Scripture reading(36)
“Whoever believes in the son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”
Observations:
Does everyone go to heaven?
Would a truly loving god ever not allow anyone into heaven?
Is god’s love truly unconditional?
According to one commonly held viewpoint, there are no boundaries in relation to god’s love, and that his love is absolutely and completely unconditional.
This viewpoint may be popular, but does it accord with scripture?
No. Neither does the idea that everyone is granted entry into heaven after death, a viewpoint advanced by some who feel that a truly loving god would never deny entry into heaven for anyone.
Granted, ardent students of scripture will find several examples which describe the nature and extent of god’s love, – Romans 5:8-9 being a good example.
But nowhere does the bible say that his love is unconditional, and the concept that god’s love does not come with any conditions attached does not accord with scripture. Nor do the viewpoints that everyone goes to heaven after death, or that a truly loving god would never send anyone to hell.
Indeed, this passage, and others like it, contradict these kinds of popular beliefs. This passage makes it clear that there is one condition attached to god’s love and toward entry into heaven.
That condition is simply this: belief in Jesus Christ, god’s only son.
There is one condition, and one condition only, for entry into heaven after death – absolute faith that the death of Christ Jesus on the cross is sufficient to cover the cost of your sins. Those who believe in Jesus are granted immediate and full forgiveness for our sins.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for those who do not, whom the bible says are not forgiven for their sins and will be denied entry into heaven.
Why is god’s love not unconditional? I feel that it is important here to explore the issue of why some of the popular notions above do not accord with scripture.
The notions, that god’s love is completely unconditional and that a truly loving god would not deny anyone entrance into heaven upon death, are, in my view, based around a popular, worldly view of god, as opposed to a view of based around the teachings of the bible. This worldly view describes how we imagine god to be like, or how we believe that god should be, as opposed to how god is actually described in the bible.
One of the fundamental problems with this worldly view of god is that it tends to gloss over or ignore one very important fact – that we have all sinned against him, and that our relationship with him has been broken as a result. (refer Genesis 3)
The idea that a loving god would not deny entry into heaven to anyone, for example, would hold true if we had never sinned. If we had never sinned, if we had never rebelled against god, then any denial of entry into heaven on his behalf would be unfair and without justification. After all, what just god would deny entry into heaven to those who had done nothing wrong?
But this is not the case, and indeed, the bible says that each and every one of us has, at some point, turned away and rejected god. The first sin was committed in the Garden of Eden, and Adam and Eve at that time represented and acted on behalf of the entire human race at that time. But more than that, the bible claims that each and every one of us has, at some point, turned away and rejected god our maker and heavenly father.
This is where the worldly view falls down. For god to automatically grant everyone a free ticket into his heavenly home, he would have to pretend that our sin does not matter, or that it does not matter that we have rebelled against him rejected him.
But it does matter. God, with his complete integrity, could not just ignore our rejection of him.
That is why we need Jesus. Our sin cannot go unpunished, and someone needs to take the punishment for us. Either it can be Jesus, whose death on the cross god has deemed sufficient for the complete forgiveness of our sins, or it can be us, who will otherwise have to take an eternal punishment, in being locked out of the kingdom of god forever.
Prayer:
Dear heavenly father,
Sometimes, in our arrogance, we try to demand that you be whoever we want you to be.
We forget our place – that you are the maker and master of heaven and earth, and that we, lowly sinners, are accountable to you, not the other way around.
Lord, we try to gloss over our sin and our rebellion, and in our arrogance, we sometimes think that we are entitled to a place in your kingdom in spite or our brokenness.
But thank you lord, that you did not leave us broken. When we were lost, you have provided a way for us to be reconciled to you. You took the punishment on yourself, so that we may be forgiven, and so that the depth of your amazing character would be revealed and on full display.
For that, we can only fall down on our knees and praise you.
In the name of Jesus Christ our lord.
Amen.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Comming from above (John 3:31-36)
Scripture reading:
(31) The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all.
