The Golden Text Of The Bible

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This morning, on this Lord's Day, I'd like to speak to you what is known as the golden text of the
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Bible. The golden text of the Bible. We're so familiar with it, aren't we? It's John 3 .16.
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Within this text, this one text of Scripture, the greatest story ever told is given to us in this precious book.
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And it's in a nutshell in John 3 .16. It is the very revelation of God, and within its pages are the infinite treasures of God through Jesus Christ.
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And it tells us the greatest story that the world will ever hear. And the story of redemption, the gospel of Jesus Christ, is actually the scarlet red cord that flows all the way through the entire
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Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. And it's all focused on one person, the
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Lord Jesus Christ. And that is our focus. And as we run the race of faith, may our eyes be fixed upon Jesus.
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And this scarlet cord, I like to say, runs all throughout the
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Old Testament and unfolds in reality. In the Old Testament, we see shadows and types, and we see
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Christ through the Old Testament. But in reality, when you come to the
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New Testament, especially Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, undoubtedly the most familiar and beloved verse in all the scriptures is
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John 3 .16. We teach our children to memorize this great verse, and honestly, what really makes me tremble is we are so familiar with this verse, do we really see the depths of what it really means?
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Word by word. And it is, no doubt, the golden text of the
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Bible. The late A .W. Tozer called this wonderful verse of scripture the burning bush of the
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Bible. The burning bush of the Bible. Rightly so. Therefore, as we approach this text, this golden text of the
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Bible, may we all have an attitude as Moses had when he approached the burning bush on the mountaintop.
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And as he witnessed the burning bush, that it was not consumed, may we also witness in John 3 .16
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that this verse is never consumed. It burns and burns and burns.
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Moses had an attitude of awe as he beheld the bush, and with awe and wonder may it be within our hearts as well as we come to this great verse of scripture and say, behold our
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God. Behold our God. There is no way that I myself as just a student of the
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Bible and what I know of scripture through the 40 years in which the
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Lord has called me and since he has converted me to Christ to unpack all that the truth that is given here in this great text.
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Actually, if we could look at it and have the greatest preachers behind this pulpit and you can hear the greatest preachers on this earth preach this text, they could not unpack it.
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There's no way because it's inexhaustible. All we can do by the help of the
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Holy Spirit is to behold the greatness of the love of God that is given to us and may we do so, as the scripture says, with fear and trembling and rejoice with trembling as we kiss the sun and come to worship at his footstool and bow before him and let this burning bush of scripture warm our hearts this morning.
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Now, John 3 .16 is a wonderful verse. I've done this a few times, but I'd like for us to do it again.
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Children, I'd like all you children to really pay attention this morning because this is a wonderful verse of scripture.
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I'm sure some of you have memorized it, haven't you? Well, I'll tell you what, we're going to put that to the test.
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I'll tell you what I'd like for us to do. I'd like for us to all together in harmony as much as we possibly can say this wonderful verse.
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I hope you've already turned there, by the way. And let's read this all together out loud with a strong voice.
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And I'll start us off. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten
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Son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have an everlasting life.
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Praise God. Amen. Amen. That's good reading. I heard all those children's voices this morning.
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Praise the Lord. May we bow in prayer now as we look to our Lord, as we look and expound this verse by the help of the
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Holy Spirit and that God would help me to lead us in this. Father, we thank you so much for your words.
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Lord, take it from our ears to our hearts this morning. We pray and only your Holy Spirit can do this.
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Father, we thank you for your great love. We bow our hearts before you, Lord. And this is the first thing we do.
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We thank you for your word. For this is the greatest gift that you've given us is your word. And second to that would be your
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Son because we could not know your Son outside of your word. So we thank you,
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Father, for the great word. You've exalted your word even above your name. Lord, you said in your word itself, heaven and earth will pass away, but your word will abide forever.
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It endures forever. Your word goes forth and it does not return void, but it accomplishes exactly what you've sent it to do.
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And Father, your word, as the psalmist says, is more desirable. More desirable than gold.
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Even more than fine gold. And sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
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Father, by your word, it's forever settled in heaven. So it's already settled.
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Regardless what men and unbelieving men say about it, it's already settled.
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And by your word, Lord, we are warned and keeping your word.
