Condemned Already!
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Believed by many to be the “greatest verse in all the Bible”. Many believe that it is the most loved and best-known verse. Some say it summarizes the Bible in a “nutshell”, the key though, the Gospel condensed to one verse.
For most of my adult life, I was a sales representative and/or sales manager. A concept in sales was that a salesman has to have a “two-minute elevator talk”. The concept was to be able to summarizes your product or service in a 2-minute presentation! This concept was presented as if you were on an elevator with your client and only had the amount of time of the elevator ride.
It away God summarizes the whole Bible (OT & NT) [ God’s two-minute elevator talk” ]in John 3:16. Paul quotes it a different way when he says:
1Co 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
Many pastors have said that John 3:16 was the verse used by them when time was short, or death was near. One pastor has said that once he was given two minutes with a dying patient. He read John 3:16 and then led the sentence prayer of faith.
Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
The verse confronts us with a decision/choice “to believe or not to believe” knowing that our decision leads to eternal life or death, “whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”. [fork in the road & we have a road map – the Bible]
This thought is so important that God states it a different way in John 3:18.
Jhn 3:18 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.
John 3:18 above says that Jesus did not come to condem the world (everyone/anyone) because if they did not believe they were condemed already (implied condemed themselves because of their sins).
Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
John chapter 3 starts with the visit of Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews with Jesus. Jesus first statements to Nicodemus was that “a person must be born again to see and enter the kingdom of God.“
Jhn 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Jhn 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
There are only 25 words in John 3:16, yet no other verse has lightened the path to heaven as has John 3:16. Jesus is both the “life and light” of mankind.
Jhn 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
Jhn 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
Jhn 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Jhn 6:47-51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.[48] I am that bread of life.[49] Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.[50] This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.[51] I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
Jhn 6:58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
Salvation is the results (equivalent) of being “Born Again”.
Joh 6:63 “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”
Jesus is said to be light! (John 1:4 above)
Jesus is said to be life everlasting! (John 6:48 above)
Jesus says He is the manna that came down from heaven when accepted (eaten) is eternal life! (born again) (John 6:58 above)
Conclusion:
If you were to die tonight where would you spend eternity?
Jhn 3:18 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.
Let us pray:
(Marthy – before Resurrection of Lazarus) : Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. (Jhn 11:27)
We must believe He can provide life of the spirit!
(Man born blind said) Lord, I believe. And worshipped him. (John 9:38) – We must believe He will give us spiritual Life
(Father of the child with an evil/dumb spirit) said: Lord, I believe; help my unbelief. (Mark 9:24) – Believe that He can help our unbelief!
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