(32) He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no-one accepts his testimony. (33) The man who has accepted it has certified that god is truthful. (34) For the one whom god has sent speaks the words of god, for God gives the spirit without limit. (35) The father loves the son, and has placed everything in his hands. (36) Whoever believes in the son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.
Observations:
(1) Jesus is not like us.
It is helpful in understanding the above passage to remember from the previous passage that it is John the Baptist who is speaking. In the previous passage, we saw how John saw Jesus as far above himself. John had to remind his own disciples that he was not the main event of the Christian message – that honor belonged to Jesus.
In this passage, John explains a little about why Jesus is so special, and why he himself was incomparable to Jesus.
Simply put, Jesus is from heaven, whereas John (like us) was from earth. As god’s son, Jesus had been given God’s holy spirit in full. God had given Jesus everything he had – completely divine power, divine character – everything.
John the Baptist was a man from earth. God gave John some spiritual strength and insight – enough to fulfill his mission on earth.
But John did was not given everything that god has and is – Jesus was.
In a similar manner, whilst I believe that we are given sufficient spiritual strength and insight to fulfill our mission as god has allocated for us, we are not given all of god’s power and strength.
Jesus, and only Jesus, is given the holy spirit in full, and that is because he and only he came down from heaven.
(2) God has love within himself.
“The father loves the son.” (v35)
Consider this sentence for a moment.
Here, we see a critical aspect of the nature of our god - he has love within himself.
In order to understand this, it is helpful to understand the trinity concept. The trinity concept is one which is not always easy to understand or explain, and I will freely concede that it is not a topic which I understand particularly well myself.
But what it boils down to is this – our god is a multi-faceted and multi-dimensional god.
Our god operates as one full and complete unit, but there are three different dimensions to this unit – God the father, Jesus the son and the holy spirit.
Now each different dimension serves its own distinct purpose and function within the unit of god. But none operates in isolation. Instead, all three operate together as one unit in absolutely perfect and complete harmony and congruency.
Now then, when we see that god ‘loves’ Jesus, we see that one part of the trilogy of god loves another.
What this means is that god, by his nature, has perfect and complete love within himself. Unlike us, he does not need to receive love from external sources. No, rather, he has love fully contained within him. It’s inbuilt into him, it’s who he is.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus,
Thank you, that you are not like us.
We come from the earth, we were born in earthly bodies and are of this world. But you did not come from earth, you came from the riches and glory and splendor of heaven. We, with our earthly bodies, heart and mindset, simply cannot comprehend or put into words the extent of your greatness and love. Nor can we contemplate just what it would have taken for you to leave heaven for awhile and take the form of a lowly man on earth.
But we must be ever thankful for what you did, and the great sacrifice you made because of your love for us.
And lord, in love, we worship your character. As we have seen, you are the source of love and you have love within yourself, by your nature. We can only look at your nature and praise your wondrous glory.
In your great name we pray and worship.
Amen.
(31) The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all.
(32) He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no-one accepts his testimony. (33) The man who has accepted it has certified that god is truthful. (34) For the one whom god has sent speaks the words of god, for God gives the spirit without limit. (35) The father loves the son, and has placed everything in his hands. (36) Whoever believes in the son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.
Observations:
(1) Jesus is not like us.
It is helpful in understanding the above passage to remember from the previous passage that it is John the Baptist who is speaking. In the previous passage, we saw how John saw Jesus as far above himself. John had to remind his own disciples that he was not the main event of the Christian message – that honor belonged to Jesus.
In this passage, John explains a little about why Jesus is so special, and why he himself was incomparable to Jesus.
Simply put, Jesus is from heaven, whereas John (like us) was from earth. As god’s son, Jesus had been given God’s holy spirit in full. God had given Jesus everything he had – completely divine power, divine character – everything.
John the Baptist was a man from earth. God gave John some spiritual strength and insight – enough to fulfill his mission on earth.
But John did was not given everything that god has and is – Jesus was.
