John 3:18-21

John 3:18–21 “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. 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. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.””

We are at the end of this conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. And the main thread that has gone through the entire conversation is what true belief is verses false belief.

Nicodemus is a particular example of a false believer that Jesus had around him: they saw his signs and had a belief, but not one that was true and so Jesus did not enjoy fellowship with them.

And through this conversation we learned from Jesus that true belief begins with new birth.

And what happens after new birth is evidence that this powerful work of the Spirit has happened:

He leads you to the true testimony of Jesus and the work he has done.

He causes you to understand the work of Christ rightly:

It is a work driven by God’s love

It is a work that cost God greatly: His Son was sacrificed

It is received by believing in Jesus

And it’s main accomplishment is it stops God’s condemnation on you

The work of Jesus provides eternal life: being saved from God’s condemnation.

And to finish off this conversation now, we are going to spend time on the nature of the condemned and the not condemned and the way of life that flows from these two categories

This will enable us to look within our own souls and answer the question, am I a false believer like Nicodemus, or am I a true believer that has been born again and therefore am living like I am no longer condemned

John 3:18 “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.”

So what true and false belief ultimately comes down to is, are you in the camp of condemned, or are you in the camp of not condemned.

It is important to note that to be guilty or condemn is not some vague feeling, or a mystical and abstract concept.

To be condemned is an objective and real status in which God has declared you guilty, and you are walking around with this real and concrete verdict.

And the feeling of shame is inherit in every soul that feels the weight of the true verdict from the heavenly throne: guilty. Condemned.

And Jesus declares here that those who truly believe upon him do not have that guilty sentence over their head:

John 3:18 “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.”

And he is going to get to their concrete way of living in verse 21, but for now his aim is to point to the condemned: their status and the way they live their life from that status:

John 3:18 “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.”

Notice Jesus doesn’t say that people who do not believe in him enter into a state of condemnation, but their status is one who is condemned already.

With our first birth we all inherit the same condition of being condemned already.

Psalm 51:5 “5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

From our parents we receive a status of condemnation. This is because Adam, the first man, represented us all when he sinned. Thus all born after him are sinners in him.

Romans 5:12 “12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—”

Romans 5:18 “18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.”

When Adam and Eve transgressed God’s law in the garden, all their posterity after them were conceived as law breakers

And so the natural state of you and I with just our first birth is one of condemnation. Paul calls this being children of wrath:

Ephesians 2:3 “3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”

And so the work of Jesus was to come and not to bring the final judgement on mankind in keeping with our natural state of condemnation.

Instead, Jesus came to offer us a way out of that dark cloud, this heavy weight that none of us can bear: forgiveness from our natural state of condemnation.

But when we fail to have true faith in the one that came to bring us out of our natural state of condemnation, we remain in our condemnation:

John 3:18 “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.”

But notice the reason for that condemnation after disbelief in Christ is not that they are lawbreakers, though they are, but the added aggravation of denying the help given by God:

John 3:18 “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.”

The final revelation of our condemnation in Adam is that we deny the help that is sent to us in our condemnation.

Therefore you go from being condemned as a lawbreaker to condemned as a lawbreaker that completes itself in being a spurner of his offer of grace in Jesus.

This is very important to understand the person who is denying Christ, either through disbelief or through false belief.

They do this because of their natural condition of condemnation that they already have—not because the two options of belief and disbelief are equal options and they make a rational decision that leads to not believing.

(ill of Downton Abbey and what religion the baby is)

(ill: the world would have you believe that belief upon Jesus or not is like a subjective preference for all you can buffet in which every food item is provided.

You have the main protein option of: Fish, Chicken, Turkey, or Pork.

You have as the side options: Mash potatoes, diced potatoes, French fries, sweet potato fries, green bean casserole, mac and cheese

Desert: pumpkin pie, apple pie, cherry pie, carrot cake, chocolate cake, vanilla cake

Whatever assortment you decide on would not be objectively wrong or right, it would be sheer subjective or personal tastes.

You have the ability to make decisions that are legitimate based off of your legitimate tastes and desires.

