John 3:17-21

http://biblehub.com/parallelgospels/Nicodemus_Visits_Jesus_at_Night.htm

Judgment day is coming for every person that has ever lived.  On that day everyone will stand before God the righteous and just Judge.  There is nothing more important than being ready for that day.  On that day we will all be judged by one of two criteria.  We will either be judged by what we believe or how we behave.  Unfortunately, the majority of people will be judged according to their behavior and not one of them will escape eternal condemnation.  However, by God’s grace some of us will be judged according to our belief in the Lord Jesus Christ and all of us will experience eternal salvation.  All of us stand condemned because of what we have done but all of us can have hope because of what Jesus has done.  It really is that simple.  We either trust Jesus or we don’t.  That is the most important decision that every person must make.  The reason that Jesus became a man, lived a perfect life of this earth, died on the cross and rose from the dead is so that He could save us from our sin.

THE SALVATION OF BELIEVERS: When people think about God most people think about Him as an angry Judge.  It is true that God is Judge and it is true that He hates sin.  However, that is not the main way that we should think about God.  God loves us so much that it exceeds our ability to comprehend.  He sent Jesus, His only begotten Son, into this world in order to save us from our sin.  Our salvation was purchased by the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross.  The purpose of Jesus coming to earth was not to condemn but to save.  Those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God and trust only in His death as the payment for their sin will never be judged for their sin.  Jesus was judged in our place and took all of the punishment for sin upon Himself.  However, those who do not believe continue under the judgment of their sin because they have rejected Jesus who is the only means by which any man can be saved.  God’s mission on this earth is to save men from sin through faith in the Lord Jesus.  He sent Jesus to die in our place so that He would not have to judge us.  We either believe this or we reject it.  All who reject it will be judged in their sin.  All who believe it will be saved from their sin.  It really is that simple.

THE CONDEMNATION OF BEHAVIOR: Jesus came into this world in order to reveal God to us through His life and to reconcile us to God through His death.  Jesus is called Light because He illuminated or revealed the Person and character of God the Father.  However, the majority of people rejected the Light and loved the darkness because of their evil behavior.  Those who do evil hate Light because they know that Jesus who is the Light will expose their evil.  Man seeks to do all that he can to hide his sinful behavior.  We try to hide sin in any number of ways.  Sometimes we try to keep our sins a secret and we only practice them when we think we are alone.  Sometimes our sins are hidden in our thoughts and motives that we think nobody else can discern.  Sometimes we try to hide our sins out in the open by justifying or rationalizing our sin.  None of these futile attempts can hide anything from the Light of Jesus.  We are never in secret.  He knows all of our thoughts and motives.  He is not confused by our rationalizations or justifications of sin.  There is another way.  There are those who practice truth.  Those who believe on Jesus are given a new nature that loves the truth, loves the Light and allows God to transform our hearts, minds and actions.  We are never saved by our good deeds but when we believe; God works in our lives to produce the practice of the truth.  Good deeds are evidence of God’s salvation in our lives based on our faith in Christ.  Evil deeds are evidence that leads to condemnation before God because of rejecting Jesus and loving darkness instead of Light.


APPLICATION: Delight in the forgiveness of sin that we have through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Respond to God’s amazing love and the sacrifice of Jesus with faith and deep gratitude.  Stand in awe of God’s amazing grace rejoice in the hope of eternal life with Him.  Allow the Light of Jesus to expose every area of sin in our hearts so we might live in the practice of truth.  Depend on the power of the Spirit to transform our thoughts, motives and actions.  Tell others of this glorious truth and eternal hope.

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