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There is great reward. So Father, help us within this hour as we worship and look into your word and this great text, this golden text of Scripture, that we may behold your face in the glories of Christ and your great love that is given to us through your
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Son, your one and only Son, your unique Son. Change us.
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Transform us. More into the likeness and the loveliness and the beauty of the
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Lord Jesus Christ. And as the psalmist says in Psalm 19, so that the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight,
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O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. We ask this for your honor and glory.
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In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Such a humbling verse.
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Such a powerful verse, isn't it? I do feel almost in a sense like we're
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Moses on the mountain. And by far we see this burning bush.
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Brightly burning. Wonderful text. Golden text of Scripture comes right in the middle of a conversation as we've been looking at.
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A conversation that's between Jesus and one of the most learned
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Pharisees and religious leaders in all of Israel. In chapter 3 here. He was a man of the
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Pharisees named Nicodemus who comes to Jesus by night. And so, to get what is really said by the master here, the master teacher, because actually the master teacher,
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Jesus, our Lord, is teaching Nicodemus. He teaches him who is in need of being taught.
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And as we look into the text, it seems to appear that he is teachable.
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He comes to Jesus by night. And there's a reason he comes to Jesus by night.
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Now Nicodemus had heard of Jesus' teaching. And I would say probably he witnessed
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Jesus Christ cleansing the temple in Jerusalem. If you look with me very quickly before we look to our text,
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I'd like for us to look at some surrounding verses so we can understand what John 3 .16
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is really, what our Lord is really saying. If you notice in John 2 .23,
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we've already covered this territory, but for you that has not heard this, I'd like to bring this out. Scripture says now when he was in Jerusalem, speaking of Jesus, when
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Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Passover, he always kept the Passover because he perfectly kept the law.
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He fulfilled the law. And during the feast, many believed in his name. And when they saw his signs, that means miracles, in which he was doing.
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Now Nicodemus is no doubt, I believe, one of the many that saw the Lord's miracles, the signs which it speaks of here in the text.
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Because in verse 24 and 25, we see the revelation that's given to us, but Jesus on his part was not entrusting himself to them.
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Now let me pause there for a second. Why? Why did not Jesus entrust himself to them?
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These are very religious people here. And the Scripture answers that question.
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It says, For he knew all men. Now let's make a note of that.
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Not some men, all men. He is the searcher of our hearts.
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The Scripture basically says the reins of our hearts. The word reins means our innermost being.
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He knows our very motives. He knows everything about you. Children, God knows everything.
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Jesus knows everything about you. Everything. He knows our thoughts.
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He knows our motives. That's very convicting, isn't it? Because sometimes our thoughts are not too good.
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But he knew all men. And then he says this in Scripture, and the Scripture says this,
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And because he had no need that anyone bear witness concerning man, for he himself knew what was in man.
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What is in us that makes us so vile and evil? The sin nature.
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It comes down to that. Now that sounds like a simple answer, but it's really profound because we really don't know our sin like God knows it.
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And this is why God gives us the word to reveal our sin. He gives us the law.
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It's like his holiness, and it's like a bright light, I would like to say, that shines upon a dark heart.
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It's like a great thick darkness. The lights, the bright lights are cut on.
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And this is what the word of God does. It cuts the bright lights on to show us who we really are.
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We need this. And when we see who we really are, it's really vile.
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And it's disgusting. And it should be painful.
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And in that sense, it should make us run to God for the remedy. And this is the purpose of the giving of the law.
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And then we may know that we need a Savior. And there's a remedy.
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And that remedy and that Savior is the Lord Jesus Christ, none other. No one else. Now, let me say this.
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It's like Nicodemus. All men are depraved. I would actually say people that are even religious, this is the worst kind, that pretend to be righteous, and they're not righteous.
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They pretend to be religious, and they don't have a relationship with Jesus Christ.
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It's all a stage play. And they go through the emotions and the externals.
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But see, God knows. And God knew Nicodemus. He knew Nicodemus exactly what he needed.
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He knew his very heart. Our hearts are desperately wicked, folks, before God.
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And our righteousness are like filthy rags before the holiness of God. Now, before you say, wait just a minute, pastor, and ask the question, but I know people.
