Scripture Reading:
(17) For god did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (18) Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of god’s only son.
Observations:
(1) This passage does not mean there is no judgment day.
At first, this passage may appear to contradict other passages in the bible. Many other passages refer to a time of judgment, where Jesus will come back and judge the world – with who are considered to be righteous by the lord being taken to heaven and those who are not missing out.
But this passage says that God did not send Jesus into the world to judge the world.
How can this be? Why do some biblical passages claim that Jesus will judge the world when this passage appears to contradict such a claim? Isn’t this passage completely contradictory to other passages? Is there going to be a judgment, or isn’t there?
Yes, there is going to be a day of judgment, and no, I do not believe that the passages are contradictory.
I believe that this passage refers specifically to the first coming of Christ. There are actually two comings of Christ described in the bible. On the first occasion, Christ came to save us – he came to take the punishment for our sins and call people to salvation through him.
However, on the second occasion, often referred to as the second coming, Christ will come to judge the world.
This passage is clearly referring specifically to the first coming. Notice the tense used in verse 17 “For god did not send…” Past tense is used, meaning that the passage is referring to an action completed in the past. Passages which refer to the second coming refer specifically to a future event.
Accordingly, this passage is referring to the past event of the first coming, and does not in any way invalidated what other passages say about the day of judgment..
The purpose of the first coming of Christ was not to judge the world. Yes, there will be a day of judgment, where Jesus will return and judge the living and the dead. But first, he came to call us to salvation through his death on the cross.
(2) Non-believers and condemnation.
As with the previous passage, verse 18 reinforces the importance and consequences of believing in Jesus.
This passage states that he who believes is ‘not condemned’ and that he does not believed is ‘condemned.’
What does this mean? It means those who have faith in salvation through Christ’s death on the cross are forgiven by god for their sins, and will be free to enjoy everlasting eternal life in heaven after death. Unfortunately, not so for those who do not believe.
Why are non-believers condemned? Why does the bible say that non-believers will be denied the right to go to heaven after death? From a human perspective, this does not seem fair.
Verse 18 provides a few ideas as to why this so.
The latter half of the verse states that “..he has not believed in the name of god’s one and only son.” The previous verse (verse 16, refer previous post) describes how god sent his one and only son down to die for our sins.
This was a huge price for god to pay, one that is far beyond any of our wildest imaginations. Yet for all his great sacrifice, still some people fail to recognize or acknowledge god’s only son.
This is an insult to god, one he can’t possibly ignore or overlook. God simply cannot turn his head and say, “Oh well, they did not acknowledge my son. It doesn’t matter. No problem.”
No, he cannot do that. That is why he can only grant his peace offer of salvation and forgiveness of sins to believers, those who have acknowledged the sacrifice of Christ Jesus on the cross.
Prayer:
Dear heavenly father,
Lord, we know from your word, that there will be a day that you return and judge every one of us. Lord, you are righteous and your judgment is just. We are accountable to you for our sins. You have every right to judge us.
But thank you, thank you, O Lord, that you did not just leave us dead and hopeless in our sins. Thank you that before you came to judge us, you came to call those who you wish to save to you.
We are all sinners and none of us can stand by ourselves in your judgment. But thank you that before you came to judge, you came to save those who you have chosen to believe in your name.
Lord, it is not our right not to recognize your son. Your son is righteous and holy, your son is our only hope to restoration with you. You sent your son to pay for our sins and we have no right not give him full recognition as your son.
In these things I pray.
In your great name,
Amen.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
The heart of the Christian faith (John 3:16)
Scripture Reading
(16) For god so loved the world, that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Observations
This passage summarizes the meaning of god’s act on the cross better than just about any other passage about the bible. The passage tells us:
· Who performed the action on the cross (god – refer discussion point 1)
· Why god performed the action (love – discussion point 2
· The object of god’s love (every human being – discussion point 3)
· What god did on the cross (sacrificed his son – discussion point 4)
· Who benefits from the act on the cross (believers – discussion point 5
· The consequences (for believers) of god’s action (discussion points 6 and 7)
These are all dealt with in turn in the discussion below.
(1) “For god..”
The first part of the passage tells us who performed the action on the cross – god.
