Thank God We Don't Live in a Perfect World!

In a perfect world...

         there would be no racism 

John 4:7–9
A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

In a perfect world...

           the poor would be taken care of

Exodus 23:11
but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field may eat. You shall do likewise with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard.

In a perfect world...

         all of our motives would be unfeigned 

Philippians 2:3
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

In a perfect world...

         complete and total justice would be served the way God intended

Isaiah 11:4
but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

Thank God we don't live in a perfect world!

It sounds a bit strange to hear. The world needs to be rid of racism. The poor need to be fed. And most certainly, righteous judgment needs to be meted out.

But if we really lived in a perfect world–a world where perfect justice was given, we'd all be in a heap of trouble. Think about if for a moment. All of the things listed above are crimes that should be met with swift punishment.

Who would not condemn a racist in heartbeat? Yet, how many times have you despised someone because of their ethnicity?

Who would not consider the poor? But what of all the days you passed that person on the street without heeding to his calls for mercy?
Who, in their right mind, would fake being nice? How often have our faux motives simply "endured" that annoying person?

So the question is, do you really want perfect justice in all of these scenarios? Yes...and no!

Fortunately, for the human race there is the cross. The cross was the zenith of all these atrocities. You see, it was where justice, wrath, and grace all pinnacled in that point of human history. Justice, in that God punished these sins. Wrath, in that God poured out that deserved punishment in Hell on His beloved Son, Jesus. And most of all, grace, in that these sins have been borne in the body of Christ, so that all who repent of all of their sins and trust upon the work and Person of Christ will not have to answer for these crimes a second time. If perfect justice were to truly have its day in court we would all be in Hell for eternity.

I'm glad (at the moment) that we don't live in a truly perfect world. I am most thankful that God punished my sins at the cross 2,000 years ago. Aren't you?