God’s World
4 min read
16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. 17 Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.”
John 7:16-17
God’s world. God’s rules. This world operates according to God’s economy, because God created this world. Of course, God’s perfect world became broken and corrupted because of sin. And yet, God’s rules still provide the opportunity for the best possible life—life to the full—even in a broken world.
Because we live in a broken world, the truth that God’s world works best according to God’s rules is not easy to live by. Judgment begets judgment. Unforgiveness begets unforgiveness. Oppression begets oppression. Betrayal begets betrayal. Violence begets violence. Our sinful tendency is to always fight fire with fire, but that principle only really works on literal fires.
In human relationships, fighting fire with fire destroys relationships and leads to chaos, not peace. And I am convicted that when God says that He will punish the sin of parents to the third and fourth generation, He is pointing to the principle that sin begets sin (Exodus 34:7).
And if that were the only principle at work in God’s world, what hope would there be for us? The greater principle at work in God’s world and in our lives is that God shows “love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments” (Exodus 20:6).
And so when Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, and the second is like it—to love our neighbors as ourselves—that is the golden rule in God’s world that produces peace and blessings.
And yet, so often, so many of us—even Christians—choose to fight sin with sin. Especially in terms of our relationships, we may receive immediate satisfaction when we fight sin with sin. But ultimately, we are only harming ourselves. Hurt people hurt people, producing cycle after cycle of hurt.
On the other hand, when we live by the Spirit, the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control are produced (Galatians 5:22-23), and even more.
Father, Forgive me whenever I want to fight sin with sin. Help me to do Your will always, especially when it comes to relationships. Let Your Spirit reign in me so that I may bear the fruit of the Spirit in my life. And let this be the generation that repents and puts our trust wholly in You, so that generational sins may stop. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
