Tag: John 3
World view from above!
Scripture reading for April 9: John 3
“He Who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what He has seen and heard, yet no one receives His testimony. Whoever receives His testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For He Whom God has sent utters the Words of God, for He gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” John 3:31-36
John’s Gospel describes Jesus as the Son of God Who came from above. Jesus came to bear witness of the Father and God’s Word. He is the ‘Word made flesh” (John 1:14) Who came to dwell among His people. Jesus, as God’s Son, was loved by His Father and given authority and dominion over all things. He was given the Father’s Gift, the Holy Spirit, without measure! Therefore, it is imperative that anyone wanting to understand God the Father and His truth would come to Jesus Christ. Those that are of the earth can only speak and know in an earthly way from earth’s low view point.
In this passage, John declares that believing in the Son, Jesus, brings eternal life. Believing involves obeying the Son and His Word which is the definition of faith. Anyone who refuses to believe the Son of God and obey His Word will never see eternal life. Not only that, but that person will remain under God’s wrath that is eternally set against sin and those clinging to it. All born of woman on this earth, except the Son of God, are born in sin and under God’s wrath. This world view is very simple and very clear, enabling all to understand God’s truth and declaration of how to obtain eternal life. Repentance is a choice to exchange our earthly world view for heaven’s eternal truth.
Have you come to consider Jesus’ world view from above and chosen to believe? Do you have the assurance of eternal life promised to those who believe? Have you considered that to do nothing with Jesus is to be under the wrath (eternal anger) of God?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for revealing to us Your great love through Your Son. Thank You for bearing witness to me that I might repent and be saved from Your eternal wrath. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I might declare this Good News with power from above! Amen!
Who do you believe Jesus is?
Scripture reading for April 8th: John 3
Key scriptures for over-comers: John 3:35-36 “The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in His hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”
John the Baptist was Jesus’ cousin and the forerunner who prepared the way for the Messiah. He testified that he was not the Christ. He went on to state that the Father loved the Son, (Jesus) and whoever would believe on the Son would have eternal life. However, the converse was also true. Whoever rejected the Son would never see eternal life but would remain under God’s wrath. What a person believes about Jesus Christ determines their eternal destiny! This is the simple message of the Gospel and it is the power of God for salvation to all who believe! (Romans 1:16) “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.” (John 3:16)
Observations for over-comers: Simple trust and full reliance on Jesus Christ as God’s Son is the key to eternal life for disciples and all who will receive this message. Rejecting the Son means God’s wrath is upon those who do so. “Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for His wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.” (Psalm 2:10-12)
God so loved!
Scripture reading for April 9th: John 3
Jesus Christ came into our world to reveal the love of His Father for all mankind. He came first to His own people, the Jews. These Jews should have been able to recognized Him because of the Scriptures shared through God’s prophets. One of these studied Jews, Nicodemus, came to Jesus by night to inquire further of Jesus about God’s kingdom. Jesus told him that he must be ‘born again’ by the Spirit to even see the kingdom of God! (John 3:5-8)
Nicodemus struggled to understand this concept so Jesus used one of Moses’ stories to illustrate how God would do this for all mankind. “No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven–the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life. 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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” (John 3:13-17)
Jesus had come down from heaven to heal mankind of the serpent’s bite. He was the ‘Son of Man’ and ‘Son of God’. He would be lifted up on a cross bearing the judgment of God on the serpent and sin’s bites on mankind. Anyone who would look to Him and believe would be saved from perishing and receive eternal life! God loved the whole world! This was the pathway to being ‘born again’! Have you believed on Jesus Christ?