In a similar manner, whilst I believe that we are given sufficient spiritual strength and insight to fulfill our mission as god has allocated for us, we are not given all of god’s power and strength.
Jesus, and only Jesus, is given the holy spirit in full, and that is because he and only he came down from heaven.
(2) God has love within himself.
“The father loves the son.” (v35)
Consider this sentence for a moment.
Here, we see a critical aspect of the nature of our god - he has love within himself.
In order to understand this, it is helpful to understand the trinity concept. The trinity concept is one which is not always easy to understand or explain, and I will freely concede that it is not a topic which I understand particularly well myself.
But what it boils down to is this – our god is a multi-faceted and multi-dimensional god.
Our god operates as one full and complete unit, but there are three different dimensions to this unit – God the father, Jesus the son and the holy spirit.
Now each different dimension serves its own distinct purpose and function within the unit of god. But none operates in isolation. Instead, all three operate together as one unit in absolutely perfect and complete harmony and congruency.
Now then, when we see that god ‘loves’ Jesus, we see that one part of the trilogy of god loves another.
What this means is that god, by his nature, has perfect and complete love within himself. Unlike us, he does not need to receive love from external sources. No, rather, he has love fully contained within him. It’s inbuilt into him, it’s who he is.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus,
Thank you, that you are not like us.
We come from the earth, we were born in earthly bodies and are of this world. But you did not come from earth, you came from the riches and glory and splendor of heaven. We, with our earthly bodies, heart and mindset, simply cannot comprehend or put into words the extent of your greatness and love. Nor can we contemplate just what it would have taken for you to leave heaven for awhile and take the form of a lowly man on earth.
But we must be ever thankful for what you did, and the great sacrifice you made because of your love for us.
And lord, in love, we worship your character. As we have seen, you are the source of love and you have love within yourself, by your nature. We can only look at your nature and praise your wondrous glory.
In your great name we pray and worship.
Amen.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Understanding your place before god (John 3-22:30)
Scripture reading:
22After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized. 24(This was before John was put in prison.) 25An argument developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew[a] over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him."
27To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. 28You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ[b] but am sent ahead of him.' 29The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30He must become greater; I must become less.
Observations:
Back in 2000, I was best man at a friend’s wedding.
I was truly honored to have been given this role, and it was an absolute pleasure to play a small part in their special day.
But as much as I was given an honorary role, the day was not about me, nor was I in any way the main focus. My role and the source of my joy, was to share in the occasion – not to steal glory for myself.
That was where my joy was, and I had to be (and was) content with my role.
I believe that every Christian has been allocated a role to play in the advancement of god’s great kingdom, and John’s example here demonstrates two important points about the attitudes with which each of us should adopt in our approach toward the fulfillment of our roles.
(1) Jesus is the central focus of the Christian faith.
It was Jesus who died for our sins, not us.
Jesus is the cornerstone of the Christian faith, not us.
He is the reason for our salvation. He must get the glory, not us.
Our role in the advancement of the kingdom of heaven is not to seek glory for ourselves. Nothing which we do in terms of building up the kingdom of heaven should be done for the purpose of seeking to glorify ourselves.
Instead, our goal should be to honor and glorify Jesus, our savior. We must seek to lead people to Jesus, not simply impress them with our theological knowledge or some other aspect of our religious life.
Our goal should be to see others worshiping and glorifying Jesus, not us.
(2) We must fulfill our roles with contentment and joy.
Whatever specific roles and tasks we are given in the advancement of the kingdom, we should fulfill those roles in a joyful manner.
In the case of John the Baptist, his main role was to prepare the way for the coming of Christ. When Jesus came, John’s mission had been accomplished and his joy was complete.
We, too, should serve the lord with a joyous and thankful attitude, and we should truly rejoice when we see the results of our service to the kingdom. When someone comes to Jesus the first time, our hearts should be filled with joy. When we see others praising the lord, we should overflow with happiness. When we hear stories of god turning people’s lives around, we should be filled with gladness and satisfaction.
