UPSIDE-DOWN & INSIDE-OUT

UPSIDE-DOWN & INSIDE-OUT

For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God didn't send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him.
John 3:16-17 WEB

Actually when you think of God giving his son for the redemption of all mankind; subsequently God gave much more for the most sinful people because they sinned much more and needed a larger redemption payment. When Jesus took on Himself the sin of the world; he had to take on much more suffering for the most wicked of all. This is ironic in that it gives greater worth and significance to their redemption than the redemption of a lesser sinner. Jesus may have been alluding to this idea when he said "anyone who is forgiven much loves much". Now this would be hard to wrap a dead fleshly mind around; because it would give greater value to the redemption of the most atrocious sinners. Because God would have "more invested" in them. But the mind renewed by the Spirit can hear Jesus as he speaks to the Pharisee as he was having a meal at his house.

Luke 7:36-47 AMPLIFIED BIBLE
One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to dine with him, and He went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. And behold, a woman of the town who was an especially wicked sinner, when she learned that He was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment (perfume). And standing behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with [her] tears; and she wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed His feet [affectionately] and anointed them with the ointment (perfume). Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw it, he said to himself, If this Man were a prophet, He would surely know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching Him--for she is a notorious sinner (a social outcast, devoted to sin). And Jesus, replying, said to him, Simon, I have something to say to you. And he answered, Teacher, say it. A certain lender of money [at interest] had two debtors: one owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they had no means of paying, he freely forgave them both. Now which of them will love him more? Simon answered, The one, I take it, for whom he forgave and cancelled more. And Jesus said to him, You have decided correctly. Then turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, Do you see this woman? When I came into your house, you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave Me no kiss, but she from the moment I came in has not ceased [intermittently] to kiss My feet tenderly and caressingly. You did not anoint My head with [cheap, ordinary] oil, but she has anointed My feet with [costly, rare] perfume. Therefore I tell you, her sins, many [as they are], are forgiven her--because she has loved much. But he who is forgiven little loves little.

Many times, even in the universal salvation camp, we will look at some "notorious" sinner and think; "well they should be happy that God is going to at least let them in" but we really don't think that they will be worth much to God. At least not like us who "have it all together" or so we think! According to this little episode God is going to receive MUCH VALUE (love) from them. We really need to be careful how we judge. Just about time we think we have it all figured out the Holy Spirit will throw us a curve that will strike us out when we were so sure that the others had struck out. God is just like that He seems to turn things upside down and all around so that it all comes out even in the end. You know the first will be last and the last first. Give and you will get more, keep what you have and lose it. Love those that hate you. You have to die to live - keep your life and you will lose it, lose your life for Jesus and you will find it.

Speaking of this inside-out way of looking at things, Paul said it like this:

2Co 5:16 ESV From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.

Jesus Christ put it like this:

John 8:15 ESV You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.

It was obvious by Jesus manner in that He did not try to assert a judgment regarding right and wrong in His contact with the world as is seen in the above story of the visit from the prostitute. But it is also obvious that He did voice a judgment with reference to right and wrong in His communication with the religious leaders as is also seen in the above story and His conversation with the Pharisees.

What are we to gather from this apparent dissimilarity in His approach and communication with these two groups?

I believe on the one hand He was saying to the religious leaders; you are not going to make it with this SELF-RIGHTEOUS ATTITUDE in all your LAW KEEPING (you think your keeping). You are not what you appear to be on the outside.

And on the other hand He was saying to this evidently sinful immoral woman; you are going to make it because of your LOVE and FAITH. You are not what you appear to be on the outside!

So here we have another one of those INSIDE-OUT God things. God seems to be keeping things just one step ahead of us so that we cannot ever fully figure Him out So that we will just have to trust him and have faith that He is working it all out for us all because He LOVES US. Which is what the immoral woman was doing and the self-righteous Pharisees were not doing.

You might think as I did at first when this thought first came to me. Jesus did not suffer any more for one than He did for another, oh that's not fair. So I guess He needs to go back and suffer some more for the ones that He didn't suffer as much for? Huh? No in reality some have committed a lot more sins, and more serious sins than others, and therefore would deserve more punishment and need more forgiveness. Jesus clearly agreed with this in this story when he related forgiving large or small debts with large or small amounts of forgiveness of sins.

Luk 7:47 ISV So I'm telling you that her sins, as many as they are, have been forgiven, and that's why she has shown such great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven loves little."

Others would object saying that Jesus suffered the same for us all because he died for sin singular instead of sins plural. BULL-CHIPS!!! Do a search through the New Testament on the words sin and sins and you will see they are used interchangeably. I realize the difference in the SIN problem and SINS problem but it has nothing to do with what I am discussing here which is FORGIVENESS of SINS not the sin nature that causes us to sin. I am dealing with after the fact not the cause of the fact. Jesus died for our SINS for our FORGIVENESS. We had nothing to do with the SIN NATURE that we inherited from Adam it came with the package like it or not. So we do not have to be forgiven for something we did not cause! Jesus took care of that too and we will be released from the bondage of that nature that causes us to choose to sin as well in due time. When the PURPOSE of it is completed. YES I said PURPOSE, this message is for MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY! He that has ears to hear let him hear.

You might say no no no, one sin is as breaking them all according to James 2:10. GNB Whoever breaks one commandment is guilty of breaking them all. So whether we sin little or much it would be the same penalty. So Jesus would have suffered the same for all. Do you really think God does business like that? That doesn't seem like an exactly fair system to me, to put all the murderers in with the jay-walkers with the same sentence.

James and those that had lived under that "old covenant" of "the law" as a means of relationship with God they saw it as a whole unit like a chain, break one link and you break the chain, it's all linked together as one. Look at the next verse

Jas 2:11 GNB For the same one who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not commit murder." Even if you do not commit adultery, you have become a lawbreaker (chain-breaker) if you commit murder.

It is like a circle if you break it at any point it is no longer a circle and therefore you have broken the whole thing. James certainly did not mean that if you told a lie you had just as well killed someone. In the old covenant of law there were always greater and lesser punishments and restitutions for differing sins. I think God would be as fair minded as us. The sacrificial and redemptive system of the old covenant (testament) which foreshadowed and typified Jesus Christ Who was the real fulfillment of those types had many variations of this.
This being the case then the punishment that Jesus bore in our stead would have been greater for some than others. This would paradoxically place more significance or worth on the redemption and salvation of the most horrendous of sinners.

Now enter the believer's good works, there will be rewards and positions granted for these in the Kingdom of God which rules over all these redeemed saved folks. Its not as if the trials and testing the believers went through were for naught, there will be great rewards for these.

What's my point? We that are believers and have the privilege of walking in the Kingdom should not under emphasize the worth and salvation of all people, no matter how things may look to us now. We should show the all inclusive, undivided, unbiased LOVE & GRACE of God with all MEEKNESS, KINDNESS, and HUMILITY without SUPERIORITY to ALL we come in contact.

Mat 23:11-12 GNB
The greatest one among you must be your servant. Whoever makes himself great will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be made great.

Mar 9:35 MKJV And He sat down and called the Twelve and said to them, If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.

Mar 10:31 MKJV But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.

Rev. Dennis Caldwell