Love and Judgment
So that you may believe - Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 56:13
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God’s . . .
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As we continue to look at whosoever, may we look back and then look forward today.
14 “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.
As it was whosoever looked up at the servant was saved, so it the whosoever believes in the Son of Man.
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
We looked at God’s greatest gift, love (3:16a)
We looked at the recipients of God’s greatest gift, the believers (3:16b)
We looked at God’s greatest promise, eternal life (3:16c)
Everything for the whosoever is about belief “in Him” (vv.15, 16, 18) and through Him (v.17) which we will look at these today.
One Commentator, Barclay, on 3:16 says that this verse
Tells that the initiative for salvation lies with God
For God so loved the world!
It tells that the mainspring of God’s being is love.
Everything that God does is from a place of love, for God is love.
It tells us of the width and depth of God’s love it was the whole world that God loved and sent His Son.
(Transition) We now are getting to one of the great paradox’s we find in the scripture, the paradox (Defined as: a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true.)
Maybe further explain this for you. And hey, got most of this from Barclay.
Is it possible to offer a man an experience in nothing but love and for that experience to turn out a judgment? It is quiet possible to offer a man an experience which is meant to do nothing but bring joy and bliss and yet for that experience to turn out a judgment.
When it comes to Jesus, there is a paradox, He offers love, offers joy and bliss, but if not received his way there is judgment. So love and judgment together and that is what we are looking at tonight. God’s word makes us confront belief and belief in Jesus. Believe and have eternal life, do not believe and eternal death.
“Alcibiades a spoiled Athenian man of genius was a companion of Socrates and every now and again he used to break out: ‘Socrates, I hate you, for every time I meet you, you let me see what I am.”
With God’s great love, with God’s greatest gift, you are confronted with God’s greatest choice, love or judgment. Let’s now look together at our passage.
Our Text
Our Text
God’s great love, has to be received and if not received then there are consequences, let’s see what the scripture says.
17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
21 “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”
What sticks out to you in this passage?
What is the purpose the Son was sent into the world (v.17)?
To save the world “through” Him
What is the promise, assurance you find (v.18)?
The one who believes is not judged!
The one who does not believe has already been judged.
Why is there judgment on the world (v.19-20)?
light came, men loved darkness more than Light
Deeds were evil
Hate the light because evil deeds would be exposed
The one who practices the truth does what (v.21)? and why do they do it?
Comes to the Light
Practices the truth
His deeds may be manifested as coming from (wrought) in God.
(Insert Bonus Question Picture here)
Bonus question, how do they come to the light (will have to think in context Jn3)?
By being born again of water and Spirit (3:3, 5)
Rewards of belief
Rewards of belief
We have seen the necessity of being born again. We have seen the requirement of belief, but with belief comes rewards.
Reward: Eternal life (v.15-16)
15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
It is important for us to know that the Greatest love that comes from God the Father, who gave the greatest gift, Jesus the Christ was given not for judgment but for eternal life.
It is also important to receive the gift there has to be a belief in the gift and the giver.
Belief in self and self works will not get me eternal life.
Remember Nicodemus and the Jews were close to the kingdom but not in the kingdom!
Nicodemus was amazed at what He was hearing (v.7)
Reward: Salvation (v.17)
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
God sent Jesus as the lamb of God to take away the sin of the world (1:29)
(Insert sin of the world picture previously used here)
To have Jesus take away the sin what do you think you need to do?
Acknowledge there is sin
Be willing to let go of the sin
How do you let go, surrender sin, and why do you answer, how can you know?
So, God’s great love sent God’s greatest gift, to save the world. The gift must be received by faith, for it not it brings on judgment, condemnation and conviction and that is where we come to now.
Judgment of unbelief
Judgment of unbelief
Unbelief, it means to choose not to believe something. When it comes to choosing to receive God’s greatest gift, it to comes with rewards or consequences. The consequence of unbelief is judgment (condemnation).
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
What is the judgment of non-belief, and when does that judgment happen (v.18)?
Pay close attention, it is past tense, the judgment has already been handed down!
A person is convicted, found guilty, no excuses, then the judgment is executed or sentence delivered.
Why does the judgment happen beyond unbelief (v.19)?
They loved the deeds of darkness more (we will circle back to this in a minute)
Without a doubt there is a division that is made here in these verses between the saved and the unsaved, the non-judged and the judged (condemned)
Confronted with the truth, Jesus (Jn14:6), it means you have to do something with it, with Him. you are without excuse (Rom1:20-21)
Note down the Roman’s passage on your notes, but here it is.
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
(expand on knowledge, refusal, foolishness) - being confronted with the truth, makes you responsible for the truth.
Now it says He did not come to judge the world, but check out this passage.
39 And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.”
You are simply a Christian, what should we do with this passage? - - - - look at things in context!
35 Jesus heard that they had put him out, and finding him, He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”
37 Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you.” 38 And he said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped Him. 39 And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.”
40 Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.
Can you see how this can tie back into Jn3? How Nicodemus was seeing things, how the Pharisee’s were seeing things and the love God has and the judgment too?
I said we would circle back to deeds of darkness in a minute, well here we are
19 This is how the judgement works: the light has come into the world, but people love the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil.
(Insert I’ve got a question picture previously used here)
The greatest gift from the greatest love is given, revealed, shown and oftentimes rejected why?
Because they love the darkness rather than the light
Because their deeds are evil
Tough question to ponder, what evil deeds were in mind when you look at (v.19) and Jn3 as a whole to this point?
That they being Jews was enough
That adherence to the law was enough.
That they were good enough by their good works were enough
When confronted with the truth, confronted with Jesus, you have to confront yourself and your need for God’s greatest love, God’s greatest gift, the gift given that is received by faith.
What God has done in great love turns to be condemnation to those who do not receive God’s greatest gift- Jesus!
Love, judgment and light, light matters!
Love, judgment and light, light matters!
God’s great love gave God’s greatest gift. God’s greatest gift must be received by faith. Now look at this last section tonight together on how light matters.
20 All who do evil hate the light and will not come to the light, because it will show all the evil things they do. 21 But those who follow the true way come to the light, and it shows that the things they do were done through God.”
Why do people hate the light (v.20)?
The light will show all the evil they do (expand again)
But those who follow the truth love it, why (v.21)?
The light will reveal that they are of God!
For there is nothing hidden in the light, it makes all things seen.
Previously in John we have seen light
5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
Oh, wait not fair to use one verse is it
3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
There, we know Him, and He was the Light of men, and He shines in the darkness!
Consider
17 “For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light.
Write that one down, it is not on your outline.
By a persons reaction to Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, the Word that became flesh, because God so loved the world, a man stands without excuse, exposed to the light that reveals, makes all things evident, the person must do something with it.
14 “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;
15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
The Israelite’s had to look at the pole, we need to look to Jesus!
(Prayer) (Exit)