John 3:17-21 “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
Continuing Pastor Kyle massage on God’s love for the world, by stating that the Holy Scripture, the very Word of God, tells us that our Creator Father God condemns no one to fire, hell and damnation; we condemn ourselves by rejecting the free gift of redemption, forgiveness, restoration and salvation through Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. Some believe that since God is love (that love and mercy are an attribute of God), that everyone is going to Heaven and we can continue to willful reject God and sin against Him and His creation. There is a twisted and distorted belief that nobody is going to Hell, even though the Bible says the opposite. We have to be careful to not think that we know more than God and fashion Him into our image and desires.
Hebrews 9:27 clarifies, “As it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” What judgment? Revelation 20:10-15 explains, “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” Everyone is accountable to sovereign God, our Maker. There is no sin in Heaven, just saved sinners, who repent and by faith accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, who atoned for the sins of the world on that Cross and paid the price for sin. We have a choice to make because we are condemned by our sin and the default is hell. Everyone needs a Savior, and there is only One.
John 3:35-36 says clearly, “The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. 36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” To make this point perfectly clear, 1 John 5:12-13 tells us, “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.”
The most important things we need to know from John 3:16 is that God created and loves us. The psalmist writes in Psalm 139:13-14 “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” The Prophet Jeremiah delivers the true Word of God in Jeremiah 29:11“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Love gives and sacrifices. Saving faith is living in the “light” of God’s truth. Sure, there will be people who choose to reject God’s redemption gift for salvation and live in the darkness of sin, denial and rebellion. But God calls all of us to higher godly things in life by repenting of sin and, by faith, accepting the atoning sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ, who He sent as our Savior and Lord. 2 Peter 3:9 reinforces that “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” For God so loved the world that He gave.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ requires us to live daily in obedience to God’s holy Word, Will and Way as a saved child, no longer hellbound, but a citizen of Heaven forever.
In Christ, Brian
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