The Ultimate Test
Notes
Transcript
The Ultimate Test
The Ultimate Test
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Introduction:
The fact that Jesus Christ has come into the world provides all people with the ultimate test of believing or disbelieving, of choosing whether to continue in their sins and surely perish or whether to believe in him and pass from death to life.
The coming of Christ into this world is the watershed of eternal destiny for all
A test
Ph - acidic or basic
Blood alcohol - DUI or legal
Litmus test is - a test in which a single factor (such as an attitude, event, or fact) is decisive.
No wiggle room here
It on or off
Its white or black
It pass or fail
Its move on or stop
This text gives a decisive answer to the following questions:
vs 17 - Why Jesus came into the world
vs 18- - Believing brings no condemnation
vs 19 - men naturally love darkness
vs 20 - light exposes evil deeds
So what is the Test
Condemn or not to condemn
Light or dark
Forgivness or Judgement
I. A Caution Given
I. A Caution Given
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
illustration of caution - yield
Stop
warning label
don’t eat this ....
3:17 God is not a harsh, cruel ruler anxious to pour out His anger on mankind. His heart is filled with tenderness toward man and He has gone to the utmost cost in order to save men.
He could have sent His Son into the world to condemn the world, but He did not do so. On the contrary, He sent Him here to suffer, bleed, and die in order that the world through Him might be saved.
The work of the Lord Jesus on the cross was of such tremendous value that all sinners everywhere could be saved if they would receive Him.[1]
God’s purpose in sending His Son is salvation (to save), not damnation (to condemn).
God does not delight in the death of the wicked (, ). He desires that everyone be saved (; ).[2]
23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
The word translated “sent” here is apostello, the word from which we derive our word apostle.
It carries with it the idea of sending someone forth as a messenger on a mission.
A message of with caution ...
The good news is you don’t have remain in sin and be condemned the bad news is failure to do so leaves you condemned
[2] Blum, E. A. (1985). John. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 282). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
The Goal is forgiveness not judgement but its up to you
John 3.
II. A Choice Made
II. A Choice Made
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
A Choice needs to be made!
15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
We make choices every day ......
vs 18 - to believe in the name means to believe in the person.
So who does Jesus condemn?
Those who rejects
We think next whom Jesus condemns (3:18–19).
Although it is true that Christ’s mission the first time was not one of condemnation, the manifestation of Christ was both a process of judgment and a sentence of judgment on those who rejected him.
The purpose of his coming was to offer peace, love, joy, and the goodness and glory of God’s grace. But to those who spurned all that, the product of his coming was inevitably judgment.
“He that believeth on him is not condemned [judged]”; that is the one class of people.
“He that believeth not is condemned already [hath been judged already]”; that is the other class of people.
A man who has a disease that a few injections can cure, but who refuses to take the injections and consequently dies of his disease, has no one but himself to blame.
The judgment they reap, by rejecting Christ, they bring on themselves.
Christ came to offer eternal life. They chose death.
“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil” (3:19).
The reason why people hate the light is because of what it reveals or hides.
3:19. Men love darkness not for its own sake but because of what it hides.
The key is found in vs. 19 - the light reveals their deeds.
They want to continue undisturbed in their evil (ponēra, “wicked”; cf. v. 20 which has a different word for evil) deeds.
Light destroys bacteria
Now all
Light is a type of energy known as electromagnetic radiation. It is given out by hot objects such as the Sun, light bulbs, and LASERS.
It shows us where we are and what we are. It shows us what a dark place the world is. It shows human beings how dark and evil they are. [1]
The reason why people hate the light is because of what it reveals. It shows us where we are and what we are. It shows us what a dark place the world is. It shows human beings how dark and evil they are. [1]
When light hits a surface, its energy can be absorbed (soaked up), REFLECTED, or deflected by REFRACTION.
It shows us where we are and what we are. It shows us what a dark place the world is. It shows human beings how dark and evil they are. [1]
The instrumental means of salvation is believing in the finished work of Jesus on the cross.
[
But people who reject the light of the Logos are in the dark (1:5; 8:12) and are therefore already under God’s judgment.
John 3.
A believer in Christ, on the other hand, is under “no condemnation”
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
A choice is made light or darkness!
The key is found in vs. 19 - the light reveals their deeds.
They want to continue undisturbed in their evil (ponēra, “wicked”; cf. v. 20 which has a different word for evil) deeds.
Now all mankind is divided into two classes: either believers or unbelievers. Our eternal destiny is determined by the attitude we take toward the Son of God.
The one who trusts the Savior is not condemned, but the one who does not trust Him is condemned already.
The Lord Jesus has finished the work of salvation, and now it is up to each individual to decide whether he will accept Him or reject Him. It is a terrible thing to reject such a gift of love. If a man will not believe on the Lord Jesus, God can do nothing else but condemn him.
Believing in His name is the same as believing in Him.
In the Bible, the name stands for the person. If you trust His name, you trust Him.
3:19 Jesus is the light who came into the world. He was the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. He died for the sins of all the world.
But do men love Him for this? No—they resent Hi
III. A Contrast Stated
III. A Contrast Stated
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
John 3.
A magnet attracts opposites positive and negative ....
A magnet will repel the polarity if it the same.
3:21. Jesus is like a magnet. His people are drawn to Him and welcome His revelation.
44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Though the light rebukes their sin, they respond in repentance and faith. They live by the truth (cf. , ; , ).
By regeneration they live differently than their former lives of darkness.
But people who reject the light of the Logos are in the dark (1:5; 8:12) and are therefore already under God’s judgment.
Their new lives are by faith in Jesus and His Word. And the Spirit, working in their lives, gives them new power, goals, and interests (; ).[1]
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Are you Saved or condemned ?
They stand condemned. They are like those sinful, dying Israelites who willfully rejected the divine remedy ().
A believer in Christ, on the other hand, is under “no condemnation” (); he “will not be condemned” ().
3:19. Men love darkness not for its own sake but because of what it hides.
They want to continue undisturbed in their evil (ponēra, “wicked”; cf. v. 20 which has a different word for evil) deeds.
Now all mankind is divided into two classes: either believers or unbelievers. Our eternal destiny is determined by the attitude we take toward the Son of God.
The one who trusts the Savior is not condemned, but the one who does not trust Him is condemned already.
The Lord Jesus has finished the work of salvation, and now it is up to each individual to decide whether he will accept Him or reject Him. It is a terrible thing to reject such a gift of love. If a man will not believe on the Lord Jesus, God can do nothing else but condemn him.
Believing in His name is the same as believing in Him.
In the Bible, the name stands for the person. If you trust His name, you trust Him.
3:19 Jesus is the light who came into the world. He was the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. He died for the sins of all the world.
But do men love Him for this? No—they resent Him. They prefer their sins to having Jesus as Savior, and so they reject Him. Just as some creeping things scurry away from the light, so wicked men flee from the presence of Christ.[1]
[1] MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1480). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
