If I Am Lifted Up
“I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me will not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.” (John 12:46-47)
There are multitudes of Christians and others who do not believe Jesus came to save the world. They believe he has commissioned the church to do so. They spend countless hours and millions of dollars trying to do what Jesus has already promised to do…“save the world”…he does not need help. I do not believe he will judge us for not getting people saved, he will judge us for not believing he would save them. And when he does save them, his word will judge us for our unbelief.
There are multitudes of Christians and others who do not believe Jesus came to save the world. They believe he has commissioned the church to do so. They spend countless hours and millions of dollars trying to do what Jesus has already promised to do…“save the world”…he does not need help. I do not believe he will judge us for not getting people saved, he will judge us for not believing he would save them. And when he does save them, his word will judge us for our unbelief.
“He who rejects me and does not receive my sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.” (John 12:48)
Whatever you have heard this means in a church, forget it, it most likely is wrong. The judgment he is talking about is the shame that will accompany those who do not believe Jesus will “save the world”. I did not say believe IN Jesus, I said believe his words… ”I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world”.
One judgment from God is already on this world. That judgment is death and “it is appointed unto mean once to die, and after that the judgment.” But the judgment of “the last day” will be the words of Jesus. It will judge those who do not believe what he said.
The fire will consume that unbelief and they will then become believers.
“Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” (John 12:31-32)
Death is the judgment now on this world. Death's rule over mankind is to be "cast out" and Jesus will "draw all men" to himself.
When Jesus returned to life after dying on the cross the deal was done. In being “lifted up” from the grave, he was given all power power and authority to “draw all men” to himself when he returns to lift us up from the grave.
I know, I know, your church taught you that he was referring to being lifted up on the cross. But being lifted up on the cross did not save Jesus or anyone else. If he had not been resurrected the cross would have no value at all. He was lifted down from the cross and put in a tomb, but it could not hold him. He was “lifted up” out of the tomb and waits at the Father’s right hand for the command to go “draw all men” to himself when he returns to “save the world”.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” (John 3:16-17)
There is no greater darkness than what one finds in the churches of the world. Professing themselves to be wise, they deny the word of the very Savior they worship and adore. And the message of the "reconciliation" of the world is nowhere lifted up in the pulpits of those churches. But here it is "the message of reconciliation" we have been commissioned as ambassadors to share...
“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:14-21)
“Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” (John 12:31-32)
Death is the judgment now on this world. Death's rule over mankind is to be "cast out" and Jesus will "draw all men" to himself.
When Jesus returned to life after dying on the cross the deal was done. In being “lifted up” from the grave, he was given all power power and authority to “draw all men” to himself when he returns to lift us up from the grave.
I know, I know, your church taught you that he was referring to being lifted up on the cross. But being lifted up on the cross did not save Jesus or anyone else. If he had not been resurrected the cross would have no value at all. He was lifted down from the cross and put in a tomb, but it could not hold him. He was “lifted up” out of the tomb and waits at the Father’s right hand for the command to go “draw all men” to himself when he returns to “save the world”.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” (John 3:16-17)
There is no greater darkness than what one finds in the churches of the world. Professing themselves to be wise, they deny the word of the very Savior they worship and adore. And the message of the "reconciliation" of the world is nowhere lifted up in the pulpits of those churches. But here it is "the message of reconciliation" we have been commissioned as ambassadors to share...
“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:14-21)