Reversed Order Thinking

Reversed Order Thinking

5/25/21

How many of us would say that we have fallen victim to looking and then accepting only our way of thinking when a situation develops?  If we are honest, we have all wanted our names in the spotlight when matters such as these arise.  We must take into consideration that there are many ways to view a situation which means there are other means and explanations to such settings as well, there is nothing wrong with this as long as the core is kept true within the intended words.  In this case, the core of what is intended is the Word of God and when we speak of passages and verses we must never deviate from its Truth in meaning and standard.  This type of realization needs to be understood in order for us to witness to others when an opportunity comes along, for if we do not, then that opportunity will fade away without any seed planted or future fruit produced.  Another question now begs here and that is do we realize just how many opportunities have been missed due to this lack of knowledge?

There is not one of us who has kept every law in the books willingly and purposefully.  This does not mean that we are bad people but the ones who have done things wrong.  How many laws and rules have you broken?  I know that I would lose track if I began to think about those instances in my life.  It does not matter how big or small these breakings were/are, they represent a stat that none of us can be excluded.  While the majority of people do their best to keep the truth in place we have to admit that there are those who see nothing wrong with lying, stealing, and doing other no good deeds to people along with harm to others.  The younger generations seem to have these mischievous acts down pat and have no remorse about the acts they do nor do they display any emotions when caught.  It cannot be argued that many of today's younger people have total disregard for laws and respect, but how do we talk to these people and approach their needs in the correct manner?  It is only achieved if we understand how the people who do such activities see things and appropriately respond to them.

How do many people look at the Bible or the contents of the Bible?  In that light, how do people view God?  The responses would seem endless on both of those topics and should not come as any surprise.  You might be surprised that even a good number of Christians do not have a favorable view of God or how He operates within our lives.  Since this is the case, we cannot blame those who have no idea about God to also not have a favorable view about God.  Have you ever encountered such a person?  We should have, for it is these people who Jesus commanded us to witness.  One of the most effective lies Satan tells us is that God does not love us and that if He did why would He send His only Son to earth just to die.  Countless people are so lost and without love, in their lives, it is easy for them to believe such a lie; therefore, stay away from such a Being that would do such a horrid thing.

The passage that God uses for this article is probably one of the most famous ones if not the most famous and that is John 3:16-17.  Yet it is a passage that is used against God in many ways and forms and when it is presented to the Christian for explanation some of us cannot adequately explain why God had no choice but to send Jesus to earth, live, die, and rise again.  This is a sad thought to have to cross our hearts but it is true and as long as we cannot truthfully explain why Jesus came here, every effort that we do to try and reach the lost shall fall on the cemented ground and immediately burn up from the heat.  The passage goes as follows:

John 3:16-17

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

Greek

"For God so loved the world that He gave [His] one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God {did} not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."

The word "loved" used in verse 16 is the Greek word "egapesen" which means to love, to wish well, to take pleasure in, long for, the love of reason, and to esteem.  It has never been the intention of God to destroy the world, He has always tried His best to get people to understand why it is important for us to keep Him first and live under His Ways.  Take a look at this word's definition, do you see something of a pattern that was followed some time back at the beginning of the Bible?  It is the same affection God had after each Created day in Genesis.  It is this same love that God had for the Creation of the world that allowed Him to send His Son to the world for us.  Can we explain such love to a person who has never experienced such a state?  We better, because the world even though it was loved by God, cannot provide such a perfect condition and it is our job to know this passage well enough to find ways to explain such love to them.

In verses 17, we see the usage of the word "save" and it comes from the Greek word "sothe" which has the definition to save, heal, preserve, rescue, deliver, protect.  This word too is a powerful and strong word that has an eternal meaning for it responds to the reason God sent His Son to the world because God recognized that the world was in trouble and that mankind could not do it on its own.  God makes a brilliant move here that mankind could never do in such a capacity, the only one teste close enough was Abraham but God knew that a true human sacrifice would not be sufficient for all of eternity since animal sacrifices, created by earthly methods, were already not good enough for eternal sakes.  With all of the ones looking for the answer to life's questions, it would seem like these beautiful people would quickly follow God yet so many die each day in their sins have no clue about their Savior.

