Today’s Daily Lesson comes from Genesis chapter 9 verses 11 through 15:
11I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.’ 12God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.
And also John chapter 3 verses 17 and 18:
17 “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.18Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already.”
The Son does not come to condemn us. We’ve done a good enough job condemning ourselves already. We know our own misdeeds. We are conscious of our sins. We know the things no one else knows. We look at the skeletons in the closet every night. If all that is in our hearts were revealed we would surely die.
The Son came into the world to save us from the wrath of our dark hearts. He came to spare us from the guilt and shame we heap upon ourselves. He came not to condemn us but to save us.
In Genesis God gave the rainbow as a sign that God would never again send a flood to destroy the earth for its sin. The word for rainbow is the word for the archer’s bow used as a weapon of war. The meaning is clear, God literally hung up God’s weapon against the world.
God is not at war with us. God sent the Son unarmed into the world to prove it.
So we should no longer be at war with ourselves. For if God has not condemned us; we have no right to go on condemning ourselves.
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