Saved, Or Condemned? John 3:16-17

Text:  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish (Eternally), but have everlasting life.”

John 3:16.

Good morning, Eternally SAVED Christian!  Did the Lord God save you, but now depends on your ‘good works’ to keep you saved?  When the Lord God saved you, did He give you Eternal life, or was His gracious gift merely temporal?  When you are feeling depressed, do you doubt God’s love for you?  When you fall into sin - and all we sinners do - does God take His gift of Eternal life from us again?  Can we be given the gift of believing faith in Christ Jesus and end up condemned by our Holy Lord God of absolute wrath against sin? 

All these questions are successfully asked and answered in the verses of today’s selected Scripture as we continue Journeying With John through his account of the Gospel.  Praise God it is so!

“Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ASK for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls…”  (Jeremiah 6:16)

Only those seeking truth from God’s Word are blessed with enlightenment from Him.  If we do not ask for such Scriptural wisdom, we will never find it.  Therefore, we must learn to continually ask that we might continually receive of the Living Lord God.     (James 1:5)

Salvation:  The only real Salvation for sinful mankind is in God’s free gift of Salvation - and exclusively through the Cross of Christ Jesus.  Salvation is God’s gift to us, we cannot earn it; work our way towards it; pay for it ourselves; or do any other deed to keep the Salvation gift we are given.  Fact.

“For by grace and ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man/woman should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Eternal Salvation:  Our text today - one of the most universally well known Bible texts internationally - clearly teaches us the fact that God gives all who trust in Christ Jesus’ Sacrifice at the Cross ‘…everlasting life…’.

Arminian believers (adhering to the teachings of Joseph Arminius 1560-1609), on the other hand, set forth the idea that one can be saved by God and then eventually lost! 

The ‘…everlasting life…’ aspect offered by Christ in our text today is thereby - in some contradictory manner - reduced to a mere transient period!  The gift of Eternal (or ‘…everlasting…’) life offered by the Living Lord Jesus is demoted to something that is much less than a free gift of God’s grace; more of a conditional hint that we might have everlasting life, but only as we are humanly able to keep ourselves in a ‘…state of continuing grace…’!  What nonsense!

We are saved and kept by the power of God, or we are not saved and kept at all!

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in Heaven for you, who are KEPT by the power of God through faith unto Salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”  (1 Peter 1:3-5)  Hallelujah!  Saved and kept by the Lord!

Saved Or Condemned?: (V.18)  Verse 18 of our Bible passage for today is startling in its clarity and precision of understanding.  Whosoever believeth (I.e.  trusts and keeps on trusting) on Him (Christ Jesus and His Sacrifice at Calvary’s Cross) is NOT condemned. 

Whosoever does NOT believe, does not trust and keep right on trusting completely on Christ and His finished work of Redemption on the Cross, is condemned already!  Why?  Because he/she does not believe in the Name of the only begotten Son of God, Christ Jesus.  What Divine clarity!

Light Or Darkness?:  (Vs.19-20)  Why is so much evil done in the darkness?  Because mankind since the Fall of Adam/Eve in the Garden have tried to hide our evil deeds from the light of God’s Presence. (Genesis 3:7-8)

When we are given faith to believe the truth of the Gospel of Salvation in Christ alone, we immediately come to the Light; confess our sins; and repent from them.  We ask the Lord God to help us not to sin against Him any more - and come promptly to Him in progressive confession when we do, in order to be cleansed from all sin and renewed to full fellowship with Him again.

If this is your personal experience, dear friend, then rejoice.  For the Lord God has taken you and I from the darkness and taught us to love the Light.

Thought:  Is your Salvation experience Eternally secure in the Blood?

Spiritual Regeneration John 3:1-15

Text:  “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.”  

                                                                                                                Titus 3:5.

Good morning Spiritually regenerate Christian!  You are a true Christian because you are Spiritually regenerated.  If you are not Spiritually regenerated, you are NOT a true Christian!  This is vital.  Check it out.  Your immortal soul’s destination and Eternal security depends completely on it.

