06-05-2020 Finishing Well on Fridays - The Light that Judges pt. 2

John 3:18–20 ESV

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.

Monday Review:

It is Your Unbelief that Leads to Your Morally Objectionable Actions

Your Repentance must begin with Turning from your Unbelief

Too Many Times, Moral, Religious and even True Followers of Jesus Focus People on the “repentance of stopping SINful behavior” This is Works-based Salvation and is an EPIC FAIL.

Even here in John 3:19-20 it is easy to miss the **central** Problem - which is a built-in hatred for the light.

This hatred of the light is due to the personal UNBELIEF

We do NOT BELIEVE that our Moral Fabric as Humans is already flawed beyond repair

We do NOT BELIEVE that we are not awaiting judgment but are JUDGED already

We do NOT BELIEVE that our sin and rebellion (made obvious by actions but present even without them) demands God’s Wrathful Punishment

We do NOT BELIEVE that God’s Nature of Love could Provide a Divine answer to our Sin Problem - Jesus.

Therefore We REJECT GOD and GOD’s Answer and REFUSE to EXPOSED by or to the LIGHT of the WORLD.

Let us Speak of JUDGMENT for a moment.

God sent His Son into the World (first advent) NOT to CONDEMN but to PROVIDE SALVATION (v. 17)

UNBELIEF (v. 18) results in

JUDGEMENT (v. 19) because

UNBELIEF (Hating the Light in v. 20) leads to

WORKS that DESERVE JUDGMENT (v. 19b-20a) and because we love the Darkness (v. 19) we

do NOT BELIEVE we should come to the LIGHT (v. 20) for risk of EXPOSURE

Therefore UNBELIEF results in JUDGMENT and FEAR of JUDGMENT reinforces UNBELIEF

Friday Finishing Well Challenge:

How is the statement in v. 19 “And, this is the judgment: the light has come into the world...” to be understood?

What is Judged?

Who is Judged?

Why are they Judged?

Are they Judged for their lack of knowledge, or their activity/actions, or something else?

How does a sinful person Come to the Light?