THE APOSTLE JOHN WROTE TO THE CHRISTIANS IN EPHESUS THIS STATEMENT IN 1 JOHN 2:1-2, “MY DEAR CHILDREN, I AM WRITING THIS TO YOU SO THAT YOU WILL NOT SIN. BUT IF ANYONE DOES SIN, WE HAVE AN ADVOCATE WHO PLEADS OUR CASE BEFORE THE FATHER. HE IS JESUS CHRIST, THE ONE WHO IS TRULY RIGHTEOUS. HE HIMSELF IS THE SACRIFICE THAT ATONES FOR OUR SINS—AND NOT ONLY OUR SINS BUT THE SINS OF ALL THE WORLD.”
GOD LOVES. GOD INVITES. GOD SAVES. JESUS WAS NOT SENT TO EARTH BY GOD TO CONDEMN US, BUT INSTEAD, TO DELIVER US FROM OUR SIN. JESUS CAME TO RESCUE, RESTORE, AND SAVE ALL PEOPLE.
2 PETER 3:9, “THE LORD… IS PATIENT FOR YOUR SAKES, NOT WANTING ANYONE TO PERISH, BUT ALL TO COME TO REPENTANCE.” GOD IS A VERY COMPASSIONATE AND MERCIFUL GOD WHO DOES NOT DELIGHT IN THE CONDEMNATION OF PEOPLE.
HOWEVER, WE SHOULD NOT SCOFF AT THAT NOR TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SUCH GRACE. GOD IS HOLY. GOD IS JUST. HE OFFERS US “FREE WILL” AND WITH THAT GIFT, HIS JUDGMENT WILL STILL COME TO THOSE WHO REMAIN DEFIENT TOWARD HIM, LIVE ONLY FOR SELF AND HAVE BECOME HARD HEARTED AND UNREPENTANT.
JOHN TELLS US THAT THOSE WHO REFUSE AND REJECT JESUS CHRIST WILL “STAND CONDEMNED” AND PERISH. THE FRIGHTENING THING ABOUT “PERISHING” IS THAT IT, TOO, IS A FORM OF ETERNAL LIFE. THIS DOES NOT MEAN ANNIHILATION IN THE SENSE OF TOTAL DESTRUCTION AND CEASING TO EXIST, BUT SPENDING ETERNITY APART FROM GOD AND ALIENATED FROM JESUS CHRIST VOID OF THEIR LOVE AND PRESENCE.
GOD IS RICH IN MERCY AND LOVES US ALL WHICH IS THE PASSION BEHIND SAVING US FROM OUR SINS. LET US HERE IT AGAIN: JOHN 3:16, “FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.”
GOD WORKING TO REDEEM, RESCUE, AND DELIVER US FROM THE INSLAVEMENT TO SIN, WAS ALL BECAUSE OF HIS IMMEASURABLE LOVE. THE WORD USED FOR LOVE IN JOHN 3:16, IS “EGAPESEN” WHICH IS AN INTENTIONAL AND UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.
IT IS A LOVE THAT PROCEEDS FROM THE FACT THAT HE IS LOVE. THIS VERY LOVE OF GOD IS SHOWN TO US IN THE GIFT OF HIS SON, JESUS. 1 JOHN 4:16, “WE KNOW HOW MUCH GOD LOVES US, AND WE HAVE PUT OUR TRUST IN HIS LOVE. GOD IS LOVE, AND ALL WHO LIVE IN LOVE LIVE IN GOD, AND GOD LIVES IN THEM.”
JOSEPH MAYFIELD, IN HIS COMMENTARY ON THE BOOK OF JOHN, WROTE ON THE WORD “LOVE” IN JOHN 3:16: LOVE…“DESCRIBES WHY GOD DID WHAT HE DID. HE LOVED! THE WORD IN THE GREEK IS EGAPESEN. THIS IS THE LOVE THAT MOVES IN THE INTEREST OF OTHERS WITH NO THOUGHT FOR SELF. IT IS A LOVE WILLING TO RISK ALL FOR THE POSSIBLE ADVANTAGE OF ANOTHER, THAT COUNTS NO PRICE TOO GREAT IF ANOTHER CAN RECEIVE BENEFIT. GOD’S ACT OF LOVE IS WITHOUT LIMITATION OF TIME WHILE ALSO BEING ONE AND COMPLETE. IT IS LOVE ABSOLUTE!”