Prayer:
Lord, let us never forget, that Christ and Christ only is cornerstone of our faith.
Forgive us, lord, for when we try to seek glory for ourselves. Forgive us for when our hearts are not truly set upon you or the advancement of your kingdom.
Set our hearts only on you, lord.
Lord, mould our hearts to have an attitude of joyful servitude. Let us never think of service to your kingdom as a chore – although sometimes it will not be easy. Let us always see service to your kingdom as our mission, and let us rejoice when we see the results of your kingdom being built up in heaven.
In your great name, Amen.
22After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized. 24(This was before John was put in prison.) 25An argument developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew[a] over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him."
27To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. 28You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ[b] but am sent ahead of him.' 29The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30He must become greater; I must become less.
Observations:
Back in 2000, I was best man at a friend’s wedding.
I was truly honored to have been given this role, and it was an absolute pleasure to play a small part in their special day.
But as much as I was given an honorary role, the day was not about me, nor was I in any way the main focus. My role and the source of my joy, was to share in the occasion – not to steal glory for myself.
That was where my joy was, and I had to be (and was) content with my role.
I believe that every Christian has been allocated a role to play in the advancement of god’s great kingdom, and John’s example here demonstrates two important points about the attitudes with which each of us should adopt in our approach toward the fulfillment of our roles.
(1) Jesus is the central focus of the Christian faith.
It was Jesus who died for our sins, not us.
Jesus is the cornerstone of the Christian faith, not us.
He is the reason for our salvation. He must get the glory, not us.
Our role in the advancement of the kingdom of heaven is not to seek glory for ourselves. Nothing which we do in terms of building up the kingdom of heaven should be done for the purpose of seeking to glorify ourselves.
Instead, our goal should be to honor and glorify Jesus, our savior. We must seek to lead people to Jesus, not simply impress them with our theological knowledge or some other aspect of our religious life.
Our goal should be to see others worshiping and glorifying Jesus, not us.
(2) We must fulfill our roles with contentment and joy.
Whatever specific roles and tasks we are given in the advancement of the kingdom, we should fulfill those roles in a joyful manner.
In the case of John the Baptist, his main role was to prepare the way for the coming of Christ. When Jesus came, John’s mission had been accomplished and his joy was complete.
We, too, should serve the lord with a joyous and thankful attitude, and we should truly rejoice when we see the results of our service to the kingdom. When someone comes to Jesus the first time, our hearts should be filled with joy. When we see others praising the lord, we should overflow with happiness. When we hear stories of god turning people’s lives around, we should be filled with gladness and satisfaction.
Prayer:
Lord, let us never forget, that Christ and Christ only is cornerstone of our faith.
Forgive us, lord, for when we try to seek glory for ourselves. Forgive us for when our hearts are not truly set upon you or the advancement of your kingdom.
Set our hearts only on you, lord.
Lord, mould our hearts to have an attitude of joyful servitude. Let us never think of service to your kingdom as a chore – although sometimes it will not be easy. Let us always see service to your kingdom as our mission, and let us rejoice when we see the results of your kingdom being built up in heaven.
In your great name, Amen.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Light Shinning in the darkness (John 3-19:21)
Scripture reading:
(19) This is the verdict – light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light, because there deeds were evil.
(20) Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds may be exposed. (21) But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.
Observations:
(1) “This is the verdict” (v19)
At first, this passage may appear to contradict what Jesus said in verse 17 (refer preceding study).
In that verse, Jesus specifically stated that his first coming was not intended as a means of judgment (it was intended as a means of calling those who believe in him to salvation). So why then is Jesus now using the term ‘verdict,’ a term commonly associated with judgments?
What does Jesus mean – this is the verdict?
The way I interpret it, Jesus is making a discernment based upon how men have responded to him to date.
Let’s consider the context of the passage. Jesus is now in Jerusalem. Up until this point, we have seen a variety of responses when people have been confronted with Jesus, the light of the world. (refer next point).