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They're very good people. They're very kind and very nice. Folks, just because a person is externally nice does not mean that they're good within their hearts.
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Because they see a righteousness within themselves they think is good. And altogether, they're seeing it apart from God.
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You see that. The Scripture says, there are none good. No, not one. Now, this is not including
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Christ. Christ is apart from that. Really, Christ is the good one.
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And even Jesus Christ, to give it an example, gave and pointed to the
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Father in heaven on the goodness of God, even to the rich young realer that came to him and said, good master, what must
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I do to be saved? And he said, there's none good. Only God. Only God. He says, why call us me good?
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Only God's good. So, there's a goodness that we basically put on scales on ourselves and compare our goodness to other people's goodness.
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But the goodness of God is apart from man's goodness. You see that?
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Because our goodness, our righteousness, is like filthy rags to God. It stinks.
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Now, until we see that, we will not see, not until our sin becomes, one period it said it like this, not until our sin becomes bitter, until we see
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Christ being sweet. So, we need to see that. And Nicodemus needed to see this.
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He's a very religious man. He comes to Jesus by night. And by the way, he's confused. He's looking at only external signs and miracles and keeping of the law and righteousness.
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And in a sense, he thinks he's good enough to get to heaven. And Jesus, in his great wisdom and love, tells him something profound.
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We won't go through the whole story again, but he simply, Jesus gives analogies, one by one here.
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And Jesus does this on purpose to help Nicodemus to see that apart from God, you have no power to come into the kingdom of God.
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None of us does. You can't do that within your own willpower as we heard Steve Lawson this morning talk about that from the gospel of John and other scriptures.
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Because our will is corrupt. It's in bondage because of sin. So, if you think you can just all of a sudden turn to God on your own willpower and strength, you can't do it.
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It's God's will. It's God's choosing. It's God's power.
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Now, what does he tell him that's so profound? Well, if you look with me to John 3 and verse 3, we looked at this.
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Jesus answered and said to him, and he says this, by the way, when the text actually says
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Jesus answered, Jesus is giving him an answer, by the way, that Nicodemus never asked.
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Why? Because he searched his heart. He's answering his heart. He answers his heart at a question that's within deep of his heart that he had a void there.
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Now, Nicodemus is up in age. It's like he's been a church, a faithful church goer or a very religious man for years upon years and actually a teacher of the
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Jews. A Pharisee was learned supposedly in the law of God since the youth, all the way up.
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He knew all about the words of God and Jeremiah and Daniel, the prophet and all the prophets and Genesis and all that, and yet he did not understand what
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Jesus was referring to. But Jesus tells him something profound in verse 3. He says, truly, truly,
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I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. So, really, the entire chapter 3 of John is devoted and focused on the kingdom of God.
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How can we come into the kingdom of God? How can we inherit eternal life? How can we enter into the kingdom?
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The kingdom! Because it's the kingdom not of man, it's the kingdom of God. And Jesus says to him, you must be born again.
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Unless one is born again, he cannot see or enter into the kingdom of God.
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It takes the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to bring us in the kingdom of God.
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So, really, the whole focal point of chapter 3 is about the kingdom of God and how one must be born again and born from above.
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It's a supernatural birth. It's a birth that must take place.
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Jesus says, must! You must! It's a necessity. Now, I didn't say that.
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The Lord Jesus Christ didn't say it. Billy Graham, he preached many times on this.
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There's no how -tos. Other preachers have preached on this. But Jesus is the one that said it.
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It comes from his lips. Truly, truly, I say to you, to you, he's speaking to Nicodemus, but let's apply it to us, to you, me.
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Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Now, he must experience a new birth, supernaturally changed and transformed by the sovereign grace of God.
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Now, to emphasize for Nicodemus that there is no excuse for him to be ignorant of the way of salvation, because Nicodemus later on says, how can these things be?
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In verse 9, Jesus rebukes him and says, are you the teacher of Israel? Do not understand these things.
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He should have known. So, Jesus basically, later on in the text here, appeals to another very familiar incident in the
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Old Testament, namely Numbers chapter 21, verse 3 through 9. We won't go there, but in verse 14 and 15, if you look with me, he says this, and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the
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Son of Man be lifted up. Now, that's the surrounding verse, that's the verse right before, in verse 14, and then verse 15 says, so that whoever believes will in him have eternal life.
