Yesterday, my beautiful wife Brandee told me that she woke up frustrated. As usual, it had something to do with me. She told me that when she woke up in the morning, she thought to herself, “Travis really loves the world, that’s why he’s trying so hard to justify being ‘in it’.” This thought upset her, as she really wants to live a redeemed, holy life (as do I) but the stigma that surrounds the search for truth, the battle & balance between Separatism & Conformism is broad, and criticism is delivered from all sides.
As she started to develop additional thoughts to support her first, this remarkably common verse came to her mind:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16, emphasis mine)
Aren’t we supposed to love the world? She was excited that the Holy Spirit was revealing something to her about the journey we are on, and I was excited to hear it! I decided to expand on the thoughts she had, and take John 3:16 and the next verse in context:
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16,17)
We have all been sent into the world by Jesus, in the same way God sent Jesus into the world, not to condemn the world but to save them through Him. I can’t begin to express how crucial it is that we take this seriously, break out of the christian subculture, and permeate popular culture with light & truth! It’s time to abandon our boastful attitudes about our avoidance and ignorance of the world, reintroduce and reacquaint ourselves with our neighbors and the way they live. Jesus did it. The world will take notice and respect what we have to say when they see us living among them with integrity.
Recent Comments