17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
I almost have to laugh when I hear someone say that a particular disaster is a judgment of God on a particular sin. We heard it with Katrina in New Orleans and the earthquakes in southern California a few years earlier. The refining process of God does not punish individuals indiscriminately. He is busy working on His Church. That is where His focus is during this period of redemptive history. If cleansing is going to take place, it is going to happen in the Church. There is enough sin in our lives to keep God busy. We as the Church need to do some individual and collective repentance. We need to get our house in order before we shake our finger at those outside our doors. The problem is not the sins in the world, but the sins in the Church. The Church is not being the Church. In some respects the Church has been slipping for years. Some individual churches are doing a wonderful job of living as Jesus would live in their communities. They live lives that reflect the character of Jesus. They are authentic, their public and private lives consistently matching their message. They don’t just say they care about the poor, they use their own resources of time, talent, and treasure to make a difference. And they do it without the fanfare of recognition. Their actions flow from a changed heart and therefore the judgment of God is not part of their present or future. There have been times in my life, I have to admit, that I felt the judgment of God; I was living in disobedience and God intervened. Not the most pleasant experiences! And if they are unpleasant to us who know what God’s love is like, can you imagine someone who has no clue about the Love of God, or what motivates the judgment! So when sin is in your life, and the judgment of God comes, turn quickly back to God and be restored.
The Arnold Journey 