveness that God is offering.
Don’t keep believing the lie that God hates you and wants nothing more than to judge you. Such a message will never be found in scripture. Instead you will find that God loves you deeply and is ready to accept you into His family. If you will only make the decision to turn from your sins. Choosing to instead embrace the ways of God and follow the plan of salvation.
If you are ready to experience God’s forgiveness but don’t know where to start, read this article on the plan of salvation. Or reach out to us through a comment or email. We would love to help you as you are starting to see that God’s true desire isn’t to judge or punish but to forgive.
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