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The term must, must, emphasizes that Christ, the necessity of Christ's death, his part of God's plan of salvation, was for him to die on a cross.
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So why is Jesus to die on the cross? There's a reason why Jesus came to die on a cross, because his death was not like no one else on this entire planet of billions of people.
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His death is apart from everyone else's death, because he is the Lamb of God, he is the person of God, the second person of the
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Trinity in flesh, and now at the cross, he was to be our substitute.
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That means he takes our place, a place in which we deserve to die, and he takes more than just death, he takes the wrath of God upon him.
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And God's wrath is upon what? Sin. The scripture says that Jesus Christ became sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
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He that knew no sin became sin. He was sinless. He never committed a sin.
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Not even in thought or deed or whatever, from the moment of his birth to his death, not one time did he break the law of God.
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He fulfilled it. Now, what's important about this is the necessity that he must die on the cross, and this is what
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Jesus is saying to Nicodemus, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the
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Son of Man be lifted up. Jesus, the substitute Lamb of God for sinners, slain.
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He was slain. So as the Israelites were cured, because many snakes bit them, and because of their murmurings and complainings and their sin, they were cured by looking to the elevated serpent on the pole as Moses lifted it up.
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And Jesus says, as, that's a type of what is going to happen. And in other words, basically apart from any works of righteousness of their own, in complete hope and dependence, utter dependence on God's word alone, the same way whosoever looks in faith alone to the crucified
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Son of God will be cured from the sin's deadly bite. This whole human race that we live in, and we enter into, we're bitten by sin.
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And we're to look by faith to the Son of God on the cross who died and became our substitute.
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Now, it's within that context, beloved, that John 3 .16 comes to us.
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It comes to us within that context, and it makes it sweeter than honey, does it not?
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It makes it even more sweeter because of the great love of God. I like to kind of compare it in an analogy here, a small little example, like a bright shining diamond.
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It's like I take a large diamond up before you and put it in the lights. And the more you put that diamond in the lights, and as you well know, it's a beautiful rock, one of the hardest substances on this earth.
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And it's the most beautiful rock that God has created. And as I take the diamond, and if you can see in your mind's eye, a huge diamond, and diamonds are cut beautifully.
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And as it's cut, there's a facet in each one. And if you well know, you put it up against the light or the sun, you see the glories and the glitter and the beauty of it as you look at each facet.
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Now I like to use that as we're looking at John 3 .16, I lift it up high,
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I illuminate it, and may the Holy Spirit by faith will behold and see it glow, and behold the glory of every facet and every word that proceeds from the mouth of God from this wonderful verse.
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So let's behold this wonderful love of God that's found in this verse. And I'm going to give you my outline as I go along.
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The first thing that we see in this wonderful text is for God so loved the world, for God so loved the world, declares
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God the Father's love. God the Father's love. It declares.
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There's a declaration. What a glorious revelation. The first thing you notice here is
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God's motive. The motive why He gives Jesus Christ. You know, 2 Corinthians 9 .15,
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the Apostle Paul says in thanksgiving, he says, Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.
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Notice from his heart, the Apostle Paul thanks God. Thank you. Thanks be to God for His unspeakable, indescribable gift.
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You cannot even give the language. There's not enough right
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English words or language to even to explain it, folks.
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I don't know how to tell you because it's almost like I do not have within myself sufficient words to tell you the greatness of the love of God.
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Because God in His infinite goodness, loved and very evil, wicked, sinful world that's fallen, rebellious humanity, that's depraved, broken the law of God, curses
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God, and there was absolutely, and let me point this out, there's absolutely nothing in you or me or in mankind that attracted
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God's infinite love to save us. Rather, God loves us because He's sovereignly determined to do so.
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He chooses it. Why? Because God is love, the scripture says.
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It's His nature. That's the way God is. And by the way, nothing changes
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His love. Nothing can ever change His love. That's called immutable.
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It's a theological word and that means no matter what happens, the change of seasons, we change, we need changing, we grow old, we change from season to season, from own and our phases of life change, but God never changes.
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His love is always steadfast and the same. Isn't that great? We could count on it.
