Borrow God’s Eyes

Many of us don’t. Some of us just plain won’t. It’s a hard truth to grasp, but one we had better work at. We are not a product of who we were. How do you spell relief? We’re not even a product of who we are – what our present behavior may make us look like. That can be the trickiest part. If God has the lock on truth, and whatever He says about you and me is the ultimate reality, then we come out looking pretty good. Some say too good.

There is something magic and magnificent about God’s larger and loftier view of us. He sees through an eternal lens, not a time bound one which binds us to the past and the “now.” He sees what we will be because of our identification with Christ, and chooses to lock His gaze there rather than being stuck as we tend to be on our muddling process of “becoming” more like Christ. We are fixed on the race. God is focused on the finish line, and sees it in the “now” even while our legs are still doing the running. He can do that. His being outside of time constraints is a huge advantage.

So what does that mean for us? Immense things! In 1 Corinthians 6:9+ Paul is addressing the early church and they truly had their struggles. The members of 1^st Corinth weren’t “lily white” by reputation if Paul is accurate. Not at all. He declares that some of them were “sexually immoral, some idolaters, swindlers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, thieves, greedy, drunkards, slanderers and swindlers.” Well, just lock them up somewhere and bar the church doors!  But wait! Paul goes on to say, “And that is what some of you were.” Key word, were. He’s looking beyond sin.

Paul is talking to and about people who had made a sincere profession of faith in Christ. I don’t question that these were believers. Maybe still struggling, but believers.  If people then were anything like people now, emerging through a “sinfull” past may not have been an overnight transition. Sin’s habits, bondages and strongholds can be severe. They often take time even with the help of God to guide us all the way through them and beyond. Can you say yes to that? Yet I believe Paul, speaking for our God of grace, chose the word “were” to anchor these people (and us) to the true identity they (and we) have because of Christ, despite their (our) past and any present tense battle we’re fighting to shed all the grime our sin might stick on us.

We may question our neighbors’ judgment as to whether their kid really is a “great kid” after coming home drunk and running over our ornamental cherry tree. We have that liberty to question our neighbor. After all, things at the moment don’t look too promising for Johnny Boy. But I believe we better think twice before we question the workings of God and imply His vision is slanted. Getting out of the judgment business and into the business of seeing God’s potential in others is definitely a vertical move on the career ladder. Climb aboard.

Mark Carlson