The Everlasting Promise

Introduction

Today we are on part 2 of my sermon series called the Lord’s Promises. My hope is that each week by highlighting one of the many promises of God’s word that we can not only be encouraged and empowered but also that it will give us clarity and confidence about where the Lord wants us to go next and how to get there both privately and corporately as a church family.

In part one of this series I discussed that we must have faith over fear to enter into our promised land blessings. Faith is the door which opens the supernatural power of God in our lives. So no matter what a situation looks like to us we must hold firm to God’s word and trust that if we do our part than He will most certainly do His part and so much more!

Today’s message is entitled the everlasting promise. And as we begin focusing each week on a promise of the Lord I feel it is essential for us to discuss the everlasting promise of eternal life through our faith in Jesus Christ our Lord!

Scripture Reference:

John 3:16–18 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved 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 the only Son of God.

Prayer

God’s Love is Available to All People Through Christ

Today’s verses are some of the most recognizable in the entire Bible and for good reason. They contain a powerful promise to every person in the world regardless of background or pedigree. The truth that God the Father loves all people so much that He would allow God the Son our Lord Jesus Christ to be humbled as a man, tortured, and killed to pay the debt He did not owe just so that every mother’s child would have an opportunity of eternal life in heaven with God is a love like no other which pierces hearts and minds of multiplied millions in various places and times.

There is no better way to explain the very love, character, compassion and faithfulness of God than the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

You see of all the promises the Lord blesses us with stem from our faith in Christ. Because without a right relationship with God we are not entitled to the blessings or promises of God. This is because God is perfect and holy and will not dwell in the presence of sin. Therefore it was necessary for Jesus to be the perfect spotless sinless lamb of God to take away the sins of the world and make us reconciled to a perfect holy God.

Through our new relationship with God births a new life which gives us access to a multitude of promises and blessings in the Lord. And when our hearts are right not only does that excite us so that we have a better life but also so that we may be blessed to be a blessing to others and do our part in the Great Commission.

Furthermore, because of God’s perfect love and character He has made this eternal blessing available to everyone not by our own actions so we may boast but simply by putting our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

God’s perfect love makes a way for everyone to have eternity in paradise. Let’s give Him praise!

The World Condemns Itself

Verse 17 goes further to say that Jesus did not come to condemn the world but that the world would be saved through Him. Much like verse 16 this shows the deep love of God for people that His intention is not that Jesus would come to the world to condemn it but save it by His sacrifice for all people in all generations.

In our modern time many people reject the idea that God would judge people or that hell is real or even that God is real at all. Several people have told me these things when they find out I am a Pastor. The modern mindset in much of the world is that of humanism which rejects God and states that humans give shape and meaning to their own lives. Such a mindset is demonic because it rejects God and His natural order and instead humanism makes people gods in their own minds to set their own definitions and standards of what is right or wrong for each individual instead of submitting to the will of God.

This is what verse 18 is referring to when it says that whoever rejects Jesus is condemned already because while they are made aware of Him they willfully and knowingly decide to reject Him. Why you may ask, verse 19 explains.

John 3:19 ESV

19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

Said differently people are enticed by sin and then enjoy the temporary pleasure of sin and do not want to stop. Then before too long they become trapped in their sin because they identify it as their identity and are most likely beginning to suffer the consequences. As the saying goes, sin will take you further than you want to go and cost you more than you want to pay. The devil is a liar and will try to entice people with short term pleasure that leads to long term pain.

Simply put there is a choice each person much make on whether to trust God and follow Him or reject the Lord and instead do whatever we think or feel or whatever our culture tells us to think and feel. A person either trusts and submits to Christ or they are rejecting Christ but they cannot have it both ways. This doesn’t mean that Christians are perfect because we are not but it does mean we love God and we are trying to follow His ways.

In our time we cannot repeat this truth enough which is that humanism and following the world is a rejection of God and that is what will condemn someone to hell. But God does not want that path for anyone so He has makes every opportunity for all people at any point in their life to put their faith in Him and be saved. Not because God needs us but because of His love for all people. This is the message a lost and dying world needs to hear today that whatever you are placing you trust in cannot match the limitless love and power of the one true God who is Jesus Christ. Let’s give God some praise!

Closing

The promise of God of eternal life through Christ Jesus gives us hope not only for the future but also for this life. We can live with a calm confidence that while life is not always easy and we will have a mixture of both good memories and difficult seasons there is no reason to stress because Jesus has overcome the world.

Our faith in Jesus not only saves us from the penalty of past sins but guides us away from sinning again. The Holy Spirit and the Bible and our prayers to God will guide us and help us as we grow from glory to glory. As Christians, we know that God has a plan and purpose for our lives, that we are loved beyond measure and that we are never alone.

In the coming weeks we are going to speak more on these individual promises and blessings of the Lord that we as Christians can receive both in this age and in the age to come.

But as I said before all of the Lord’s blessings are contingent on one thing which is faith. The faith to believe that God really loves mankind so much that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty of sin for the world and also that He rose alive on the third day victorious over death, hell and the grave. If you are here today and you are a Christian walk in the joy of the Lord knowing that you truly are too blessed to be stressed and if you are here today and you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior than I implore you to please make the most important decision of your life and become a Christian today. Your next moment are not guaranteed and life is short so please don’t leave here today without knowing that when you leave this world you will go to heaven with Jesus in paradise. And not only will you be blessed then but while you are here you will be blessed in more ways than I can count with love, family and purpose for your life.

Prayer