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You know, that's His nature. His unchanging love. It's pure. And by the way, it's holy.
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It's set apart. It doesn't mean that God is compromising with sin.
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By the way, that's for the reason of sin. He sends Jesus to the cross to deal with sin in which we cannot deal with it within ourselves apart from Jesus.
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See, this love is separate. Paul says, yeah, it's
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Christ. God is reconciling God. It's God reconciling the world to Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ.
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And we are sinners, vile sinners, lawbreakers. And naturally, people do what they naturally do.
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They break God's law. They hate God. They're enmity against God.
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They're children of wrath, Paul says. And they fulfill the lust of the flesh. We do what we like to do because we love the sin within us.
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But God doesn't. And by the way, the Scripture says God's angry with the sinner every day, the wicked every day.
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We don't hear that enough, do we? Because people are afraid to offend people, but we need to tell people the truth in love.
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If they want to know the remedy and the cure for their sin, we must tell them the truth.
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And folks, man is rebellious within our hearts, our hearts.
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The Scripture says we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We've all come short. We've all missed the mark.
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But here's another Scripture, for the wages of sin is death. That's the wages.
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What is wages? We all understand what wages are, especially us that goes to work from sunup to sundown.
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Something we earn, isn't it? It's something we earn. We earn.
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Death. We earn death. And Scripture says for the soul that sins, it shall die.
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So, but there's another side of the coin of that Scripture. But, don't you love the buts?
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The door hinge, it opens to revelation. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our
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Lord. He is that gift, and He comes as our Savior to save wicked sinners from the sin.
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That's what He comes to do. But the sinner must repent. You see that?
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He calls for sinners to repent. To turn from the sin. Now we're all born as children of wrath, rebels, fighting against God and desiring to do our own way.
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You know, I think it was Frank Sinatra that sung that song, I do it my way, my way.
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That's the way people live. I do it my way, not God's way. Naturally born sinners depraved rebels against the
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Holy God. Now it's important to note that the world is a non -specific term for humanity for a general sense.
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That statement in verse 17, for God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
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You see, this verse proves that it does not mean that everyone that has ever lived since all will not be saved.
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See, all will not, it's not a universal salvation. We'll see that in just a minute.
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But John 3 .16 cannot be teaching universal salvation since the context promises that unbelievers will perish in eternal damnation and judgment.
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Verse 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
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Son of God. So first we see the declaration of the Father's love.
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The declaration of the Father's love. God declares His love through His Son. Romans 5 .8
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But God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
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Christ died for us. The great love of God is declared. And for God so loved the world.
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Next we see the next phrase that He gave.
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That we gave. Now, if God so loved the world declares, declares, then this determines
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God's, the Father's giving. Determines God the Father's giving.
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It determined, James 1 .17 and 18 says this, Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.
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Comes down, comes down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
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Of His own will. God's own choice. God's own will. He brought us forth.
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That's regeneration by the word of truth that we might be a kind of first fruits of His creatures.
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And notice back in John 3 .13 And Jesus says, And no one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the
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Son of Man. It's interesting this verse of Scripture contradicts all of the religious system claims to special revelation from God.
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Jesus is basically saying that no one, no one has ascended to heaven in such a way as to return to talk about the things of heaven and all that the glories of God has.
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No one has. Even though there have been many false prophets throughout the years say that they have.
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They're liars, folks. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. And Jesus says,
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No one, no one comes to the Father but by me, He says. So Jesus is basically saying
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He is the only one that can have that claim on this. Only Jesus had the permanent abode in heaven prior to the incarnation as He came to this world.
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And only He was the true knowledge, He has the true knowledge regarding heavenly wisdom.
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Therefore Christ descended from heaven to earth.
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It's like a descent from the glories of heaven in which He made and comes into this dark earth.
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He descends. It's a great descent. Shows us the descent.
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Then at His resurrection and after His resurrection, He ascends back.
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Glorious. Look at Philippians chapter 2 very quickly. And Paul the apostle speaks about this descent and ascent.
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He says this in chapter 2. Look at verse 6.
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Who although existing in the form of God did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied himself.
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He emptied himself by taking the form of a slave by being made in the likeness of men being found in the appearance of a man he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death even the death on a cross.
