Temple Baptist Church - 10-19-2022
John 3:16-21
Introduction:
A. Last week, we looked at the context of John 3:16 and find that his verse is explained in the preceding verses as the conjunction “For” ties them together. A verse taken out of context becomes a pretext or a ruse.
B. “Believeth In Him” is more than just a general belief that Jesus Christ, Jehovah God, was born in the flesh and died for the sins of the whole world. A person can believe this and still not be saved if the gospel is not applied to the individual
1. Why did God send His Son? To die as a propitiation for the sins of all mankind. Both saved and lost as is explained in 1 John 2:1-2, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (2) And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
a) He died for the saint’s sins, “for our sins”, and also for the unsaved’s sins, “also for the sins of the whole world.”
b) I think that we understand that the whole world will not come to Christ and be saved as the Bible gives plenty of examples of people who died without Christ and went to hell.
2. What must the sinner do? Look and live! Know that he is a sinner and in repentance, turn to the cross and look to the One who died for his sin. John 3:14-15 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: (15) That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
C. These verses that follow John 3:16 explain why some people get saved and some people choose not to be saved.
1. Verse 17. The Will of God. John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
1 Timothy 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
Christ died for the sin or the whole world according to 1 John 2:1-2. It is the will of God that all men be saved, 1 Timothy 2:4.
2. Verse 18. John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
a. The Difference between saved, “not condemned,” and lost, “condemned already,” is what did you do with Christ. There are no intermediate spiritual state of man as he is either saved or lost.
b. You either believe and are saved or you do not believe and are not saved! It is as simple as that.
Amos 8:11-12 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: (12) And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.
A two-fold problem is expressed and implied in these verses.
1) A famine of hearing because of the preachers who will not preach the Word - Isaiah 30:9-10 That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: (10) Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:
2) A famine of hearing because of the people who “heap to themselves teachers having itching ears” or as we see in our day, a total lack of interest in spiritual things. Zechariah 7:11-12 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. (12) Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.
3. Verse 19-20, John 3:19-20 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (20) For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
a. Men are condemned because they love darkness instead of light, sin instead of godliness, loving this satanic world instead of longing for the life afterwards with the LORD.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2) For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (3) Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, (4) Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; (5) Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
b. As all men are sinners, andthere is a choice to be made concerning repentance from sin and saving faith in Christ Jesus’ finished work called the gospel.
c. This is best illustrated in Genesis, chapter 4, where the two sons of Adam and Eve came to sacrifice to the Lord. Abel brought the right sacrifice and Cain brought the wrong sacrifice. God had respect to Abel’s sacrifice of blood and had no respect for Cain’s sacrifice of the works of his hands.
d. God gave Cain a second chance. Genesis 4:6-7 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? (7) If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
e. Cain’s problem was a sin problem, and he killed his righteous brother after rejecting God’s offer of a second chance. Cain’s choice was willful!
4. Verse 21. John 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
a. As the sinner rejects the light, the saint comes to the light. John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
b. The sinner’s life is found in this present evil world while the life of the saint is found in the person of Jesus Christ and His righteousness. Galatians 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
Conclusion: The difference in no condemnation and condemned already, people are either saved or lost: What will you do with Christ Jesus?
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