Now, given the fact for many churchgoers this passage is the core of the relationship that God wants with us and the single purpose Jesus came to this earth.  Even with this knowledge, it is still difficult for many to come to grips with such a Truth.  We have grown up with this passage etched into our minds and heart as one of faith and the Hope that we have in Christ in a relationship and in Covenant terms with God.  It is common knowledge for us to think about this passage and draw upon its love and security for what God allowed to occur simply because we failed Him way back in the Garden of Eden.  But this true and heavenly promotion is not shared by everyone and the promotion that has been provided to them is not a healthy one for no lie is healthy to anyone or to any part of the human being.

Let us take a look at how many people feel about this passage of Scripture in that they do not see what we know about these two verses.  Remember there are countless people who grew up in violent or broken-filled homes with no stability whatsoever to speak of.  When you take this point of value it changes things when it comes to giving and receiving, you know the same concept of sowing and reaping.  These people know nothing about what it means to properly give something to others strictly out of love, with no strings attached.  So, to be honest, when these people question why God would send His Son to the earth just to die they are only following the pattern that they have watched all throughout their lives, and that is selfish content based strictly on lies.  "How can you believe anyone who would give up their son to purposefully die" is usually the form of the question that is posed and through their experiences in life it is a valid question.

Have you ever thought about their side of the story and the reasoning they have such doubts about God?  What would expect from a person who has grown up with a lousy childhood, a violent upbringing, men and women in and out of their parents' bedrooms with no stability guaranteed for the next morning, or any one of the numerous other toxic conditions that humans can dream up?  How many of us would react according to what we have been taught to do by the methods of witnessing, that is to say, begin your arguments about these two verses in shock and awe that you would find out that someone differs from your opinion or beliefs.  This type of setting occurs on a regular basis and by the time the conversation ends, you are frustrated that your words were not heard and the people leave with deeper and deeper agitations concerning God.  Nothing solved with the exception that someone down the line will have a more difficult time correctly witnessing to them.

For someone who has not been subjected to a family that demonstrated real love to them, they cannot help but have different outlooks on what love is and how it is shown as stated above.  In like manner, for those of us who have not been in a predicament of lying love, it is difficult for us to understand what those hurting people have been through.  Thus, we need to be aware of what their feelings are in order to adequately speak to them in a way that they can know that the truth is out there and wants to be a part of their lives.  Yelling and screaming at them does not help anything, in fact, it deepens their commitment to their beliefs and thickens their course of freedom from the lies they have been told.  This is where we need to have the knowledge of being in the world because we live in it but not be of the world, for when we live this life we can know how to relate with these people and witness to them properly.

We have been so busy mucking about with the dissertations of our own religiosity that we have totally forgotten what it means to witness or to be a witness for Jesus Christ.  We shall never win one person to Christ with a continued attitude of "holier than thou" toward people who do not know God, the only position with unbelievers when we present this attitude is that of what the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes did.  Until we understand Jesus' message to the people of His day and to the command of what He gave His Church to complete, our numbers and influence upon the world shall decrease.  Jesus taught in parables, which meant that even though He was the Son of God He still knew how to relate to those who were listening to Him.  Jesus never chastised the people for their lack of understanding of God, He told them about it but He never was angry at them, even as He was dying on the cross.

Do we know how to really grab the attention of those who do not believe that God really and truly sent His Son to die for our sins and to rise again in order to provide an eternal Sacrifice for every bad deed we have ever done or will do?  Do we know the Word of God well enough to reach these people in the same manner as Jesus did, or can we only quote verses of Scripture that we cannot explain to them when they ask?  This ineptness goes back to the lack of knowledge that is talked about throughout the New Testament and referred to in the Old Testament.  We have conceded that knowing famous verses in the Bible and then just quoting them when in time of need is sufficient enough to win over those who do not believe, or enough to bring us out of a jam when all of a sudden we need God.  I bet you that many of those who read this article have no clue what kind of love this passage of Scripture refers to and since this is the case how can we even claim to be an adequate source for God.