Some have responded positively, recognizing him as the messiah and savior. These included John the Baptist as well as the disciples.
Others, including many Jews in Jerusalem, have not, refusing to accept the authority of Jesus (refer John 2:12-25). In the preceding passage, Jesus refers to such people as being ‘condemned already,’ by virtue of their refusal to acknowledge him as god’s son and their savior.
I believe the ‘verdict’ is not, in my opinion a final judgment, but rather a discernment of Jesus based upon responses to him to date.
(2) “Light” (v19)
It is interesting to see the description which Jesus assigns to himself in this passage.
So far in the book of John, we have seen Jesus refer to himself as ‘the son of man” (v13) and implicitly, but not explicitly, as god’s son (v16,17). Now, in this passage, we see Jesus identify himself simply as ‘light,’ (v19).
So what does this description of ‘light’ say about the identity and character of Jesus? What does the term ‘light’ actually mean in this context. Let me give a few thoughts.
· The source of life.
In Science terms, the sun, the soul source of light on the earth, is the source of all life. Without the sun, no forms of life could exist.
In scriptural terms, Jesus is the light of the world. He is the author and giver of all life, and without him, no life can exist, physically or spiritually.
Jesus is life.
· Goodness.
Light is sometimes contrasted with darkness in a similar manner to the way that goodness is contrasted to badness. Light, is taken to mean ‘goodness’ in such contrasts, whereas ‘dark’ signifies badness.
Jesus is the light. Jesus is who is good. Indeed, Jesus is great beyond all possible comprehension.
· Transparency.
Darkness is a place where things can be kept in the shadows, where issues which people do not want to deal with can be hidden, where no one need see your dirty laundry.
Light, in contrast, is a place which is transparent. There is no place for hiding in the light – everything is on show. The pure holiness, righteousness, sinlessness of Christ was laid out in plain sight for everyone to see throughout his time on earth.
He kept nothing hidden. He was completely transparent.
(3) Come out into the light.
Honesty is the best policy – at least that’s what we are told, and it is a wise saying.
Yet personally, this is not always so easy to follow, and a tempting response to having done the wrong thing is to cover our own tracks any way that we can – hoping that no one finds out.
I think this tendency produces a barrier toward receiving salvation through Christ. In order to accept god’s peace offering on the cross, we first have to come to the point where we acknowledge that, at least some point in our lives, all of us have sinned against the lord.
(19) This is the verdict – light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light, because there deeds were evil.
(20) Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds may be exposed. (21) But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.
Observations:
(1) “This is the verdict” (v19)
At first, this passage may appear to contradict what Jesus said in verse 17 (refer preceding study).
In that verse, Jesus specifically stated that his first coming was not intended as a means of judgment (it was intended as a means of calling those who believe in him to salvation). So why then is Jesus now using the term ‘verdict,’ a term commonly associated with judgments?
What does Jesus mean – this is the verdict?
The way I interpret it, Jesus is making a discernment based upon how men have responded to him to date.
Let’s consider the context of the passage. Jesus is now in Jerusalem. Up until this point, we have seen a variety of responses when people have been confronted with Jesus, the light of the world. (refer next point).
Some have responded positively, recognizing him as the messiah and savior. These included John the Baptist as well as the disciples.
Others, including many Jews in Jerusalem, have not, refusing to accept the authority of Jesus (refer John 2:12-25). In the preceding passage, Jesus refers to such people as being ‘condemned already,’ by virtue of their refusal to acknowledge him as god’s son and their savior.
I believe the ‘verdict’ is not, in my opinion a final judgment, but rather a discernment of Jesus based upon responses to him to date.
(2) “Light” (v19)
It is interesting to see the description which Jesus assigns to himself in this passage.
So far in the book of John, we have seen Jesus refer to himself as ‘the son of man” (v13) and implicitly, but not explicitly, as god’s son (v16,17). Now, in this passage, we see Jesus identify himself simply as ‘light,’ (v19).
So what does this description of ‘light’ say about the identity and character of Jesus? What does the term ‘light’ actually mean in this context. Let me give a few thoughts.
