JOHN 3:16

John 3:16-17

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

John 3:16 is one of the most recognized, most memorized and most spoken verse in all of Scripture. It can be seen printed on T-Shirts, Banners and even on signs at sports events. This one verse sums up all of Scripture: God loved humanity, but humanity sinned and thus, is condemned to Eternity in Hell, but because of God’s great love for us, He sent His only unique Son, Jesus Christ, God in human form into the world that thru Him. His death and His resurrection, whoever comes to Him in faith and repentance will not die, but have Everlasting Life!

Without salvation from our sins, the whole world is condemned to Hell. No matter what kind of life we would have lived; even if we were to become the richest person who ever lived; to die and spend eternity in Hell would not be worth it. Beyond death, there is no second chance; no repentance, no forgiveness.

Hebrews 9:27-28

It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

Jesus Christ is God’s FREE GIFT of Salvation! We cannot earn it nor do we deserve it. It is unmerited (not earned) grace (undeserved favor).

Ephesians 2:4-9

But God, who is rich in MERCY, because of His great LOVE with which He LOVED US, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come that He might show the exceeding riches of His GRACE in His KINDNESS toward us in Christ Jesus. For by GRACE you “HAVE BEEN SAVED” through FAITH, and that NOT OF YOURSELVES; it is the GIFT of God,  NOT OF WORKS (not good deeds), lest anyone should boast.

Examine the words I capitalized; meditate on these. Think and see how very much God loves a world gone wrong; how much God loves you! God has made a way for us to escape the judgment to come. He has provided a sacrifice for our sins. It all started that night in Bethlehem, Israel, where Jesus lay in a lowly manger. This is the event that would change the world forever!

So many of us get depressed because we get caught up in what we have not obtained or cannot achieve. I urge you to focus on what HAS BEEN DONE for you! Heavens gates are wide open, accepting anyone who would turn from their sins and towards Jesus Christ. Salvation is for ANYONE who would put their faith in Christ. No matter what you have done, where you have gone, where you are now, there is Forgiveness for you! Come just as you, where you are and grab hold of God’s Free Gift of Salvation!

For all those who trust in Christ, the day is coming when everything will made new, corrected, made clear. This is the greatest news for the poor, the lame, the diseased, the hopeless and all those who ruined their lives and desire another chance. This world is temporary, it is fading; Eternity is forever and Heaven is perfect! Don’t let the troubles of this life bring you down. What God has for you in Heaven makes ANYTHING you can possibly go through down here to get there…worth it! Look at the amazing verse:

 1 Corinthians 2:9

But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

WOW!!

God says you can’t even imagine the awesome things He has prepared for those who follow Jesus. Nothing can explain it, nor can you compare it with ANYTHING great you can think of. Think about it! Think about ALL the things you could possibly wish for if God granted you EVERY and ANY wish you desire…ANY…are you seeing this is your mind? Money, Fame, Health, Peace, Rest, Food, Amazing Travel, ...ANYTHING!

With all you can dream up…your Every wish…God says “IT DOESN’T EVEN COME CLOSE” to all the things He has prepared for you! WoW! Makes you want to stop focusing so much on all the things you Don’t Have, and focus on all the things you have to look forward to!

God has given the world a PRICELESS GIFT: JESUS CHRIST!

Every day, think on these things. Focus your mind and heart on God’s Gift…to YOU! Think about what all this means. I know life can be hard, but God has made a way. Let Christ remind you of why you were created, saved and whose child you are and where you are going.  When Jesus’ disciples were amazed at the power given to them to cast out demons, Jesus replied:

Luke 10:20

Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

If You Are A Christian; REJOICE! Because YOUR NAME  is WRITTEN IN HEAVEN!