How can a good person be God's enemy?
There are only two choices, because there are only two sides: Life or Death. And if you won’t choose to be God’s friend, you don’t have another option.
For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. (Romans 5:10)
Studying history is an essential part of making wise choices. If we lose sight of what has happened our pasts, we will ultimately make the same decisions. If we lose perspective of why those hard decisions were made at pivotal times in history, we won’t understand why they mattered.
Think back to World War II. What a horror. I don’t think any movies that have been made about that time in history can adequately represent the trauma soldiers from all sides had to endure. My grandfather was part of the D-Day Invasion of Normandy in 1944. He came home with two purple hearts, and I know the arches of his feet fell because he marched all over Europe. That’s all I really know.
Germany got a raw deal in World War II. Actually, Germany got a raw deal at the end of World War I, which is mostly what caused World War II. That doesn’t excuse the choices they made. That doesn’t make the horrible things they did okay. But it’s wise to remember that first victims of the Nazis were German citizens. Not all of Germany wanted what happened. But during that time, all Germans were guilty as far as the average person was concerned.
And that’s how it has played out in many other wars too, stretching even to modern-day America. Think of the aftermath of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center towers. How many people, in their grief and fear, came after innocent American citizens simply because they were from the same culture as the terrorists?
In times of war, unfortunately many people suffer guilt by association. If you are in any way similar or connected to the enemy, you become the enemy too.
There’s a lot of good people in the world. Did you know that? I’m blessed to have so many friends across so many cultures and religions and national borders. They are good people. Decent people. Honorable people. Responsible, trustworthy, moral.
How could someone with all those character qualities be an enemy of God?
To answer questions like that, we have to understand truly who God is. I don’t know how many times the Bible calls God righteous (Psalm 11:7, Psalm 48:10, Ezra 9:15) or how many times the Bible calls God holy (1 Samuel 2:2, 1 Peter 1:15-16, Psalm 77:13, Isaiah 6:3). He is perfect (Deuteronomy 32:4) and great (Psalm 113:4, Psalm 145:6, 1 Chronicles 29:11, Exodus 34:6).
Puny, finite humans like us can’t wrap our minds around this. We live in bodies that are decaying every day. We can’t go thirty minutes without doing something wrong or not doing something right. We accept it in each other because we’re all flawed.
But unlike the historical examples of guilt by association, that’s not what is happening here. We are all guilty. Our failures carve an impassable chasm between us and God. It’s not that He can’t get to us; we can’t get to Him. We are the ones who are limited by our imperfections.
The perfect cannot be in the presence of the imperfect. Light and Darkness can’t be friends (2 Corinthians 6:14). No matter how focused we are, how diligent we are, how intentional we are, we can’t be perfect. We can’t be holy. We can’t be good. And even the best we can do is worth less than nothing in the life to come (Isaiah 64:6).
Not on our own.
We only have two choices. There are only two options, because this is a war and there are only two sides: Life or Death. Faith or Pride. Jesus or Yourself.
And if you won’t choose to be God’s friend, you don’t have another option. The only other choice is to be His enemy. In fact, all of us are born His enemies (Romans 5:12, Psalm 51:5).
But that’s the miracle of Romans 5:10, our verse for today. (And if you want a real blessing, read the whole passage, Romans 5:6-11.) While we were God’s enemies, He sent His Son to save us. Jesus came and died for you and for me when I was on the other side, guilty because of my own sin, not just guilt by association.
We don’t have to be God’s enemies. He has invited us—all of us—to be His friends, to be His family. He is the only One who can let us start over with a clean slate. He is the only Way.
It doesn’t make us perfect (yet). It makes us forgiven. It brings peace between us and God. It gives us direct access to Him as our Father.
Not everyone will choose Jesus. Most will choose themselves. I wish that weren’t the case, but it is (Matthew 7:13-14). But if you’re still here, if you’re still alive, if you’re still breathing, if you can still choose, you still have hope.
Where there is life, there will always be hope. But nobody is guaranteed tomorrow.
It’s time to choose. And fortunately, there are only two options.
For Deeper Study
Read Psalm 53:2-3, Romans 3:10-12, and 1 John 1:8. Who does the Bible say is truly righteous?
Read Ecclesiastes 9:3-4. Who are the only people who have hope? How does this relate to those who haven’t yet accepted Jesus?
Read Matthew 6:19-34. Pay special attention to Matthew 6:24. What is the primary benefit of wealth? How is earthly wealth connected to independence? When does wealth become a problem?
Read Deuteronomy 30:15-20. What are the only two choices that are given to a person? What are the results of choosing one versus the other?
For Reflection
What does it mean to you that you don’t have to be perfect to get to heaven?
How can God be good if He won’t accept everyone regardless of whether they believe in Jesus or not?
Why do you think more people will choose themselves than Jesus?
Weekly Memory Verse
