For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
The angels announced to the shepherds, “Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people” (Luke 2::10). The good tidings of great joy is the gospel. It is the good news of God’s divine love, providing the gift of everlasting life to a lost and dying world. However, it takes faith to bring to fruition the quintessential hope of everlasting life for mankind. The first part of the good news, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son” refers to God’s grace. God’s amazing grace was embodied in his perfect gift to the world, Jesus, his only begotten Son. God so loved the world that he was moved to restore our greatest loss, eternal life, by giving to us, the greatest gift, Himself, God in the flesh. When Jesus came, heaven came down to kiss the earth with healing love.
God’s grace gave Jesus to the world, but it takes belief, or faith to receive Jesus in your heart to possess eternal life. The Bible states, “For by grace are ye saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). God’s grace gave the gift of life, but you must choose through faith to receive the gift of life. Grace is about giving and faith is about receiving. Therefore, the second part of the good news, “that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” refers to your faith in Jesus, as your essential response in order to bring to fruition your quintessential hope to obtain eternal life. The rejection of Jesus through unbelief will cause you to perish as the rejection of God’s word through unbelief caused the fall of mankind. Adam and Eve chose not to believe God, who told them that they would surely die if they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Instead, they chose to believe the lie of Satan: “Thou shall not surely die” (Gen. 3:4). Their sin of unbelief opened the door to the sin of disobedience. However, to believe in Jesus, God’s Word, who was "made flesh and dwelled among us," opens the door for all to the righteousness, found only in the perfect obedience of Christ. The Bbile says that without faith no one can please God. Therefore, no one can be righteous without faith in God. Even as “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted for righteousness” (Rom. 4:3), so our belief in Jesus as our
The angels announced to the shepherds, “Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people” (Luke 2::10). The good tidings of great joy is the gospel. It is the good news of God’s divine love, providing the gift of everlasting life to a lost and dying world. However, it takes faith to bring to fruition the quintessential hope of everlasting life for mankind. The first part of the good news, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son” refers to God’s grace. God’s amazing grace was embodied in his perfect gift to the world, Jesus, his only begotten Son. God so loved the world that he was moved to restore our greatest loss, eternal life, by giving to us, the greatest gift, Himself, God in the flesh. When Jesus came, heaven came down to kiss the earth with healing love.
God’s grace gave Jesus to the world, but it takes belief, or faith to receive Jesus in your heart to possess eternal life. The Bible states, “For by grace are ye saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). God’s grace gave the gift of life, but you must choose through faith to receive the gift of life. Grace is about giving and faith is about receiving. Therefore, the second part of the good news, “that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” refers to your faith in Jesus, as your essential response in order to bring to fruition your quintessential hope to obtain eternal life. The rejection of Jesus through unbelief will cause you to perish as the rejection of God’s word through unbelief caused the fall of mankind. Adam and Eve chose not to believe God, who told them that they would surely die if they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Instead, they chose to believe the lie of Satan: “Thou shall not surely die” (Gen. 3:4). Their sin of unbelief opened the door to the sin of disobedience. However, to believe in Jesus, God’s Word, who was "made flesh and dwelled among us," opens the door for all to the righteousness, found only in the perfect obedience of Christ. The Bbile says that without faith no one can please God. Therefore, no one can be righteous without faith in God. Even as “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted for righteousness” (Rom. 4:3), so our belief in Jesus as our
Savior from sin accounts for our righteousness. Stand in faith and stand in righteousness.
God’s hand of grace is now reaching for your hand of faith. If your faith can make the connection with grace then you shall not perish, but you shall have everlasting life. Jesus, the bread of life, is saying to you now, “I am the living bread...if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever. Jesus, dying on the cross for the sins of the world, also represents the tree of life in the Garden of Eden, transplanted in our dimension of time and space on Calvary’s Hill. However, it is only by faith that you can eat from the tree of life. Choose now. Choose before tomorrow becomes eternity. Choose to believe in Jesus, then you can feast on the bread of life, and drink from the fountain of life. Open your heart to Jesus to receive the precious gift of everlasting life.
God’s hand of grace is now reaching for your hand of faith. If your faith can make the connection with grace then you shall not perish, but you shall have everlasting life. Jesus, the bread of life, is saying to you now, “I am the living bread...if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever. Jesus, dying on the cross for the sins of the world, also represents the tree of life in the Garden of Eden, transplanted in our dimension of time and space on Calvary’s Hill. However, it is only by faith that you can eat from the tree of life. Choose now. Choose before tomorrow becomes eternity. Choose to believe in Jesus, then you can feast on the bread of life, and drink from the fountain of life. Open your heart to Jesus to receive the precious gift of everlasting life.
Let us pray: Father, we thank you for sending Jesus, your only begotten Son, to pay the penalty for our sins by dying for us on the cross. We can see in Jesus the embodiment of your amazing grace, and so we praise your holy name. Amen.
Possessing faith in Jesus as Savior from sin is the only means of salvation for fallen humanity. Where there is faith there is no fear. Faith dispels fear like light dispels darkness. Now continue to the next topic entitled, "Overcoming Fear."
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