Brimstone: The Art And Act Of Holy NonjudgmentSample

Conclusion

The scriptures do speak of a final day of judgment called the “bema seat.” Fortunately, you will not be judged for your sin because Jesus already took care of it. The judgment instead will be about how you lived since Jesus got you off the hook. In other words, you’re not going to be judged based on whether you are free or not, but on what you did with the freedom Jesus gave you.

Unlike an ex-con who gets out of jail after paying his penalty and then uses his freedom only to serve himself, we are invited to live in the freedom of Christ to help others also find freedom in him. If being a disciple means that Christ is being formed in us, and if, like Paul says, “we have been crucified with Christ so it’s no longer us who live but Jesus living in us,” and if it’s true that the hope of glory—that is, the hope of God for the world—is Christ in us, then we have an unprecedented opportunity to walk in the world exactly like Jesus did.

So in answer to the question on the very first page as to whether Jesus would bake a wedding cake for the gay couple. I’d say yes, He would. He has baked the cake for all of us. While we were yet sinners, sinning daily, screwed up to the deepest level, stiff-arming Him and His grace, Christ died for us. He went to our parties; drove us home when we were drunk; washed the vomit off our clothes and tucked us in bed. And then the next morning He made us breakfast and gently helped us to the table where He could share a few helpful words. Yes, He goes to our weddings too. He hangs back as a gentleman and lets us live our lives for ourselves, pursuing all the empty trash the world has to offer. He holds His tongue until we ask for help and never interrupts our boisterous ramblings. He’s just always there, like a perfect friend.

Considering all this, for us who have had our cake and eaten it too, let us live as a true aroma of Christ instead of a stench or fume of brimstone.

May wisdom be proved right! May the church come alive! And may you live like Jesus.

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