We should hang our heads sharply down in shame for we have produced and sold a sham of a Way to God simply because we ourselves have no clue about what should live within our hearts.  It is time that we dive back into the Word of God and study its true meaning for life and for survival.  In no manner whatsoever should we be focused on our own survival first fro we should have already been confident enough to advance past this Foundation, we need to be out talking with those who do not know God and showing them through the Word of God from their point of view.  Jesus taught in parables so that everyone would think about what He was teaching and telling the people.  Jesus always said that there was much more to life than just the physical aspects of our existence, that the spiritual was far greater than what we see with our eyes and the method by which He taught people this is brilliant.

This method of Jesus' teaching is exactly what God is trying to say to us today through this topic, He wants us to relate to the people that are lost and are suffering.  God understands that He cannot force anyone to accept Him and His Son but it is only their choice to do so.  Jesus knew this as well when He was on the earth, He always stated the facts and as to what was occurring around the people they were acquainted with.  Jesus knew that these people would have a difficulty in believing why God would do such a thing, not because they were stupid or dumb but because the enemy of all eternal humanity had been able to run roughshod over their lives from all angles.  This cannot be more specified as to why God stated in verse 17 that He did not send His Son into the world to condemn it; well, for a person who has been witness to everything pain and hurt for their entire life, I would have a hard time accepting this verse as well.  Can we say that we have enough faith in these two verses to counteract the reversed order thinking that so many people have?  Are we prepared enough to lovingly receive such words from hurting people and have the understanding of where they are coming from to help them hear and accept the Truth?

I look at many people who I have known for a long time and who call themselves Christians and through their actions, it is obvious that they could not defend such a powerful passage if it ever came to the point of its challenge.  This is a sad state, especially when a great number of Christians fail to recognize that they live in the exact same condition that those who question this passage live.  We have become spiritually blind to our own teachings, and it breaks God's heart.  Defending God's Word does not just lie within one side, Jesus understood how to reach the folks of His day and it is our responsibility to reach the people of our day in the same manner.  That takes studying the Bible on a daily basis, and seeing, really seeing that people do not know God and if they do not know Him that there is a place that they will be sent that is not pretty at all, in fact, it is Hell.

It is this same complacency from our hearts that will lead many of us into separation from God when He says that it is time for His shaking to occur.  Many will not understand why these things will be happening, and once again we shall be placed into a position of questioning and we shall not know how to answer them correctly.  In no way is God referring to the rapture of the Church here, He is talking about getting us ready for a return to Him and His Ways.  It is coming and we need to be prepared on all levels for there will be a bunch of angry people running around doing their best to seek out unsuspecting folks and groups wanting to have some type of sustenance.  Actually, all of those mishandled questions and answers for all the past years shall be commencing to expose themselves in a physical manner, think about that for a while Church.  God wants our hearts back to Him and the time for repentance is now and immediately after repentance we need to study, study, pray, pray and pray some more.

God asks you this question: are you prepared well enough to handle people who have a reversed order thought process concerning God and His Son?  It is vital not only for those who absolutely have no idea about God but for you and your eternal position too.  Stop and think about things for a while, if people knowing the Word of God and then just going out and speaking its content on a regular basis worked, then the majority of conversions to God would occur in the church building alone, but they do not.  For as long as I can remember, and way further back, people witnessing to their friends, families, coworkers, and other acquaintances brought in the majority of people who accepted Christ as their Savior.  Today, hardly anyone is coming to Christ in any manner of witnessing which shows us exactly that we do not have enough knowledge about the Bible to answer simple questions from others.  There are a few days left folks before things drastically change and our command from Jesus becomes harder to complete.  Let us do our part by repenting ourselves and then daily be a witness to those who need Him and reverse the reversed order thinking that has so many far away from God.

DLB