God's Exception

So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil (2 Corinthians 5:9–10).

God has given mankind freewill to act (Joshua 24:15; Romans 12:2), but He will judge everyone impartially (Ecclesiastes 11:9–10; 12:13–14; Romans 2:6–11; Hebrews 9:27). Thankfully, God has not condemned everyone, although we, because of our willingness to sin, deserve it (Romans 3:23; Galatians 3:22).

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). “For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:3–7).

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God (John 3:18–21).

God’s exception to eternal condemnation is the humble soul willingly following His commands — seeking Him diligently (Hebrews 11:6). When the apostle Peter preached the gospel to the household of Cornelius, he made is clear “that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him” (Acts 10:34–35).

Doing what is right is not left to us to decide; in other words, we don’t determine what are good and bad deeds — “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

“For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:5–10).

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9–11).

God’s exception is His one and only Son — “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:16–17; also see John 1:14, 18). “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36).

Obedience means we’re zealously doing what God commands because His words are eternal life (Titus 2:11–14; John 6:68; 12:48–50). And God’s commands are not burdensome (1 John 5:3–5). “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. . . . You are my friends if you do what I command you” (John 15:10, 14).

Judgment is coming for everyone (Rom. 14:12). It will be fair and just. Yes, we all deserve God’s wrath because of our own sins against Him; but He has provided an exception — “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:3–4).

Avoid Such People

Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, 

says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you.

—2 Corinthians 6:17—

Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the 

appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

—2 Timothy 3:5—

Following Jesus means that we’re living in this world, but our citizenship is not of this world: the apostle Paul said so, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). Part of what this means is that we live here, but our thoughts and ways should not remain here—we’re looking to the eternal as we walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 4:16—5:7; also read Isaiah 55:8–11).

“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ [a contextual reference to baptism (Col. 2:12)], keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:1–3).

The title of this brief article comes from the larger context of 2 Timothy 3:1–5:

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

Paul warns us about who our friends and acquaintances are—“Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupt good morals. Awake to soberness righteously, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God: I say this to move you to shame” (1 Cor. 15:33–34).

In a different context, the same apostle Paul urged Christ’s followers:

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God (2 Corinthians 6:14—7:1).

How do we go about cleansing ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit?
My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings. Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the center of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life. Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you. Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you. Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established. Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil (Proverbs 4:20–27 WEB).

Also, our entertainment—what we read and watch—truly affects how we think and act. We believe differently because we will read and watch what we want and act as if it won’t influence us at all. We need to be discerning and then do what we know is right and pleasing to the Lord who made and saved us (Romans 12:1–2; Philippians 4:8–9), including avoiding such people who are not helping us get closer to God, but pushing us further away.