So, what is Spiritual Regeneration?  If you learn no other truth in life, please please let me teach you this vital one of Spiritual Regeneration: 

Definition of the term: To regenerate is to bring NEW LIFE to; to cause to be Spiritually reborn; to quicken (or give life to) that which is DEAD; to impart a new nature from God (i.e. which means believers have two natures when born again, the old nature and the new!). (Ephesians 2:1)

Regeneration: This is a work of creation, performed by God alone in the breasts of His elected people. (Ephesians 1:3-6)   We are passive in this act of God’s grace. As fallen creatures, we have no power to originate this miracle of new life - "...Salvation is of the Lord!" Praise God for His grace! (Genesis 5:3) (Jonah 2:9) (John 6:37;44) (John 15:16)

Mankind was CREATED in the image of God - a tripartite being i.e. three parts. We were created body-soul-spirit, just as God is Father-Son-Spirit.  (1 Thessalonians 5:23) (Genesis 1:26-28)

The body relates to the dust from whence it came. (Genesis 2:7) (Genesis 3:19)  The soul relates to, or communicates with, other like human souls i.e. each other. Created mankind’s spirit was the unique part of Adam/Eve which enabled them to communicate with God the Creator - BEFORE sin separated them from our Holy God. (Genesis 3:1-24) (Isaiah 59:1-2)

Born Vs Created: Every person born of woman (as opposed to being originally created by God), therefore, since that time in Eden’s Garden are born sinners; we fall short of God’s perfect standard of righteousness. (Romans 3:10; 22-23) (Psalm 51:5)

Why is this so?  Because God told our forefather, Adam, that if he ate of the forbidden tree (nothing to do with sexual relations!) on that very day, he/she would ‘...surely die...’. (Genesis 2:16-17)

Now, we know that it was not physical death God spoke of here!  How do we know? Because Adam lived after his Fall from grace until he was 930 years old! (Genesis 5:5)

Therefore, we realize that the Lord God spoke of SPIRITUAL DEATH. Adam/Eve were smitten by spiritual death the very moment they sinned in disobedience to God in Eden’s Garden.  (Ezekiel 18:4) (Romans 6:23)

Sin made them hide from God’s Holy Presence (Genesis 3:9-10) The DEAD human spirit desires no fellowship with the Holy Lord God. (1 Corinthians 2:11-16) (Isaiah 53:2)

He that was created SUPERNATURALLY became merely NATURAL due to committing sin against his Creator God. (Romans 7:14-24)

Thus it follows that, all BORN of Adam/Eve since then are begotten (born) in Adam’s sinful image instead created in God‘s Holy image. (Genesis 5:3) (Job 14:4)

We are born spiritually dead - a body; a soul; and a dead spirit!  (Ephesians 2:1)

That is why Christ taught us, "Ye must be born again!" We must be Spiritually regenerated!  We who are dead in sin must be made alive in Christ! (Titus 3:5)

This can only be done by God the Holy Spirit Himself.   We are thus regenerated into Christ’s Body - the true Spirit-born Church.                       (1 Corinthians 12:12-13) (John 3:3-8) (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Regeneration is therefore seen plainly to be the free gift of God to Hell-deserving sinners. We cannot WORK our way to Heaven! (Ephesians 2:8-10) (John 3:16)

God’s Means of Showing Grace: (Acts 4:12) (John 14:6)

The means God has provided for us to be Regenerated (or saved) are two-fold - prayer and the Word of God. (2 Timothy 2:1-5) (Jeremiah 33:3)

Prayer: No one can really PRAY unless the Holy Spirit enables (or inspires) us to pray. (Romans 8:26) We can recite useless, ‘...vain repetitions...’, but we cannot actually pray by God the Holy Spirit and according to His will.  God, therefore, makes His people’s prayers to be both inspired and to be heard. (James 4:3) (Psalm 19:14)

God, the Holy Spirit’s first ministry to us is to convince (or convict) the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of Judgment to come. Prayer is thus our true means of fellowship with God - we speak to God in prayer.  (John 16:8)    (Psalm 91:15) (Revelation 20:11-15)

The Word: No one can be Regenerated, ‘born again’, without first reading, or hearing, God’s own inspired Word - the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.  (2 Timothy 3:16-17) (2 Peter 1:20-21) (Romans 10:17)

This doctrine can be more clearly evidenced in the Old Testament illustration of Ezekiel’s valley of dried bones. (Ezekiel 37:1-10)

The dry bones represent all who are DEAD in sin and trespasses; all who are unregenerate; all who are not ‘born again’ of the Spirit of God!  Read how the Lord told Ezekiel to "...prophesy upon these bones...". (Ezekiel 37:4) Paul reveals unto us the fact that, "...faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." (Romans 10:17) (Hebrews 6:1;6) Then, after the preaching of God’s Word, the dry bones are breathed into and come alive! Hallelujah!    (John 3:8)

This is the miracle of Spiritual Regeneration.  We ‘hear’ God’s call due to God-given faith, and receive Eternal Life as the gift of God’s grace. Conviction of sin, and our desperate need to be saved, are revealed only through the Word of God contained in our Bibles. God speaks to us by His Word.  (James 5:16)(Colossians 4:2)