EPHESIANS 1:4-5, “EVEN BEFORE HE MADE THE WORLD, GOD LOVED US AND CHOSE US IN CHRIST TO BE HOLY AND WITHOUT FAULT IN HIS EYES. GOD DECIDED IN ADVANCE TO ADOPT US INTO HIS OWN FAMILY BY BRINGING US TO HIMSELF THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. THIS IS WHAT HE WANTED TO DO, AND IT GAVE HIM GREAT PLEASURE.”
GOD LOVES YOU! HE CREATED YOU TO SHARE HIS LOVE WITH YOU. HOWEVER, THERE IS A “SIN” PROBLEM. OUR RELATIONSHIP IS BROKEN DUE TO OUR SINFUL NATURE. WE CANNOT FIX THIS ON OUR OWN. WE MUST CHOOSE GOD’S REMEDY AND DECIDE TO ACCEPT HIS PLAN WHICH IS THROUGH HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST. I LIKE WHAT THE FREE METHODIST CHURCH SAYS ABOUT THIS!
PARAGRAPH 111 (BOD) FREE MORAL PERSONS: “GOD CREATED HUMAN BEINGS IN HIS OWN IMAGE, INNOCENT, MORALLY FREE, AND RESPONSIBLE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL, RIGHT AND WRONG. BY THE SIN OF ADAM, HUMANS AS THE OFFSPRING OF ADAM ARE CORRUPTED IN THEIR VERY NATURE SO THAT FROM BIRTH THEY ARE INCLINED TO SIN. THEY ARE UNABLE BY THEIR OWN STRENGTH AND WORK TO RESTORE THEMSELVES IN RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND TO MERIT ETERNAL SALVATION. GOD, THE OMNIPOTENT, PROVIDES ALL THE RESOURCES OF THE TRINITY TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR HUMANS TO RESPOND TO HIS GRACE THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST AS SAVIOR AND LORD.”
GOD MAKES A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM AVAILABLE TO US. IT IS NOT AUTOMATIC, EARNED, PURCHASED, OR AWARDED TO ANY ONE OF US. IT IS A DECISION. WE MUST WANT THIS AND BE WILLING TO TURN TO JESUS. THE “ANSWER” IS SIMPLY THIS: “WHOSOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM [JESUS].”
“BELIEVES IN” MEANS MUCH MORE THAN INTELLECTUAL AWARENESS OR AGREEMENT IN OUR MINDS THAT GOD EXISTS. SIMPLY KNOWING ABOUT WHAT GOD HAS DONE THROUGH JESUS IS NOT THE SAME AS BELIEVING IT. BELIEVING IN JESUS MEANS TO TRUST IN, TO RELY ON, AND TO CLING TO JESUS AS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN SAVE US.
THAT MEANS THAT ACCEPTING JESUS WAS NEVER ABOUT JUST “GOING TO HEAVEN.” IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT HAVING A LOVING RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD NOW AND FOR ETERNITY IN HEAVEN. THE FACT IS THAT SALVATION IS NOT ABOUT A PLACE BUT A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THAT HAS BEEN RESTORED THROUGH THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST.
GOD PAID DEARLY TO SAVE US WHICH WAS THE HIGHEST PRICE HE COULD PAY. THE SALVATION GOD OFFERS FREELY WAS COSTLY TO HIM. WE MUST FOLLOW JESUS AND NURTURE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM BY SERVING HIM, KEEPING HIS WORD, DENYING SELF, FORSAKING THE WORLD, AND REMAIN CONNECTED TO HIM INTIMATELY.
WE NOT ONLY PROFESS JESUS, BUT LIVE OUT AND SHARE OUR FAITH IN JESUS, DAILY AND CONTINUOUSLY. WE FULLY BELIEVE IN AND OBEY JESUS! THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE WITH GOD IS THE FULLEST BLESSING GOD CAN BESTOW.
HOWEVER, THIS LOVE THAT GOD OFFERS ONLY COMES WITH TWO OPTIONS: BELIEVE OR PERISH. ACTS 4:12, “SALVATION IS FOUND IN NO ONE ELSE, FOR THERE IS NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN GIVEN TO MANKIND BY WHICH WE MUST BE SAVED.” FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD! BELIEVE!
