God’s Last Resort Language

Over the past twenty-five years a mother has suffered the loss of three sons. Now ninety-three years of age, she wants to know what she did wrong. When family members tell her it’s not her fault she cannot accept it. Another mother suffered the loss of three sons within ten years. In her eighties when I meet her, she too asked the question, “What have I done wrong?” It took her a few weeks to accept the reality that she was not to blame. A young mother’s four year-old son was lying gravely ill in hospital and she said, “I think God is punishing me.” Why do people point the finger at themselves without evidence to support it when tragedy like this strikes? 

Not having met the first mother, I can only assume she believes she’s done wrong in the eyes of God; that was the case with the other two. I can’t recall my own mother saying it but I do recall a couple of others and an aunt saying to their young children, “God will punish you for that!” It was the vocabulary of Roman Catholic nuns and priests too so perhaps that’s where the mothers and aunt got it from, given they were Roman Catholics. As kids, we may laugh that remark away but little do we realize the seeds of fear have been planted within – fear of God. It is not ‘fear’ as in ‘reverence’ for God, it is ‘fear’ as in ‘afraid’ of God. “They put the fear of God into me,” is not just a throwaway line, that’s exactly what happens.

In tragic circumstances, even people who say they don’t believe in God give evidence that they do when asking, “What have I done wrong?” They wouldn’t ask that question otherwise. When guilt sets in it becomes a tyrant. When things are ticking along ok in life, guilt can be denied, suppressed, curbed, stemmed, smothered, covered up, kept in check, pushed aside, bottled up – but it is difficult to overcome, snuff out or conquer. It can take time, but eventually fear of God will show up for the majority of people. That’s one reason why we have drug dependent and alcoholic people by the millions all over the world. That’s one reason why doctor’s surgeries and hospital wards are full every day in every town and city.

The person who says, “God will punish you for that,” is afraid of God; the one who says, “God will forgive you for that,” reverences Him. The former speaks the devil’s language; the latter speaks God’s language. The first person doesn’t know God, the second person does. That’s the difference. Unless one is familiar with God’s language, it is always going to be the devil’s language that comes to mind when people’s circumstances change. A church-going man’s wife died. He continued praying for her soul, suffering guilt when he didn’t. He asked his pastor about life after physical death and the pastor gave him three books to read; each one contained the devil’s language. We prayed together; he encountered the Lord Jesus and embraced God’s language – the Bible.

A youth leader came into the church. He was familiar with a lot of God’s language but he was familiar with a lot of the devil’s language too. So when he spoke to the youth, they received a mixture of both! Clearly, “God will punish you for that,” must have been the language of his upbringing, because he used it more to those under his charge than he ever did, “God will forgive you for that.” Some of those kids are no longer walking with the Lord. Presently it’s the devil’s language that motivates them in life and it’s our on-going prayer of intercession for them that one day they’ll encounter the true Lord Jesus Christ and embrace His language – the language of truth, love, mercy, compassion, forgiveness, liberty and no condemnation…….. Romans 8:1.

Yes, the language of God does include promises of punishment; the word itself is mentioned twenty-seven times. Punish – thirty-two times. Wrath – one hundred and ninety-eight times. Judgment – two hundred and ninety-four times. But … it is last resort language! First resort language is: Truth – mentioned two hundred and thirty-seven times.  Love – three hundred and eleven times. Mercy – two hundred and seventy-six times. Repent – forty-six times. Repentance – twenty-six times. Compassion – forty-one times. Forgive, forgiveness and forgiven – one hundred and five times combined. Free – fifty-nine times. Liberty – twenty-seven times. The church person who doesn’t express God’s first resort language must ask himself if he’s in possession of it.

The message of the Bible is we are born wrong (sinful); that’s why we do wrong (sin). But God doesn’t judge us for our being, only for our thinking and doing. The message of the Bible is Jesus Christ was born right (sinless); so through Him we can be put right. That’s the primary message of the gospel; that’s why ‘gospel’ means ‘good news’. For He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (Jesus) 2 Corinthians 5:21. That’s what born again means. John 3:3,7. If people had these glorious truths planted within them as children and were set examples so as to live according to them they would express true fear of God as adults and not be afraid of Him when their circumstances change.

