Sunday, February 23, 2014

Triple 'J' versus Triple 'N'

No, this isn’t a battle for ratings by two radio stations. It isn’t a wrestling match by two sides of three each. This is a battle for the mind and destiny of individuals and nations. It has consequences far beyond a play on words.

An old quote by a railway station sticks in my mind: ‘What you eat today walks and talks tomorrow.’ Turn that saying around and make it say: ‘What you believe today will guide your life and destiny.’ This undergirds the very issues of ‘J’ and ‘N’. The triple ‘J’ team points out Jesus, Justice and Judgement.’ The triple ‘N’ team comprises, No God, No absolutes and No Judgement.

If ‘N’ is correct we live in a world without a moral and spiritual compass. It makes every person a ‘god’ and therefore they expect due allegiance. What we witness in much of life is a classic battle of ‘the gods.’ However, beyond that, the cry for justice is meaningless. What do we mean by the term? Justice requires a standard. That standard requires absolutes. Breaking the standard implies judgement. There’s the problem for atheists, evolutionists or those who believe either death ends everything or we all go to heaven: Where is judgement exercised and justice meted out?
If we imagine it will be in this life then we are disillusioned and irrational. Where is judgement given to the Mafia bosses who rule by terror, live in luxury and die feted? Where is justice for all those who were never caught before death who abused children, corrupted individuals and institutions, even countries? What about the drug barons, war lords and slavers? Where is accountability to the religious wolves posing as sheep who rip apart the body of Christ, the Church? These pariahs of life imagine that belonging to the Triple ‘N’ team is to win. Their victims die as losers screaming for judgement to fall on the depraved destroyers of their lives.

Into this arena jumps the triple ‘J’ team. Jesus, Justice and Judgement bring a moral imperative for life. The ‘J’ team declares that this world is unfair and therefore unjust. Some perverted principle, power or person usurped creation and plays out its wickedness through the lives of people. Jesus is recorded as entering this world to deal with such poison. To do that He had to confront it, drink it, experience its killing power on behalf of the world. To break its power required His personal resurrection from the tomb. Only then could there be verification of victory. Here is the utterance that shatters the universe “Jesus, He is not in the tomb. He is Risen!” He is the testimony that offers a moral compass for living in time and eternity. Jesus is the guarantor of a future judgement day.

How can we be sure of this? It is the testimony of secular and sacred history. The existence of the Christian Church points to it. Lives transformed from the realm of Triple ‘N’ with its despair are an ever present testimony. Read the bible and sense the risen Lord’s presence. Jesus tells us that before Him every knee will bow. Every person will be accountable for his or her faith, unbelief and actions. Christ’s Jesus standard is Himself and His Word. When will this take place? After death comes the Judgement, Hebrews 9:27. and Revelation 20.

Those in the Triple ‘N’ team will know Heaven’s justice through Judgement. As there are degrees of rewards to those in the Triple ‘J’ team so there are degrees of punishment for those outside it. Both are eternal (Matthew 25:46). Some feel God is unfair to do such a thing. Such views are the warped thinking of those who don’t believe in God anyway. They really don’t have any concept of righteousness, justice, accountability and the Supreme Judge of all things. His judgements flow from His intimate knowledge of each of us. He looks at us to see whether or not Jesus is our Lord and Saviour. His decision is flavoured by His holiness, mercy, truth and justice.

The ‘N’ crowd may hypnotise themselves into imagining oblivion waits and therefore they will escape any form of judgement. The bible describes the after effects of such believing as producing an eternal weeping and gnashing of teeth. Those who cling to Jesus and belong by faith with Him in the ‘J’ team will know the price paid to belong has an eternal reward. In this world the Lord says to His followers they will not experience justice because they belong to Him. However, as Christ’s followers they are to give justice, express love and to live faithfully. Jesus is our moral compass. He will be our eternal reward.

The bible has forecast the end result of the contest between Triple ‘J’ and Triple ‘N’. Read it especially in the Gospel of Matthew and the book of Revelation. For followers of Jesus throughout eternity ‘J’ will stand for joy, jubilation and justice.



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