· The source of life.
In Science terms, the sun, the soul source of light on the earth, is the source of all life. Without the sun, no forms of life could exist.
In scriptural terms, Jesus is the light of the world. He is the author and giver of all life, and without him, no life can exist, physically or spiritually.
Jesus is life.
· Goodness.
Light is sometimes contrasted with darkness in a similar manner to the way that goodness is contrasted to badness. Light, is taken to mean ‘goodness’ in such contrasts, whereas ‘dark’ signifies badness.
Jesus is the light. Jesus is who is good. Indeed, Jesus is great beyond all possible comprehension.
· Transparency.
Darkness is a place where things can be kept in the shadows, where issues which people do not want to deal with can be hidden, where no one need see your dirty laundry.
Light, in contrast, is a place which is transparent. There is no place for hiding in the light – everything is on show. The pure holiness, righteousness, sinlessness of Christ was laid out in plain sight for everyone to see throughout his time on earth.
He kept nothing hidden. He was completely transparent.
(3) Come out into the light.
Honesty is the best policy – at least that’s what we are told, and it is a wise saying.
Yet personally, this is not always so easy to follow, and a tempting response to having done the wrong thing is to cover our own tracks any way that we can – hoping that no one finds out.
I think this tendency produces a barrier toward receiving salvation through Christ. In order to accept god’s peace offering on the cross, we first have to come to the point where we acknowledge that, at least some point in our lives, all of us have sinned against the lord.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
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.
(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 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.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Born again? (John 1:1-15)
Scripture reading:
1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
9"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.
10"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? 11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life
Observations:
(1) We should not make assumptions about god.
In this passage, we see Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council, make assumptions about Jesus. He comes to Jesus and says “We know you….who has come from god …”(v2).
Essentially, he was saying two things. Firstly, that they knew who Jesus was, and secondly, that they knew about the kingdom of god.
Little did he know, his false assumptions were about to be exposed. The response of Jesus took him by surprise. He was clearly on the back foot for the remainder of the conversation.
We must be very careful about the assumptions we make about god. Sometimes, I think that we try to contain god into a little box in our understanding. Our pre-conceived notions can block our hearts from being open to a fuller understanding of the nature of the lord.
Rather than making assumptions about god, we must allow him to speak to us, both through his word and through his spirit. Our hearts must be open to hearing him. We must be open to a greater understanding his true glory and honor.
(2) We cannot hope to understand god unless we have been born again.
How do we come to understand about god?
Formal study, whilst helpful, is not the answer. It would by quite possible to complete a Masters Degree in Theology and yet still not comprehend the unlimited justice, power, integrity, mercy and love of our magnificent creator.
Studying the bible is a wonderful way to gain a greater appreciation of the glorious character of our lord. But it is possible to undertake extensive bible study and still not comprehend the wonderful gift of our lord on the cross.
After all, Nicodemus, a member of the ruling Jewish council, was no doubt well versed in scripture. But his poor understanding of the role of Jesus as savior was exposed wide open in this encounter.
The greatness of the kingdom of the lord cannot be learned through academic comprehension.
The true power, glory, justice, mercy and love of the lord can only be learned through experience – the experience of being born again through the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus on the cross.
What does it mean to be born again? How does one become born again?
Essentially, it means to experience complete forgiveness of sins through Jesus.
The bible says that the death of Christ on the cross is sufficient to cover the entire costs of all of our sins. Anyone who turns to god receives full forgiveness for their sins because of Jesus and his death on the cross.
Those who are forgiven through Christ receive a spiritual re-birth. Jesus died and was raised again three days later. In a similar manner, those who are forgiven through Jesus receive a spiritual re-birth. Physically, we remain in our regular state, but spiritually speaking, our old self dies and we are raised into a new spiritual life.
This is not a physical transformation, it’s a spiritual one. Spiritually speaking, we are born again, except that this time, we are born into the spirit of god, truly as one of his children. Spiritually speaking, we are born and raised into a new family and a new household, the kingdom of god.
