It is apparent that many who claim to be Christians do not have the slightest understanding of the gospel and the New Covenant. This can be seen by the rush to picture God as the source of plagues, viruses and other calamities for the sake of bringing people to repentance. The revelation of Jesus is ignored along with multitudes of scriptures that speak to His goodness. For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, (John 5:22)

“And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.”

(John 12:47-48)

The Father is judging no one. The Son came to save the world, not judge it. The Word will judge those who reject Jesus, in the last day, not before. These truths are ignored by many who run to the Old Testament or Job for their understanding of God. In the rush to attribute plagues to God, they hurdle over Jesus and the New Covenant.

Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

(Rom. 2:4)

In the so called “gospel of God’s judgment,” where is His goodness, forbearance and long-suffering? Why does it say His goodness leads men to repentance? Why doesn’t it say that His plagues lead men to repentance?

What about “God is love?” Love . . . does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil. (1 Cor. 13:5) This is hardly the message of those who make God the perpetrator or an accessory to death and calamity.

What about the fact that, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation”? (2 Cor. 5:19) Those who attribute plagues to God are saying that He DOES impute man’s sins, and that the gospel is not the word of reconciliation but of judgment.

Someone is lying, and I don’t think it is God.

Why does Jesus begin His ministry declaring “the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:19), if we are actually not accepted but instead worthy of plagues? Doesn’t God love the world? Isn’t His heart that none perish? (John 3:16) Didn’t Jesus come to give us abundant life? (John 10:10) Haven’t we entered into a covenant of “peace with God’? (Rom. 5:1)Are we not to go into all the world and bring this message of peace? Why are some so quick to attribute plagues and disasters to God? Do they feel immune from such “judgement” in their personal lives? Why?

The gospel is not the message of Old Covenant judgments, nor is it the message of Job. It is the message of Jesus, of reconciliation, peace and redemption. Those who preach anything else have missed the meaning of the gospel.

Barry Bennett