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Therefore God also highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow those who are in heaven and those on earth and under the earth and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is
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Lord to the glory of God the Father. What a great verse. But notice there's a descent and then there's an ascent.
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As Jesus came to descend and He was born in a manger this is why we celebrate
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Christmas, right? Not because of Santa Claus and goods and gifts and all those things. It's because of Jesus.
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It's not just a birthday it's a baby that was born in a manger who is
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Jesus Christ. That was His descent. He was born there in a lowly stable in a lonely place in a little town called
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Bethlehem and then from that point He lives a perfect life and His descent continues to humble
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Himself as He goes to the cross and that He dies in shame and nakedness upon a cross for our sin for your sin for my sin as the
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Lamb of God. So this wonderful passage as Paul brings out speaks about that great great descent and ascent.
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For God so loved the world declares the Father's love that He gave and determines that He gave determines
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God the Father's giving. Now third look at this His only begotten Son this describes
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Christ's great sacrifice His great sacrifice. Turn with me very quickly to Titus chapter 2
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Titus chapter 2 This is a wonderful passage here in Titus as Paul the
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Apostle brings this out and it's one of my favorite texts verse 11
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Paul says this For the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all men that does not mean that all men is going to be saved but it is available to all men it's to whoever instructing us that denying ungodliness and worldly desires we should live sensibly right by the way sin makes us stupid doesn't it we don't live sensibly when we're outside of Jesus Christ but when we are redeemed we should live sensibly righteously and godly in this present age right now it tells us that we should live holy we should be a different breed of people looking for the blessed hope this speaks to the second coming and the appearing of the glory of our great
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God and Savior Jesus Christ he will come back one day and look at verse 14 who gave himself he gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all lawlessness and purify for himself a people for his own possession zealous for good works isn't that beautiful and it's always in that order beloved see to redeem us what does that mean that means to buy us back from this cruel slave market of sin sin is a taskmaster it's a slave and if you notice people are in bondage to it they can't break free it's because it has them in bondage and only
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Jesus can tear the chains and the shackles apart but he comes to save us and set us free that's what he does and notice this we're slaves to sin but he breaks us free tears the shackles that we may be a love slave to him a love slave to righteousness to save us by his grace then to sanctify us you know beloved it's always in that order never the other way around he justifies us freely and then he sanctifies us he sets us apart he declares us righteous then he sets us apart to live holy and sensibly and righteously to deny to say no to ungodliness and worldly desires which is thrown in our face consistently but we are to fight up against it as children of God well because that's what salvation brings
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I like the way Ravenhill says it you know he says I stop asking he says
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I stop asking people to be saved because everybody would say they're saved from the White House to the
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Jailhouse he said what about does Christ live in you? does
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Christ abide with you? if you're saved what are you saved from? are you saved from your sinning?
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are you saved from doing your own thing? are you saved from rebelling or your bad temper or whatever it may be that it is but are you being sanctified are you saved from those things that bound you from being mean and ungodly and lustful
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I could go on Paul brings out all kinds of sins in the scriptures but we are to live sensibly righteously godly in this present age because that's what salvation does it brings deliverance doesn't it?
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that's what it means deliverance isn't it glorious? God declares us righteous based on the perfect works of Jesus Christ and his righteousness is not ours it's nothing we have done we cannot earn it we cannot work for it no matter how good we are it's the goodness of God now and then he dresses us in robes of righteousness and he redeems us and also let me point out this other thing to redeem also means to release someone held captive and they are redeemed by a payment by a ransom the slave to sin is redeemed by the one by the master that sets him free and makes a payment he makes a payment and beloved can
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I tell you this there's been a very high ransom payment for you and me a very very high price and matter of fact when
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I think about it it brings it makes me tremble and makes me want to cry before you right now because the price was so high that God Almighty the
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Father and the Son made this covenant between themselves before they created anything and the plan of salvation to send
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Christ the Father would send Christ to redeem his people and save them from their sin isn't it glorious?
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the price of that payment is the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ his precious blood the scripture even says that we've been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ it's precious isn't it?
