The Ultimate Rejection Is God’s response to an unbeliever’s rejection appropriate? Read | Matthew 7:13-27 Matthew 7:13-27 New International Version (NIV) The Narrow and Wide Gates 13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. True and False Prophets 15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. True and False Disciples 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ The Wise and Foolish Builders 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” -------------------------------------- There is nothing that strikes deeper into the human psyche than rejection. The knowledge that someone considers us unwanted, unwelcome, or unqualified cuts to the core of our sense of self-worth. A rejected manuscript, failure to be accepted at our college of choice, or loss of a job—such things litter the landscape of our lives. Fortunately, most of us find we can handle this type of occurrence, though the experience is anything but pleasant. The Bible speaks of a different kind of rejection, which is quite another matter. It is hard to grasp the ultimate horror that will be experienced by those who turn down God’s loving offer of salvation. They will hear these three words coming from the mouth of Jesus: “Depart from Me.” More than once, our Lord speaks these words in the gospels, anouncing the doom of the disobedient. These individuals will find their lot in the agony of eternal separation from God. Many people have stumbled over the apparent harshness of Jesus’ words. They fail to recognize that this ultimate rejection is actually an appropriate response to the unbeliever’s refusal to receive the Lord’s solution for mankind’s sin problem. Yes, this rejection is the end of the road, but it’s a road paved with a lifetime of choices that left God out. Every decision to go it alone is a choice to embrace that final verdict of the Savior. Or as G. K. Chesterton expressed it, “Hell is God’s great compliment to the reality of human freedom and the dignity of human choice.” intouch.org
Posted on: Tue, 24 Sep 2013 00:52:06 +0000
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