John 3:16-18
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. 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 stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
These verses from Scripture beautifully sum up the Gospel, the good news about the Lord Jesus. During this Christmas season, I want to use this Scripture to both encourage believers and to lead unbelievers to Christ.
Before sharing the good news, there is some bad news: We are naturally born enemies of God and are cursed with a sinful nature. That is why when we look around, we see violence, war, pain, and brokenness in the world.
I’m sure if you look at your own life, you see aspects of this as well. For me, it manifests as depression, anxiety, and a low self-esteem. For you it may be something similar or something completely different.
The point is, we need help. If we remain how we are in our sinful nature, God will exercise his judgement. What does that mean? It means that he will grant our wish to be eternally apart from Him after we die. This place is called hell.
This reality is scary yet real. But now we get to the good news: It doesn’t have to be that way.
John 3:17 says: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
God sent his Son into the world 2000 years ago because He had a plan for redemption. Jesus lived the perfect life that no one else could and paid the price of sin that no one else could pay.
Romans 6:23 says: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
This means that we have earned eternal separation from the Creator of the universe. But Christ came down to save us from this reality.
To gain eternal life and get to heaven, you must believe in Christ. Not just moral assent but putting your trust in him and acknowledging that me paid the price for your sin. His sacrifice is what gets you to heaven, not your own works. But since Christ has saved those who believe in him, we show our deep gratitude by following his commands and obeying him.
So, what does this mean for you?
If you’re already a believer, I hope this reminder encourages you and takes you back to the core of the gospel message.
If you are skeptical or don’t believe in Christ, I urge you to get to know him.
Jeremiah 29:13 says: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Seek, and you will find my friend.
Have a great Christmas season.
Keep making progress. Change for the better. Live the Heming-way.
God bless,
Trevor