THE BAD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL: A LENTEN MEDITATION

There cannot be good news without bad news. There cannot be deliverance without a real threat from which to be delivered. Likewise, there cannot be the Good News of salvation without the bad news about what we have been saved from.

In contrast to this, many theistic evolutionists have stated that if God had destroyed the Canaanites, as the Bible describes, they cannot and will not believe in such a God.

However, if they will not believe that God had brought about this temporary judgment, then they will also refuse to believe in the final and eternal judgment, which is far more terrifying, as Jesus had implied:

·       “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him [God] who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28; ESV)

The Bible often warns about the consequences of rejecting the Good News. In fact, Jesus had uttered the most warnings about the eternal fate of those who reject Him:

·       “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves…You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?” (Matthew 23:15; 33)

By issuing these warnings, was Jesus deficient in love? No! He was the model of love, and we too must warn. My concern is that many pastors are leaving out the bad news to the detriment of their eternal destiny.  

Out of compassion, Jesus often included the Good News with the bad news:

·       “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate.” (Matthew 23:37-38)

In fact, these kinds of warnings are found throughout the NT and are even found in the OT. Consequently, to reject them is to reject God’s Word.

We cannot deny the bad news without also denying the Good News. To just receive the verses that feel right to us is to be God’s judge and to reject His judgments of our rebellion and final destiny. Instead:

·       But he [Jesus] answered [Satan], “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by EVERY word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4)

The scoffer will say that this is unfair. But this is God’s nature. To reject God’s righteous nature is also to reject God. It is also to reject oneself, created in the image of God. We too tell our children to obey us. We do not say, “Obey only the 90% of my commands.” No! We do not wait until they transgress their quota. We correct them for any one infraction. Likewise, the math teacher does not begin to fault the students’ errors after the student has fulfilled their quota. Instead, they mark as “wrong” every wrong answer.

We cannot have the Good News without the grace and mercy of God in overlooking our damning sins. To insist on His grace without acknowledging the price of His grace, is to reject Him and His sacrifice on the Cross. It is to reject the Good News.