This may seem fairly straightforward, but I think it demonstrates an important point about how we view the bible and the Christian message – that god, not us is at the centre of the Christian faith.
I think many in western society have come to view the Christian message as being about people first and foremost, and a common temptation is to adopt a me-centered, or us-centered view of the bible.
But we see here that we did not perform the key action of the Christian message – god did. God, not us, performed the greatest the action which forms the cornerstone of the Christian faith – the singular act which allows for our sins to be forgiven.
We cannot take any credit for our salvation – the action was performed by god, he is the one who must get all the credit.
This section also demonstrates how the bible, and indeed the Christian message is about god first and foremost – not us. The passage begins “For god..”
God is the subject of this passage, not us. God is who this passage is about, not us.
Likewise, the first words in Genesis, the first book of the bible, are “In the beginning, god ..”
Yes, we are the beneficiaries of god’s sacrifice, the objects of his infinite mercy and love. .
But the bible is not about us, nor is the Christian faith. It’s about our wonderful, beautiful creator – our heavenly father.
(2) “..so loved..”
This section states the reason for god’s action – why he made such a great sacrifice.
Why would god make such a sacrifice, particularly after man turned away from god?
Because of his great love for us - that’s why.
This speaks volumes about the nature and character of our creator. He created man. Man, his very own creation, turned away from him. But the richness of god’s amazing love is so great, that even after our rebellion, he did not give up on us.
Instead, he provided a way for us to be reconciled to him.
(3) “..the world..”
Who is the object of god’s everlasting love?
Are there any special qualifications? Does god love only the ‘good’ people? Does he discriminate on the basis of color, wealth, sex, race or socio-economic status? Is there anything we have to do in order to earn this love? Are certain types of people (prostitutes, homosexuals or drunkards) excluded?
In answer to the first question, we, the entire human race, were the object of gods love. The expression ‘the world’ here refers to every person in the world.
In answer to the second question – no. God’s love applies to every single person in the world. There are no exceptions.
Likewise, god’s peace offering on the cross applies to every single human being on planet earth, regardless of personal circumstance.
It may be tempting to think that certain people are un-deserving of god’s love. This may be true, but it misses the point – it’s not about who we are, but who god is. God’s act on the cross was a reflection of his character, not a reflection upon us. It was a demonstration of the extent of his justice, mercy and love, nothing to do with our character or standing.
It’s not about us, it’s about god and his amazing character.
(4) “...that he gave his one and only son..”
What was the cost of god’s love for us?
Was it something that didn’t really matter - something of insignificant value?
No. In this section, we get to the climax – the action. The first three parts of the verse tell us who did the action (god), the reason for the action (love) and the objects of his love (the world – including any person in it). Now, this section describes both the action itself and the extent of god’s love.
The action itself is this – god sent his son to die an excruciatingly painful death on the cross.
This is where it all happens, the climax of the bible, and the single most important event in history in terms of the relationship between god and man.
This singular action is what the whole Christian message is about.
What was the action? God sent his one and only son from heaven to take the punishment for the sins of mankind, and die an excruciatingly painful death by being nailed to a cross.
In addition to describing the action, this passage says a great deal about the extent of god’s love, and what he was willing to sacrifice because of that love. For those who are parents of a single child, there is probably nothing in the world that you would put that child to death for. Absolutely nothing, including your own life, would be worth giving up your child for.
But, that’s the price god was willing to pay in order for us to be reconciled to him.
Many times, people brush off god’s act on the cross, as if it was not significant.
Not so. To god, the importance of this event was beyond imagination, and the consequences were so pivotal that he gave up the one thing which mattered most to him beyond all else.
(5) “...that whoever believes in him..”
Who benefits from god’s sacrifice?
Or rather, who goes to heaven?
This section identifies the beneficiaries of god’s action – in other words, it tells us who receives god’s forgiveness and goes to heaven.
In addition, it challenges two commonly held fallacies. Many in the western world, including those who claim to be Christians, believe either one of two myths – (a) that everyone goes to heaven, or, perhaps more commonly, (b) that only ‘good’ people go to heaven.
Neither of these ideas are supported by the bible. Indeed, the bible directly contradicts both of these ideas. The bible states one criterion and one criterion only for entry into heaven – whether or not you believe in Christ.