And this is what the world would say religion is like, or a refusal to take part in religion. It doesn’t matter, it depends on your taste. You have the ability within yourself to make a decision that is appropriate for you and what you want in life, and there is no wrong or right answer.

But the truth is, to not follow and trust and have true belief in Jesus is like seeing all that food, but going into the kitchen and seeing rat poison set out in the corner and take that out, putting it on your plate, and eating it at the table.

Such a ludicrous decision would reveal that there is something already wrong with you that is being fully revealed in your lack of grabbing the good food.

Those who fail to put truth faith in Jesus is coming from a nature that is condemned already, and their condemnation is fully revealed in their failure to follow him.

John 3:18 “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.”

And so before we get to the way condemned false believer’s live, you need to know the nature of disbelief...it is not driven by rational and unbiased inquiry...it is driven by a heart that is condemned before God and so comes up with foolish decisions.

Jesus describes what this condemnation looks like:

John 3:19 “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.”

Or, and this is the condemnation.

Another words, the one who is condemned and then is told of the grace in Jesus to escape that condemnation and yet rejects him, this is what that full condemnation looks like:

John 3:19 “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.”

John 3:20 “20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.”

To teach on what the condemnation looks like in the lives of the condemned and to teach what not being condemned in the lives of believers, Jesus uses the illustration of light and darkness.

And this is a most helpful illustration

Since the dawn of time humanity has been totally dependent on light to do anything.

Our work was done in the day, any work was limited or non existent depending on how much the moon was lite up.

It has only been with the modern invention of artificial light that productive work can be done no matter if it is night or day.

Homes built before the invention of artificial light is obvious with the way windows were built and how many there were to allow more light in.

We are utterly dependent on light—the first thing you ask for when working on a project under the sink is light, the first thing you do when getting in your car at night is turn on the headlights, light is so needed its an automatic without even thinking about it.

And the judgement is:

John 3:19 “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.”

This is like the sun rising on the earth and instead of all the creatures of light coming out to go about their business, they stay in the shadows.

This is like putting no windows in your house to keep the natural light away

This is like asking for the lights to be turned off when you have a project to do under the sink.

This is like a factory that chooses to work at night and use no electricity for light

It makes no sense for creatures like us who are dependent on light.

Yet, contrary to nature Jesus says the judgement is that the light is come and people do not like the light.

Now of course, Jesus isn’t talking about literal light and darkness, but a spiritual point:

Light is understanding, dark is ignorance...but not in primarily in an academic sense, but in a sense that equates to life with God.

Psalm 43:3 “3 Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling!”

Now the light that shows us the path to God is seen in his law which is the perfect standard of righteousness

Proverbs 6:20–24 “20 My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching. 21 Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. 22 When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you. 23 For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life, 24 to preserve you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.”

But the light is more than sheer law but it is also the power or ability to use the law rightfully—it is grace and help

Numbers 6:24–27 “24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. 27 “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.””

Psalm 67:1 “1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah”

Psalm 31:16 “16 Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love!”

Psalm 80:3 “3 Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!”

And the light, both law and grace to lead us to God and in his path comes perfectly together and completed in Jesus

2 Corinthians 4:6 “6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

John 1:9 “9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.”

John 8:12 “12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.””

John 14:6 “6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

The Old Testament era was the sun that was about to rise on the earth—the light is faint but there

The Coming of Jesus and his ministry is the like Sun finally visible on the horizon

And the church age is like the sun high on the horizon well over the tree line

And we await the coming day when he returns and completes his kingdom in which it will be like the sun at noon.

The condemnation of the condemned is that at every level of light revealed, the condemned flee from it like the plague

Like a teenager being woken up at the early hour of 11AM

Like a termite after the rock it was hiding in comes up

And again, the most natural thing for humans is to draw near to God—to be in the light—and yet the condemnation is that when light shines, humans act like the nocturnal rodents

What is in the dark that they love so much?

John 3:19 “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.”

They have desires and passions for evil, not for righteousness, and in the dark they find a safe place to practice their evil, where the light of Jesus is a place where it is exposed.

