We all want to have or experience something special and unique. This desire can lead us do insane things as we crave for some special experience and additional attention. People will spend millions of dollars for a one-of-a-kind painting, a record-breaking home run ball, or a baseball card from the early 1900's. We crave for things that will make us different and more unique than the next person. It's boring to have what everyone else has.
This craving and desire can also hurt our experience of the Gospel. We can take great pride in our understanding of God and the Gospel and want to keep it to ourselves in our quest to have something special that no one else does. I was really challenged with my own cravings for uniqueness as I read 1 John 2:1-2 in which John writes:
"My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
John is telling us to broaden our vision and realize that God's saving work is reaching more people than we think. God is reaching out to people we don't even realize. God's sacrifice is not just for "us," but also for "them." In essence, he's telling the reader that God is destroying any walls between "us" and "them" and calling everyone to realize that Jesus came to redeem the entire world. John is telling us that unfortunately, we are not unique when it comes to receiving his salvation. This is not a secret message for only a few people but a message that will transform the entire world.
John's declaration calls us to say, "I don't want to be unique because I want the whole world to experience the healing and redemption that comes from Jesus and his sacrifice for us."
This craving and desire can also hurt our experience of the Gospel. We can take great pride in our understanding of God and the Gospel and want to keep it to ourselves in our quest to have something special that no one else does. I was really challenged with my own cravings for uniqueness as I read 1 John 2:1-2 in which John writes:
"My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
John is telling us to broaden our vision and realize that God's saving work is reaching more people than we think. God is reaching out to people we don't even realize. God's sacrifice is not just for "us," but also for "them." In essence, he's telling the reader that God is destroying any walls between "us" and "them" and calling everyone to realize that Jesus came to redeem the entire world. John is telling us that unfortunately, we are not unique when it comes to receiving his salvation. This is not a secret message for only a few people but a message that will transform the entire world.
John's declaration calls us to say, "I don't want to be unique because I want the whole world to experience the healing and redemption that comes from Jesus and his sacrifice for us."
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