Anyone, and I mean anyone, who has absolute faith that Christ’s death on the cross is a sufficient sacrifice to cover the cost of their sins, is a beneficiary of god’s action on the cross, and has guaranteed entry into god’s great kingdom of heaven.
On the other hand, those who do not believe in Christ do not benefit from his sacrifice on the cross.
To be sure, the passage states that the entire world, and everyone in it was the object of god’s love. But the passage also states that only those who believe in Christ benefit from his act of mercy.
To many, this may not seem fair. To some, it may not seem fair that anyone at all should miss out on receiving god’s gift of salvation. To others, the idea that one’s performance or morals on this earth are not considered does not seem just..
But god makes the rules, not us. And according to his word, those who believe in the death of Jesus benefit from his mercy, and non-believers do not.
(6) “..will not perish..”
This is where we move into the consequences of god’s action, and also where things get unpleasant.
There are two key consequences of god’s action on the cross, which are described in this section and the following section. The first, described here, deals with what believers avoid, the second with what believers gain.
By default, the passage also describes what non-believers will not be spared from, and what they miss out on.
What believers avoid, and what non-believers face, is death – eternal death. Essentially, this means permanent separation from god, and a one-way trip to hell – eternal punishment for our sins.
This is not a pleasant part of the Christian message, and it gives me no pleasure in saying this, but the bible says those who do not believe in Jesus, do suffer eternal punishment in hell. Not my words and not my rules, but that’s what the bible says.
To many, the idea that a loving god could send people to hell is incomprehensible. Indeed, if I made the rules, this fate would not befall upon anyone.
But god, as creator of the world, makes the rules, not me, and according to his rules, our sin brings with it the consequence of death. Those who believe in Jesus as their savior are spared this awful punishment. Not so, those who do not believe.
I’m not trying to scare anyone into becoming a Christian, but the bible does say that there is a consequence of not believing in Jesus Christ. This consequence is literally death and eternal punishment in hell.
But the good news is this – those who put their faith in Jesus Christ as their savior are spared from god’s wrath. They will not suffer eternal punishment in hell.
(7) “..but have eternal life.”
As stated above, god’s action on the cross has two consequences for believers in Christ. The first deals with what is avoided (eternal death) and the second deals with what is gained.
What is avoided is too unbearable to even contemplate. But what is gained, eternal life, is awesome beyond belief.
What exactly does it mean to have eternal life? My understanding is that the term ‘eternal life,’ refers both to the physical and the spiritual realm. It does not mean the avoidance of a physical death on earth. What it does mean is that after you ‘die’ on earth, you receive new life in heaven. You are taken up to heaven to receive new life there.
But there are two marked differences between the new life you receive and life on earth.
First, eternal life in heaven is just that – eternal life. Eternal life is never ending – it cannot be revoked and it has no end. Life in heaven is permanent - you don’t have to worry about being killed in a car accident.
The second marked difference lies in your relationship with our creator. On earth, we live in a broken world, a sinful world which has turned against the lord. In heaven, there is no brokenness, no despair, no pain and no suffering. In heaven, we live in a perfect relationship with the lord our creator. Spiritually, we are alive and alive in full. We are exhilarated, we are overjoyed. We feel nothing but the pure warmth of our creator’s love beaming down on us.
Prayer:
Dear heavenly father,
Lord, what can we say?
When it all comes down to it, we were destined for death and eternal punishment.
Yet you, in your glory, showed the true extent of your grace and love. You paid the ultimate cost for our sin, a cost we could never understand. We will never be able to grasp the full extent of the price you paid, so that our sins can be forgiven a
Lord, I pray for each person reading this now, that they accept your peace deal, that you move their hearts to come and receive the abundant, pure and free grace which you over.
Lord, there is nothing we can do to earn a place in your great kingdom. All we can do is accept your great mercy and love.
In your great name I pray,
Amen.
(16) For god so loved the world, that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Observations
This passage summarizes the meaning of god’s act on the cross better than just about any other passage about the bible. The passage tells us:
· Who performed the action on the cross (god – refer discussion point 1)
· Why god performed the action (love – discussion point 2
· The object of god’s love (every human being – discussion point 3)
· What god did on the cross (sacrificed his son – discussion point 4)
· Who benefits from the act on the cross (believers – discussion point 5
· The consequences (for believers) of god’s action (discussion points 6 and 7)
These are all dealt with in turn in the discussion below.