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it's precious and by the way it was paid in full folks not partial you know a lot of times we pay things partially we don't have the money but Jesus when he paid the ransom he paid it in full that's when he said it is finished and when he said that it echoed it had to echo down to the caverns of hell itself and every demon in hell must have shook when
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Jesus says it is finished paid in full the ransom has been paid in other words
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God the Holy God was satisfied the just God was satisfied by the payment and he was very satisfied at what
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Christ did and all that he did and the payment he did and his life and how he lived oh what a redemption
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God declares for God so loved the world God determines that he gave his one and only son
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God describes Christ's great sacrifice for giving himself up to die on a cruel cross for sinners as our substitute fourth the next is it says that whoever believes whosoever believes this defines
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God's terms God's terms that whoever believes in him here we see the gracious promise of God and all the promises of God are yes and amen they are guaranteed you can count there's a lot of things we cannot count on in this world can
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I say this? you can count on the word of God you can count on the promises of God it will never fail you and if Jesus said it and if God said it that means it end of discussion right?
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I like the way R .C. says that it doesn't mean whether we believe it or not yes believe it by all means but God's word remains true he remains faithful well we see the gracious promise of God and it's
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Jesus Christ who is the faithful and amen the true and faithful one who has been given up for us by the great love of God to the
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Father once and for all and it is those who believe that will have eternal life Acts 13 .48
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says this specifically that as many as have been appointed to eternal life believed that was a question
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John Calvin put to a lot of people really gives Calvin a hard time about this but listen to what he says he said how do you know that we are the elect?
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he asked the question how do you know that we're God's elect? one word believe are you a believer?
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in Jesus Christ and if you're a believer in Jesus Christ you follow Jesus Christ and if you follow Jesus Christ you're a lover of Jesus Christ and you deny yourself and you take up the cross and you follow him and you love him to the end and you continue in Jesus Christ all the way to the end and you tell the world about Jesus Christ and so in other words if you're a true
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Christian your whole life is Jesus Christ Christ in Christ alone and he's all in all right?
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so to believe indicates that those who have been appointed been marked out chosen to eternal life has believed that's unconditional election unconditional election very quickly
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Ephesians chapter 1 Steve Lawson touched on this a little bit this morning in Sunday school so I want to give you a little bit of this right after Galatians you have
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Ephesians Ephesians chapter 1 and listen to the apostle Paul proclaim this great truth he said this verse 3 blessed be the
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God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing and heavenly places in Christ just as he chose us there it is he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should that we would be holy, blameless before him in love by predestinating us that means marking out that he predestined destined us predestined means he's already marked it out of those that will be saved us to the adoption as sons he's adopted us as sons through Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace which he graciously bestowed on us in the beloved in him we have the redemption through his blood the forgiveness of our transgressions according to the riches of his grace which he calls to abound to us in all wisdom and insight isn't it glorious and it's all to the glory and praise of his grace that God does this he ransomed us he chose us he saves us let's go to the next point because he that believes in him get back to my text that believes in Jesus Christ for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish let's get this this decries man's sin it decries man's sin
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Jesus commands repentance folks it's not something of an option it's a command that all people everywhere turn from their sin to serve the living
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God to believe the gospel to hate the sin that they once loved to turn from it and to love the
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Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and love our neighbor as ourself now you know a lot of people think automatically you know
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God's taken away he's a killjoy hey look folks he is the best of all best and desires the best for you and me the problem is we love our sin and we're blinded by it and sin look at what sin has done to this human race just look at the evidence and witness of it all we have to do is look at our own selves and look at the messes we get into it does it makes us absolutely retarded stupid we cannot make right decisions within ourselves which if we think you can then you're wrong we have to have wisdom from God and the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the
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Lord see we think we got this all figured out and when we start thinking that way already you have proved you don't want
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God you see God doesn't want to take away your joy actually the scripture doesn't lie about this now
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I will say this in the book of Hebrews it says there is pleasure in sin you notice the
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Bible does not hold that back there is pleasure in sin but there never will be fulfillment of joy because only apart from that sin only in Jesus Christ can joy come sin and the pleasures of sin cannot give you and me joy can it?
