January 8, 2008 John 3:17

01/08/2008

John 3:17 - 18 (HCSB)

¹⁷For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. ¹⁸Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God.

One of the very first Bible verses taught to children is John 3:16. It is a simple verse that is full of insight into the purposes of God in sending His son. This one verse, in a sense, capsulizes the entire Gospel message.

This verse is really just one sentence out of a longer conversation with a man named Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a Jewish leader. He came to Jesus at night, which tells me a couple of things about him. First, he did not want to approach Jesus in the openness of daylight; perhaps because of his position, he did not want to seem compromising, or perhaps didn’t want his peers to hear the exchange. Secondly, I believe his intent was sincere; those who wanted to trick Jesus always did so in the open in hopes to accuse Him publicly.

The climax of that conversation with Nicodemus is John 3:16. The verse speaks of the depth of love that God has for us. But have you ever had someone ask you: “How could a loving God send people to hell?”

I have heard this question many times as a defense against the Bible. The problem is, that is the wrong question. The fact of the matter is, we are already condemned. Instead of asking “How can a loving God send people to hell?” we should be asking “What did a loving God do to save us from hell?”

In verses 17 and 18, we learn that our condition is already decided. It is like going into a courtroom expecting a trial only to find that you were already found guilty and you are there only for sentencing. We all stand guilty before God.

This is where Jesus steps in. A loving God loved us so much that he sent His son as a substitute for our guilt so that we could avoid the punishment we so rightly deserve.

“But I’m a good person,” some may say. But the truth is, if we are guilty of just one sin, we deserve punishment. And there is no one without sin except Jesus.

Take the time today to remind yourself that God has not saved you from hell because you deserve Heaven. But rather, He has saved you from your rightful punishment because of His great love for you.

Terms of Usage: This devotional may be copied or forwarded for personal use without permission, but must include the author, publisher, web link, and copyright notice. Use in another published work must obtain permission first.

[ Previous ] [ Up ] [ Next ]