CREDIT: Laura Friedman on FLICKR
Dear First Family and Friends,
You’ve likely heard, “Well, I’ve got some bad news for you and some good news.” I’m a “bad news first, good news” sort so I can leave feeling at least okay. Bad news, your baseball team just lost its best pitcher. But, you’ve still got your best hitters – so maybe they can slug their way to victory. Unfortunately, “bad news-good news” is usually more serious.
God’s Word is filled with “bad news-good news” situations. Through His prophet Ezekiel, chapter 33, God says, “I’ve got some bad news and some good news.” Bad news for the wicked, if you don’t turn away from your wickedness you shall die in your sin. (Ezekiel 33:9) But here’s the good news, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.” (Ezekiel 33:11)
But it’s not just the wicked to whom God has “bad news and good news” for. He says to those who believe in their own righteousness, “Though I say to the righteous … if he trusts in his righteousness and does injustice, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered, but in his injustice that he has done he shall die.” (Ezekiel 33:13) That’s some bad news as there’s only one who is truly righteous (Hebrews 4:14-15). So even those who think they’re righteous are also sinners and thus in the same “bad news boat” as the wicked. No amount of your righteousness will save you. We are all wicked in some way.
The good news though … all is not lost. Whether you’re truly wicked or think you’re righteous – even though you aren’t – while in the “bad news boat” you’re also in the same “good news boat” – “If the wicked … walks in the statutes of life, not doing injustice, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him.” (Ezekiel 33:15-16) Let’s thank God for warning us of the bad news so we can receive His good news.
In His Love,
Pastor Jim