Jesus made it clear from the beginning of His ministry what His mission was and how He expected people to respond. Jesus was brought into the world by God and is the crowning achievement in His enormously complex plan to save mankind. God is working every moment of every day to bring about the kingdom of God. His intentions are revealed in the pages of the Bible and were brought to life through Jesus Christ.
God loves the world so much He sent His Son to die for the sins of the world so that we might all have eternal life. Jesus came to save us.
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17 (NIV)
We were all condemned to die way back in the book of Genesis (Genesis 2:17). Before that death sentence, we were all scheduled to have eternal life. Jesus came to restore that benefit. His simple message is to believe in Him – to trust his path to salvation.
“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:18 (NIV)
The problem many people have is their obsession with sin. Jesus is a bright light. Some people avoid Jesus because they do not want that bright light to expose their sin.
“Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.” John 3:20 (NIV)
Conversely, those who believe in truth cherish light. Entrance into the kingdom of God is illuminated by the light of truth. Jesus Christ is a lighthouse beacon directing willing souls into the kingdom of God.
“But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” John 3:21 (NIV)
Light or darkness; it’s a choice we all have to make. For some, this is an easy and obvious choice. For others, selfish pride bolstered by the devil makes the decision difficult, or simply keeps them going in the wrong direction. There’s a battle going on here and we all need to stand on our own two feet when choosing sides. There is no coercion on the part of our Lord – He’s made the offer and it’s up to us to move toward the light.
Answer each question as though you were speaking privately to Jesus. Don’t just answer yes or no, explain your answer completely to yourself and to the Lord.
Are you aware of the darkness in this world?
Are you aware of the light of truth found in Jesus?
Are you seeking light or hiding in the shadows?
What do you know about the darkness found in this world?
What do you know about the light of truth found in Jesus?
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