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because it's constantly a discontent within our heart that we want to do something within ourselves apart from God but God says no you come unto me you do what
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I say and by the way it's not trying to do let me back that up a little bit there is obedience but the obedience flows from the regenerate heart because only the regenerate heart can be caused to love
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God to delight in God to delight in His word so that's why Jesus told
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Nicodemus you must be born again well God commands all men to repent everywhere that's the scriptures and Jesus says if you do not repent you will perish beloved
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God the Father sent Jesus His Son from Heaven's glory left His throne above laid aside His glory laid aside all that He had in Heaven come to this earth to rescue sinful men
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He was made flesh and He came and pitched His tent in a humble body went to die had a mission and set
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His face like a plant and went a little further and He set His face like a plant to die on the cross and to bear our sin and take the wrath of God in our place folks that's the greatest love story ever told is it not?
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look at verse 34 through 36 in John chapter 3 and we are going to look at this more later but I like to read it to you for He whom chapter 3 for He whom
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God has sent speaks the words of God forgives the spirit without measure the
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Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand and he who believes in the
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Son has eternal life but he who does not obey the Son will not see life but the wrath of God abides on him for God so loved the world declares
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God the Father's love He gave determines God the Father's giving His only begotten
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Son describes Christ's great sacrifice that whoever believes in Him defines
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God's terms should not perish to Christ's man's sin and last point but have eternal life
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God's great gift it's detailed detailed God's great gift details
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God's great gift John 17 .3 and this is eternal life that they may know you the only true
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God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent John 10 .10 the thief comes not but to steal to kill and destroy
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Jesus says I am come that you may have life and have it more abundantly that abundant life is in Christ in Christ alone do not hear the lies of this world and of the devil only
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Jesus Christ can give eternal life it's in Him it's
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God's life and it's receiving Him God's gracious gift of salvation is freely available to whoever believes in Jesus Christ you know
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I love Corrie ten Boom she said this there is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still and if you read about the story of Corrie ten
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Boom that woman went through a dark hell folks in the concentration camps of Germany with her family and many of her family members was put to death and she says the love of God was right there in the smallest ways and God was showing
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Himself very very real she experienced a hell the word perishes here folks that means to face
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God's eternal judgment damned for all eternity it is true that God did not send the
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Son into the world to judge the world Jesus Himself declared in John 12 47
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I did not come to judge the world but to save the world yet God will ultimately judge those who reject
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His Son but this was not the mission that Jesus came in His first coming it will be
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His mission in the second coming and by the way Spurgeon says His second coming won't save you if you don't put your trust in the first coming and His first coming will save you if you believe
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Him that the world might be saved through Him through Him through Him through Him my question to you today have you repented of your sin have you believed the gospel the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ the good news is always worth returning to isn't it reminding ourselves time and time again causing us to fall down in reverential awe and to rejoice at every fresh glimpse of the astounding grace of God Lord help us
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Elmer Townes put it this way and I'll close with this John 3 16 is the greatest verse in the
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Bible he says for God the greatest being so loved the greatest affection the world the greatest object of love that He gave the greatest act
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His only the greatest treasure begotten the greatest relationship
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His Son the greatest gift that whoever the greatest company believes the greatest trust in Him the greatest object of faith should not perish the greatest deliverance but have the greatest assurance eternal the greatest promise life the greatest blessing no doubt it's one of the greatest verses the golden text of the
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Bible Amen? Amen Let's pray Father in Heaven we thank
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You for this wonderful text before us there's just no way we can even scratch the surface of it of Your great love to us it humbles us today
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Father and it amazes us and Father we say thank You oh Father for giving us
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Your Son so that we may have eternal life by believing in Jesus Christ alone
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Lord we thank You it's by faith alone through scripture alone grace alone for Your glory alone
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You have accomplished everything all in Your Son at the cross there's no greater sacrifice all that we have this is our only hope in life this is men's only hope it's a blessed hope and we thank
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You for it it's a living hope may we truly embrace this
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Father and if there's any under the sound of my voice today that has not embraced You that has not trusted
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You that is not leaning on the Lord Jesus Christ in faith and following Him and loving
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Him and obeying Him Lord I pray that Your Holy Spirit will bring Him bring
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Him to the cross bring Him to the cross and let Him see as Christ was lifted up on the cross that we may behold that wonderful, wonderful sacrifice the
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Lamb of God Father we thank You for this time together and we ask You Lord to bless the remaining time bless our time together as we remember the sufferings and death of our