The only way to truly know god is to experience him. This means experiencing the process of being forgiven for your sins and being spiritually raised into a new life through Jesus.
The greatness of god cannot be understood or comprehended without this experience.
(3) Status is worthless before god.
Within the world of the Jews, Nicodemus looked pretty good. As a member of the ruling Jewish council, he held a very respectable position.
He was the man. He had status, honor and apparently, a sound comprehension of the Old Testament. As a teacher of Israel, many looked up to him.
But did Nicodemus believe the word of god?
Apparently not, according to Jesus. Jesus said “I have spoken to you of earthly things, and you do not believe. How then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?” (v12)
Moreover, in verse 3, Jesus implies that Nicodemus has not been ‘born again,’ and does not properly understand the kingdom of god.
It is possible that I am taking this passage out of context. It is also possible, given Jesus’ reference to ‘you people,’ (v10) that Jesus was not referring to Nicodemus personally, but either to the Jewish council or to the broader Jewish population within Jerusalem. However, Jesus does appear to accuse Nicodemus of not believing the word of god.
The point I am driving at is this – your worldly status does not matter when you stand before god. The only thing that matters when you stand before god is whether or not you believe in
Christ as your savior.
This applies for any man, woman or child. When it comes to standing before god, your earthly status does not count, whether you are a street beggar, prisioner, company owner, president, pastor or even the pope. The only thing that counts is whether your sins have been forgiven.
And, as we’ll see in the next passage, the only way that can happen is through belief in Jesus or savior.
(4) Jesus came from heaven.
“No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven.” (v15)
This says a ton about Jesus and why does not compare to any other man.
Each of us originated from the womb of another human. No matter how loving our parents may have been, they were imperfect human beings. We all originated from earthly beings and by nature, belong to the earth.
Jesus is different. He came from heaven - from god’s eternal heavenly kingdom.
His roots are different from ours. He came down to earth, but, unlike us, he was not really part of the world.
He is, and has always been, part of god’s great kingdom in heaven.
Prayer:
Lord, forgive us for the times when our hearts are not open to hearing about you and your word.
Forgive us for times when we assume in our ignorance to know things about you, even if those assumptions are not supported by your word.
Lord, we cannot comprehend the great height and depth of your incomparable justice, mercy and love unless we experience your great mercy through the forgiveness of our sins on the cross.
Lord, each of us is accountable to you and you only. Status before men does not matter if we are not right before you. So, let our hearts be set on honoring you, and let us all seek forgiveness from you for our sins through the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus on the cross.
Lord Jesus, you are not one of us. We are from the earth, you are from heaven. We came from within a dirty, sinful, broken world. You are from a wonderful and perfect heaven.
In your great name,
Amen
1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
9"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.
10"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? 11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life
Observations:
(1) We should not make assumptions about god.
In this passage, we see Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council, make assumptions about Jesus. He comes to Jesus and says “We know you….who has come from god …”(v2).
Essentially, he was saying two things. Firstly, that they knew who Jesus was, and secondly, that they knew about the kingdom of god.
Little did he know, his false assumptions were about to be exposed. The response of Jesus took him by surprise. He was clearly on the back foot for the remainder of the conversation.
We must be very careful about the assumptions we make about god. Sometimes, I think that we try to contain god into a little box in our understanding. Our pre-conceived notions can block our hearts from being open to a fuller understanding of the nature of the lord.
Rather than making assumptions about god, we must allow him to speak to us, both through his word and through his spirit. Our hearts must be open to hearing him. We must be open to a greater understanding his true glory and honor.
(2) We cannot hope to understand god unless we have been born again.
How do we come to understand about god?
Formal study, whilst helpful, is not the answer. It would by quite possible to complete a Masters Degree in Theology and yet still not comprehend the unlimited justice, power, integrity, mercy and love of our magnificent creator.