Ephesians 2:1–3 “1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”

Ephesians 4:17–20 “17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!—”

The condemnation of the condemned is that they have a desire for sin that they find free practice of in the dark—-even as the light shines to show us the way to God in Christ.

John 3:20 “20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.”

The lover of sin isn’t just in different to the light, they hate it...

Because it threatens to expose their sin that they know they stand condemned under.

What does this look like for double condemned sinners today, for you who are not born again and do not have true belief as revealed in this condemnation.

Means of grace is shunned

John 3:21 “21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.””

Conclusion:

Ill. Me hunting coons in morning when the light is meeting the dark for a time

So right now before Christ returns light is meeting the dark...one day soon the dark will be gone and all who cower in it

To reveal the condemnation he uses the illustration of light and darkness

Light reveals the way to go

Darkness keeps it obscure

Jesus is the light or the illumination to God

By what has already been stated, who he is and what he has done

Yet people love darkness, or what obscures from God instead

Light and darkness is great illustration for:

Without light there is only darkness: man has no light outside of light of Christ

OT is the light coming from the sun before sunrise, NT is the light at the sunrise and afterstw

It reveals the insanity of those who reject Christ: like rejecting light when looking for an item

John 3:19 “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.”

John 3:20 “20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.”

John 3:21 “21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.””

The unbeliever will do everything he can to be in falsehood so that his god of sinful passions is not transgressed.

The true believer does all he can to be in the truth, performing good works wrought by God in Jesus

What does it mean to come to the light?

Engage in all the means of grace where Christ makes himself known

And the motivation to do so is not rooted in self, but is to be a display of God since he is the one who has enabled the work by new birth

Desires: For sin

Motivations: To keep his works of sin from exposure

Practice: Keep away from light

John 3:19 “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.”

Now remember, Jesus is talking to Nicodemus who is acting like he has a belief in Jesus:

John 3:2 “2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.””

But this man also came to Jesus at night because he didn’t want to be associated with Jesus. And so these words of Jesus here would have hit him hard on the nose.

The physical dark that Nicodemus was using to hide in as he spoke to Jesus spoke volumes of the spiritual darkness that Jesus is referring to here.

the light is Jesus

John 1:9 “9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.”

John 8:12 “12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.””

the light (or Jesus) has come into the world

What does it exactly mean that Jesus is the light?

Well it is described by Jesus in 8:12 above, it is the light that provides life.

And the question then needs to be asked, what is life?

And I to answer the question what is darkness, what is light, what is life we can see what Jesus says about himself in John 14:6.

John 14:6 “6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Life is to be with the Father—in perfect righteousness without condemnation

And Jesus is the light to get us to that place: the way, the truth, the life.

So when Jesus says:

John 3:19 “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.”

He is saying the only way to be with the Father and freed from condemnation has come.

His work on the cross, and his teaching surrounding that act is the light out of darkness

And this is the judgment of man, that when they see the light they refuse it. Why?

John 3:19 “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.”

They refuse the light, because they love being in the dark, because it is in the dark that they are able to freely practice their evil, or unrighteousness, or lawlessness.

Their condemnation in lawlessness leads them to the condemnation of rejecting the light of Jesus to get them out of lawlessness.

They’re greatest delight is to practice their sin, and anything that threatens their practice of doing that is a danger, a threat, a source of great hatred.

Therefore:

John 3:20 “20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.”

The light of Jesus which reveals their sin, reveals the darkness, and also lights a path to get out is hated by them because they do not want out of the practice of sin.

This is the state of the unbeliever, the false believer, the one who has not been born again.

They see the light of Jesus and his work on the cross and they fail to understanding it, they fail to follow it, because they love their sin more:

Ephesians 2:1–3 “1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”

Ephesians 4:17–20 “17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!—”

John 3:21 “21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.””

Conclusion/application

Your desire for the gospel is connected with your status as a true believer or a false believer

Duplicity, twofaced is a sign of loving darkness and desiring your sin over it being exposed and dealt with via Christ