English Standard Version
Often in sports when someone commits a foul, we try and figure out their intent. Were they trying to harm someone? Or was it an accident? It's that way in other parts of life, too. If you trip and accidentally spill a glass of water on someone, it's received very differently than if you throw that water glass at someone. At least, I assume it is. I've never actually tried this, but I wouldn't recommend this as an experiment. If you happen to break a law, it'll be received very differently if that is your intent.
So we can think about God's intent as well. When God created people, God did so out of love, in God's own image, declaring them to be good. And when things went wrong, God's intent is to gather people back to God, going so far as to give up God's only Son, God's intent, as stated here in verse 17, is to save, not to condemn.
Let us learn to trust God and set aside our nervous anxiety that God is looking for some reason to declare us not worthy, some excuse to condemn us. God intends to save. God is willing to sacrifice to save. And so if we can trust God's intentions, and that can free up nervous anxiety for you, how will you use that extra energy you now have?
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