(1) “For god..”
The first part of the passage tells us who performed the action on the cross – god.
This may seem fairly straightforward, but I think it demonstrates an important point about how we view the bible and the Christian message – that god, not us is at the centre of the Christian faith.
I think many in western society have come to view the Christian message as being about people first and foremost, and a common temptation is to adopt a me-centered, or us-centered view of the bible.
But we see here that we did not perform the key action of the Christian message – god did. God, not us, performed the greatest the action which forms the cornerstone of the Christian faith – the singular act which allows for our sins to be forgiven.
We cannot take any credit for our salvation – the action was performed by god, he is the one who must get all the credit.
This section also demonstrates how the bible, and indeed the Christian message is about god first and foremost – not us. The passage begins “For god..”
God is the subject of this passage, not us. God is who this passage is about, not us.
Likewise, the first words in Genesis, the first book of the bible, are “In the beginning, god ..”
Yes, we are the beneficiaries of god’s sacrifice, the objects of his infinite mercy and love. .
But the bible is not about us, nor is the Christian faith. It’s about our wonderful, beautiful creator – our heavenly father.
(2) “..so loved..”
This section states the reason for god’s action – why he made such a great sacrifice.
Why would god make such a sacrifice, particularly after man turned away from god?
Because of his great love for us - that’s why.
This speaks volumes about the nature and character of our creator. He created man. Man, his very own creation, turned away from him. But the richness of god’s amazing love is so great, that even after our rebellion, he did not give up on us.
Instead, he provided a way for us to be reconciled to him.
(3) “..the world..”
Who is the object of god’s everlasting love?
Are there any special qualifications? Does god love only the ‘good’ people? Does he discriminate on the basis of color, wealth, sex, race or socio-economic status? Is there anything we have to do in order to earn this love? Are certain types of people (prostitutes, homosexuals or drunkards) excluded?
In answer to the first question, we, the entire human race, were the object of gods love. The expression ‘the world’ here refers to every person in the world.
In answer to the second question – no. God’s love applies to every single person in the world. There are no exceptions.
Likewise, god’s peace offering on the cross applies to every single human being on planet earth, regardless of personal circumstance.
It may be tempting to think that certain people are un-deserving of god’s love. This may be true, but it misses the point – it’s not about who we are, but who god is. God’s act on the cross was a reflection of his character, not a reflection upon us. It was a demonstration of the extent of his justice, mercy and love, nothing to do with our character or standing.
It’s not about us, it’s about god and his amazing character.
(4) “...that he gave his one and only son..”
What was the cost of god’s love for us?
Was it something that didn’t really matter - something of insignificant value?
No. In this section, we get to the climax – the action. The first three parts of the verse tell us who did the action (god), the reason for the action (love) and the objects of his love (the world – including any person in it). Now, this section describes both the action itself and the extent of god’s love.
The action itself is this – god sent his son to die an excruciatingly painful death on the cross.
This is where it all happens, the climax of the bible, and the single most important event in history in terms of the relationship between god and man.
This singular action is what the whole Christian message is about.
What was the action? God sent his one and only son from heaven to take the punishment for the sins of mankind, and die an excruciatingly painful death by being nailed to a cross.
In addition to describing the action, this passage says a great deal about the extent of god’s love, and what he was willing to sacrifice because of that love. For those who are parents of a single child, there is probably nothing in the world that you would put that child to death for. Absolutely nothing, including your own life, would be worth giving up your child for.
But, that’s the price god was willing to pay in order for us to be reconciled to him.
Many times, people brush off god’s act on the cross, as if it was not significant.
Not so. To god, the importance of this event was beyond imagination, and the consequences were so pivotal that he gave up the one thing which mattered most to him beyond all else.
(5) “...that whoever believes in him..”
Who benefits from god’s sacrifice?
Or rather, who goes to heaven?
This section identifies the beneficiaries of god’s action – in other words, it tells us who receives god’s forgiveness and goes to heaven.