We are encouraged to preach the Gospel also!  (2 Timothy 4:1-5) (Mark 16:15-16) (Matthew 28:19-20)

Why are we inspired to preach the Gospel? So that the Lord can use His means of Regeneration grace to the full; and reward our labours for Him in the Salvation of precious and immortal souls. (Daniel 12:3) (Proverbs 11:30)

What a great and gracious Saviour! Amen! Hallelujah! These Bible truths surely make us free!  (Hebrews 7:25) (John 8:32)

Conclusion: This, therefore, is the great Scriptural doctrine of Spiritual Regeneration. We receive a new nature from God which remains obedient to His Commandments, and helps us daily to battle against the desires of our own carnal natures; fallen natures which shall always be at enmity against God. (John 14:15) (Romans 8:7)

The Spiritual battle is continuous! But, the Victory has already been won for us at a place called Calvary; won by the all righteous Christ Jesus, the Son of the Living Lord God. Amen. And praise be always to His Almighty Name! Glory to God in Christ Jesus! (Exodus 17:8-16) (Romans 16:27)

Thought:  In the risen Christ Jesus we have Regeneration Life Eternal.

Seeing Or Believing? John 2:18-25

Text:  “Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have NOT seen, and yet have believed."

John 20:29.

            “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”                              

2 Corinthians 5:7.

Good morning, Christian in doubt!  You have just been informed that you, or a family member, or a very close friend, has been diagnosed with a terminal illness.  You have received news of natural disaster or  impending peril that could very well affect you, your business, or all things close to you and yours.  In steps the demon of grave fear and deadly doubt.  Suddenly, all that you had set your hopes and dreams upon lies shattered by apparent gloom and doom.  All that you see and hear and taste and touch and experience is suddenly cast into jeopardy - and deadly doubt is assailing your Christian faith.

If this describes your current circumstances or situation - read on, beloved Christian, the Lord God has new hope especially for YOU today.

“Be still (relax, all is in God’s control), and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”             (Psalm 46:10)

When the Lord Jesus physically drove the personal-gain merchants out of the Jewish Temple, it was the religious Jews that asked Him the question, “What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?” (V.18)

They knew from their head knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures that the coming Messiah would come suddenly to His Temple, that He would be ‘…like a refiner’s fire, and like fuller’s soap…a refiner and purifier of silver…‘ that would ‘…purify the sons of Levi, and purge them…that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.’  (Malachi 3:1-3)

However, no sooner had the Lord Jesus fulfilled this prophesy, right before their eyes, but these religious Jews immediately manifested the unbelief of their hardened hearts by asking Christ to show them a miracle in order that they might fully believe.  Not much has changed today, has it?

Today on our Christian TV channels we see thousands of people craving similar signs and wonders and - sad to say - often we see a circus of charlatans more than willing to put on such a show for them!  Beware!

For such people - seeing is absolutely necessary before they will believe anything concerned with Christ Jesus, the Son of God Who saves.  Obviously, true God-given Christian faith, in such circles, is totally lacking.

“”Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in His Name, when they saw the miracles that He did.”  (V. 23)

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  (Hebrews 11:1)

As the apostle Paul writes - at all times under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit - “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”  (2 Corinthians 5:7)

For the true Christian believer in this day of increased apostasy; ‘easy-believing’; and what the Scriptures define as ‘…signs and lying wonders…’ - the rule is clearly one of believing in the Lord, and then, by His grace and according to His Sovereign will, seeing His miraculous hand at work in doing the most wondrous of things.  All glory to His miraculous and wondrous Name!  (2 Thessalonians 2:3-17)

Genuine Christians believe, and because we believe - we often see the miraculous wonders of a truly compassionate and awesome Lord God!

The above rule of believing and then seeing is clearly taught in the example context of our text for today.  “…Thomas, one of the twelve (disciples)…was not with them when Jesus came.  The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord.  But he said unto them, Except I shall SEE in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe.”  (John 20:24-25)

Eight days later, Thomas was with the rest of the disciples when the risen Christ Jesus again appeared unto them and offered Thomas the opportunity to do just that, “…Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side; and be not faithless, but believing.”  (John 20:27)

“And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God.  Jesus said unto Him, Thomas, because thou has seen Me, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen (that‘s you and me, my friend!), and yet have believed.”  (John 20:29)   Hallelujah!  We walk by such God-given faith today!

Thought:  Dispel all doubts, Christian believer - only believe, and then see how the Lord blesses your faithfulness.  Jesus cares for YOU.