Gods Great Love

 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 ESV)      

This is a well-known and extremely important verse. Jesus spoke these words to Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a secret follower of Jesus. Jesus, who often spoke in parables, speaks plainly to Nicodemus: believe in the Son of God, and you will have eternal life. The words of Jesus that follow this verse are equally important.

 “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  “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.”(v.17-18) Yes, God sent His only begotten Son into the world. Still, the incredible thing is that Jesus was sent not to condemn the evil of humans but to offer the opportunity for the application of His grace that faith may abound, repentance may occur, and salvation may be dispensed to all those who believe and have faith in Jesus Christ.

Before the creation of the world, God knew His elected people. He knew who he would save, not because of something they would do, but because of His choosing. Every sinner who has called will find salvation. Jesus will call His sheep, the lost, the sinners, and when called, they will come, Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:27-28).

The depth of God’s love is hard to explain. Some may choose to die in the place of one that loved them, and that they loved. However, in the depth of God’s love, while we were still sinners, while we rejected God, Christ died on the cross for our sins. That is the depth of God’s love. Paul wrote, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

In the Bible, those we would expect to accept Jesus, the Jews, and the Pharisees, did not. Mainly because they loved their sin, ego, money, and prestige. To the contrary, those who were broken, lost, sick, and hungry longed for God. If you think you are too far gone, too sinful, too broken, to be saved by God, you could not be further from the truth. God continues to give salvation to anyone who will receive Christ. John wrote in his gospel, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:12-13). Are you ready to receive Christ?

There are only two roads, and these two roads lead to two gates, one narrow and one wide. The wide gate leads to sin and death; the narrow gate leads to eternal life. What road are you on? What road do you want to be on?

Seek Christ as your Savior. Recognize that you cannot save yourself, that you need God and Call out to Him. He is waiting for you to open that door, and He will walk into your life, never to leave, ever.

Choose life, Get Saved…