In addition, it challenges two commonly held fallacies. Many in the western world, including those who claim to be Christians, believe either one of two myths – (a) that everyone goes to heaven, or, perhaps more commonly, (b) that only ‘good’ people go to heaven.
Neither of these ideas are supported by the bible. Indeed, the bible directly contradicts both of these ideas. The bible states one criterion and one criterion only for entry into heaven – whether or not you believe in Christ.
Anyone, and I mean anyone, who has absolute faith that Christ’s death on the cross is a sufficient sacrifice to cover the cost of their sins, is a beneficiary of god’s action on the cross, and has guaranteed entry into god’s great kingdom of heaven.
On the other hand, those who do not believe in Christ do not benefit from his sacrifice on the cross.
To be sure, the passage states that the entire world, and everyone in it was the object of god’s love. But the passage also states that only those who believe in Christ benefit from his act of mercy.
To many, this may not seem fair. To some, it may not seem fair that anyone at all should miss out on receiving god’s gift of salvation. To others, the idea that one’s performance or morals on this earth are not considered does not seem just..
But god makes the rules, not us. And according to his word, those who believe in the death of Jesus benefit from his mercy, and non-believers do not.
(6) “..will not perish..”
This is where we move into the consequences of god’s action, and also where things get unpleasant.
There are two key consequences of god’s action on the cross, which are described in this section and the following section. The first, described here, deals with what believers avoid, the second with what believers gain.
By default, the passage also describes what non-believers will not be spared from, and what they miss out on.
What believers avoid, and what non-believers face, is death – eternal death. Essentially, this means permanent separation from god, and a one-way trip to hell – eternal punishment for our sins.
This is not a pleasant part of the Christian message, and it gives me no pleasure in saying this, but the bible says those who do not believe in Jesus, do suffer eternal punishment in hell. Not my words and not my rules, but that’s what the bible says.
To many, the idea that a loving god could send people to hell is incomprehensible. Indeed, if I made the rules, this fate would not befall upon anyone.
But god, as creator of the world, makes the rules, not me, and according to his rules, our sin brings with it the consequence of death. Those who believe in Jesus as their savior are spared this awful punishment. Not so, those who do not believe.
I’m not trying to scare anyone into becoming a Christian, but the bible does say that there is a consequence of not believing in Jesus Christ. This consequence is literally death and eternal punishment in hell.
But the good news is this – those who put their faith in Jesus Christ as their savior are spared from god’s wrath. They will not suffer eternal punishment in hell.
(7) “..but have eternal life.”
As stated above, god’s action on the cross has two consequences for believers in Christ. The first deals with what is avoided (eternal death) and the second deals with what is gained.
What is avoided is too unbearable to even contemplate. But what is gained, eternal life, is awesome beyond belief.
What exactly does it mean to have eternal life? My understanding is that the term ‘eternal life,’ refers both to the physical and the spiritual realm. It does not mean the avoidance of a physical death on earth. What it does mean is that after you ‘die’ on earth, you receive new life in heaven. You are taken up to heaven to receive new life there.
But there are two marked differences between the new life you receive and life on earth.
First, eternal life in heaven is just that – eternal life. Eternal life is never ending – it cannot be revoked and it has no end. Life in heaven is permanent - you don’t have to worry about being killed in a car accident.
The second marked difference lies in your relationship with our creator. On earth, we live in a broken world, a sinful world which has turned against the lord. In heaven, there is no brokenness, no despair, no pain and no suffering. In heaven, we live in a perfect relationship with the lord our creator. Spiritually, we are alive and alive in full. We are exhilarated, we are overjoyed. We feel nothing but the pure warmth of our creator’s love beaming down on us.
Prayer:
Dear heavenly father,
Lord, what can we say?
When it all comes down to it, we were destined for death and eternal punishment.
Yet you, in your glory, showed the true extent of your grace and love. You paid the ultimate cost for our sin, a cost we could never understand. We will never be able to grasp the full extent of the price you paid, so that our sins can be forgiven a
Lord, I pray for each person reading this now, that they accept your peace deal, that you move their hearts to come and receive the abundant, pure and free grace which you over.
Lord, there is nothing we can do to earn a place in your great kingdom. All we can do is accept your great mercy and love.
In your great name I pray,
Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