Studying the bible is a wonderful way to gain a greater appreciation of the glorious character of our lord. But it is possible to undertake extensive bible study and still not comprehend the wonderful gift of our lord on the cross.
After all, Nicodemus, a member of the ruling Jewish council, was no doubt well versed in scripture. But his poor understanding of the role of Jesus as savior was exposed wide open in this encounter.
The greatness of the kingdom of the lord cannot be learned through academic comprehension.
The true power, glory, justice, mercy and love of the lord can only be learned through experience – the experience of being born again through the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus on the cross.
What does it mean to be born again? How does one become born again?
Essentially, it means to experience complete forgiveness of sins through Jesus.
The bible says that the death of Christ on the cross is sufficient to cover the entire costs of all of our sins. Anyone who turns to god receives full forgiveness for their sins because of Jesus and his death on the cross.
Those who are forgiven through Christ receive a spiritual re-birth. Jesus died and was raised again three days later. In a similar manner, those who are forgiven through Jesus receive a spiritual re-birth. Physically, we remain in our regular state, but spiritually speaking, our old self dies and we are raised into a new spiritual life.
This is not a physical transformation, it’s a spiritual one. Spiritually speaking, we are born again, except that this time, we are born into the spirit of god, truly as one of his children. Spiritually speaking, we are born and raised into a new family and a new household, the kingdom of god.
The only way to truly know god is to experience him. This means experiencing the process of being forgiven for your sins and being spiritually raised into a new life through Jesus.
The greatness of god cannot be understood or comprehended without this experience.
(3) Status is worthless before god.
Within the world of the Jews, Nicodemus looked pretty good. As a member of the ruling Jewish council, he held a very respectable position.
He was the man. He had status, honor and apparently, a sound comprehension of the Old Testament. As a teacher of Israel, many looked up to him.
But did Nicodemus believe the word of god?
Apparently not, according to Jesus. Jesus said “I have spoken to you of earthly things, and you do not believe. How then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?” (v12)
Moreover, in verse 3, Jesus implies that Nicodemus has not been ‘born again,’ and does not properly understand the kingdom of god.
It is possible that I am taking this passage out of context. It is also possible, given Jesus’ reference to ‘you people,’ (v10) that Jesus was not referring to Nicodemus personally, but either to the Jewish council or to the broader Jewish population within Jerusalem. However, Jesus does appear to accuse Nicodemus of not believing the word of god.
The point I am driving at is this – your worldly status does not matter when you stand before god. The only thing that matters when you stand before god is whether or not you believe in
Christ as your savior.
This applies for any man, woman or child. When it comes to standing before god, your earthly status does not count, whether you are a street beggar, prisioner, company owner, president, pastor or even the pope. The only thing that counts is whether your sins have been forgiven.
And, as we’ll see in the next passage, the only way that can happen is through belief in Jesus or savior.
(4) Jesus came from heaven.
“No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven.” (v15)
This says a ton about Jesus and why does not compare to any other man.
Each of us originated from the womb of another human. No matter how loving our parents may have been, they were imperfect human beings. We all originated from earthly beings and by nature, belong to the earth.
Jesus is different. He came from heaven - from god’s eternal heavenly kingdom.
His roots are different from ours. He came down to earth, but, unlike us, he was not really part of the world.
He is, and has always been, part of god’s great kingdom in heaven.
Prayer:
Lord, forgive us for the times when our hearts are not open to hearing about you and your word.
Forgive us for times when we assume in our ignorance to know things about you, even if those assumptions are not supported by your word.
Lord, we cannot comprehend the great height and depth of your incomparable justice, mercy and love unless we experience your great mercy through the forgiveness of our sins on the cross.
Lord, each of us is accountable to you and you only. Status before men does not matter if we are not right before you. So, let our hearts be set on honoring you, and let us all seek forgiveness from you for our sins through the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus on the cross.
Lord Jesus, you are not one of us. We are from the earth, you are from heaven. We came from within a dirty, sinful, broken world. You are from a wonderful and perfect heaven.
In your great name,
Amen
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