The church that omits to tell their people they are born wrong will at some point have those amongst them asking, “What have I done wrong?” And they deserve a lot more than simply, “You haven’t done anything wrong.” Emotional sympathy will not comfort them as they lie awake listening to the voice of the devil in the middle of the night. He’ll have a ton of answers to cut across all that … and the one weapon he’ll use on them is guilt. The same guilt that mother or aunt, nun or priest planted in them when they were kids, “God will punish you for that!” For sure, they will see it as pay-back time, “I’m only getting what I deserve!” They will “connect the dots” with everything they know they have done wrong!

Essentially, throughout our lives, there are only two voices competing for our attention – the voice of Jesus Christ and the voice of Satan the devil – only two beings, in other words. Jesus is The Truth, Satan is the Liar. The voice we give most attention to is the one who rules the day. The same applies to those we surround ourselves with – family, friends, work colleagues and associates. The same applies to what we read, hear and watch on radio, TV, the movies and Internet. All play their part in molding and shaping us into who and what we are. Satan tells us we’re free thinkers, Jesus tells us we’re under the influence of somebody all of the time. It is wise for us to believe Jesus then get to know how He speaks.

It makes good sense to become remolded and reshaped into the image of Christ. Why? The person who does so submits to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. As a result, he or she never has to ask, “What have I done wrong?” When wrong (sin) is done, the conviction of it from the indwelling Holy Spirit comes so fast there’s no need for the question! That’s why wise Bible Christians own up and acknowledge (confess) their sin quickly without hesitating. Remember earlier, “God will forgive you for that.”? If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness 1 John 1:9. There’s the proof. To be honest before God about everything is to be free before God about everything.

People accuse Bible Christians of being irrational. Not so! That’s the voice of Satan the devil, who always accuses us of what he is himself whether we believe or don’t believe. What could be more irrational than the question, “What have I done wrong?” Everyone knows what they’ve done wrong; even a two year-old knows that! So when it comes to the death of loved ones or a grave illness, unless sheer neglect, gross irresponsibility, murder or poisoning has been committed by the one with that question, it is irrational to believe any wrong has been done in the matter. It would be far more rational for that person to list all the wrongs (sins) they have done and take them to Jesus and ask to get blood-washed.

There is another type of person who asks, “What have I done wrong?” But the question doesn’t get asked on the basis of guilt and fear. It gets asked on the basis of denial and belligerence. In other words, “Who are you to tell me what’s wrong?!” There was a time when he/she did have a sense of right and wrong; God put it within them and that’s why they’re without excuse on Judgment Day Romans 1:18-20. People firmly rejecting and turning from that which they know to be true are allowed by God to have their way in life. But they will reap the evil consequences of it one day. That’s when God’s last resort language will come into play. One pays a high price for loving darkness rather than light John 3:19.

God’s last resort language truly is last resort! His preference is always first resort language – truth, love, mercy, compassion and forgiveness. These He offered to Nazi War Criminals on trial at Nuremburg in 1945-46. God appointed USA Army Chaplain HF Gerecke to minister to the spiritual needs of these men and at least four received the gift of salvation before they were hanged: Day and night I remained with those who had committed their souls to God. I visited some of them often five times daily. Von Ribbentrop read his Bible the greater part of the day. Keitel was most moved by the portions which spoke of the redeeming power of the blood of Christ. Sauckel was very upset and said many times that he would collapse before the execution of the sentence. He prayed out loud continually, “O God be merciful to me a sinner.”

More from Chaplain Gerecke: The sincere repentance that God worked in the lives of those who, according to human estimation, were only worthy of the deepest infamy, may give perhaps a ray of hope to those who have corrupted their lives through sin. “The Blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from ALL sin.”

If ever there was a time for someone to say, “God will punish you for that,” it was the Chaplain’s time. But he didn’t say it, he said, “God will forgive you for that.” Yes, the majority of them rejected Jesus and His forgiveness and they’re now suffering the consequences. But they can’t blame God. They were offered heaven, they chose hell. Are they asking, “What have I done wrong?” If so, it can be guaranteed their primary answer is, “I rejected the Lord Jesus Christ.” How foolish to make such a choice. Don’t become a recipient of God’s last resort language. It will ring in your ears throughout all eternity. For what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Mark 8:36. I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me shall not abide in darkness John 12:46.