John 3:16 - God's Love for the World

John 3:16

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.

Message: God's Love for the World

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."

What the Lord is Saying: As I study and read now today's passage John 3:16, probably the most well-known verse scripture in all of scripture, I notice that part of the verse is a repeat of verse 15, "that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life." It is also a repeat of John 3:13, "but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man" though stated more succinctly. In a way, it is a summary of what He has stated before, yet he adds that "God so loved the World." 

It is interesting but for a long time the John 3:16 flew high on Sunday at NFL football games when kickers kicked the extra point. What is sad is the man that raised these signs actually was not what one would call a strong Christian and had some issues, marrying 4 times and is now in prison. And yet he had an influence possibly on this verse being a stalwart now in society. It is a verse that most Christians have memorized. 

And yet it is a verse that I am not sure the non-Christians reads in its entirety for it focuses on Love, Hell, and Heaven and most I think stop at the Love part. Christ is shown as the only way to avoid perishing. This means he comes at a time when people are perishing and provides the answer to this problem. 

Yet, the Love is significant. When one thinks of the God of the Old Testament as told through its writers, I don't think it is "Love" that we focus on. Instead I think of a God set apart, creator, the one who has been ignored, sinned against. But Jesus does something here that has not since been spoken. He states that God loves. Alexander Maclaren says, "‘God loves’ is the greatest thing that can be said by lips." 

And this Love is personal because our belief is meant to be personal and individual. So I can know that God loves me. 

The remarkable thing about this passage is the focus on the world, "Believe" and that somehow Jesus is making it well known that to bring about eternal life a person must simply believe. Belief is not a works oriented word, but it is actually something that occurs in the heart. And yet believing in Him, Jesus, the Son of Man, means we are believing in all He is and all that He has done. So, that needs to be central in that belief. But, again, I don't see that there is anything that I have done to make myself worthy of believing apart from believing. But instead Jesus says that the work is Himself and that God gave up the Son. One things of Abraham and taking his only son up to offer him as a sacrifice and we see this picture but it is made clear that man does not sacrifice, but rather God provides the sacrifice of His Son for us. 

Romans 5:6-8 speaks of this same idea though focusing on Jesus dying for us, "For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

The verse speaks of a general love God has for the world, but in saying that people must believe, we can know that there are many that do not believe in Him. In life often, Jesus is not the name coming off of people's lips. God is mentioned, but Jesus is often not mentioned. 

Also of note is perishing and eternal life. These outcomes can occur before the grave. People without the love of Jesus and believing in Him are even now perishing. But those who have Christ and believe are living in eternal life or hope. The hope contrasted by the perishing is powerful in our world today. 

Summary: God's love is significant and is a love that up to this point has not been mentioned in this way by God for His people and yet it is a love central to our Bible and changes everything about us who believe for eternity. 

Promise: The love of God is not a given, so we should be grateful for it and be careful never to speak of His love as something that we are owed or that He must show.

Prayer: O God, I thank you for your great Love for me. It is a love that does not change. I believe, and yet I know my belief in You changes and is like wind and chaff sometimes that waves. I have times of denial and I am embarrassed by this. I have times when I hide my belief. But God you love still. And You have saved me from all penalty and grant me a hope and a reality of eternal life that is remarkable. Thank you God for saving me. Thank you for making me whole and presenting me Jesus before God for all eternity. 

Romans 2:6-11 - Eternal Punishment

Romans 2:6-11

6 who will render to each person according to his deeds: 7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; 8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God.

Message: Eternal Punishment

Time: Paul wrote Romans from Corinth as he prepared to leave for Palestine. Phoebe (16:1,2) was given the great responsibility of delivering the letter to the Romans believers. At this time, Rome had a population of 1 million, many of whom were slaves. The Romans church was doctrinally sound, but it still needed rich doctrine and practical application. Rome had massive buildings but also slums.

What the Lord is Saying: My last lesson. I started this series on the 500th year anniversary of the Reformation 5 years ago, on December 16, 2018. I finally made it. Whew! And it ends with a study on hell. But the study has not been hell, but a joyous thing, just too much distraction and too much deliberation I suppose, but nothing to complain about. I made it. 

Today in our service at church, we looked at Matthew 7 which begins with the anthem, "Do not judge." I enjoyed looking at this passage during the service and seeing that the emphasis on this chapter is really examining oneself. This is what we need to do. We need to be people that examine ourselves fervently, because we are people that need examining. I need examining. I get comfortable too quickly. And I need to stop and stare. There are basically 4 1/2 verses on this self-examination met with bookends of "Do not judge" and then "Go ahead and judge" after you have examined oneself. 

I must admit I struggle at times examining myself. And as I get older I know I have faults, but I am also thankful to the Holy Spirit for constantly pricking me and let's face it, life without kids at home is easier. And the fact that I've learned that "Husbands, Love Your wives" is of great joy and pleasure, it helps me to remove myself from other sins. I keep learning and I keep making adjustments and yet I need to remember that God sees more in me than I can see. 

Like verse 9 of chapter 2, "There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil." Everyone. Everyone who does evil will get tribulation and distress. I think I will be judged and I will see what I have done and I will automatically be feeling distress. I simply hope my distress results in eternal happiness instead of punishment when God sees Christ in me. I think it will, because I will be focused on Christ's work on the cross. 2 Corinthians 5:21, "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

The reality is we know that God will be impartial. And we want this. I don't want this, but I want those I see as unworthy. But the slate will be clean and there will be no prejudice. Verse 11, "For there is no partiality with God." 

Romans 1 and 2 is interesting for it states that we will be judged based upon the revelation that we have received or the extent we have heard Truth. That is scary in a way. The more you hear, potentially the worse off you are. And people will be judged according to the degree of their sin. From Tabletalk, "People will also be judged according to the degree of their sin. Although the slightest sin is enough to merit eternal punishment, the degree of suffering is not the same for all who receive eternal punishment. Scripture assumes degrees of sin and punishment. For example, in the Mosaic law, some sins merit the death penalty and some do not. In the New Testament, there is a love that covers a multitude of sins—a multitude of transgressions. Other sins, however, can merit excommunication (Matt. 18:15–20; 1 Peter 4:8)."

Summary:  Eternal punishment for all that are resting on their own righteousness, yet the degree of their sin and the extent of revelation will impact the type of punishment they receive. 

Promise: Eternal punishment is a sobering reality. All who stand before God on judgment day on the basis of their own works will find themselves under eternal condemnation.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for this study. Thank you for helping me understand your word. I took it slow, maybe too slow, but I pray that you would give me a good memory. Thank you for this study on hell and helping me better understand your compassion but may it still move me to be more vocal about the gospel and sharing Your good news. 

Mark 9:43-50 - The Unquenchable Fire of Hell

Mark 9:43-50
⁴³ If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire, ⁴⁴ [where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.] ⁴⁵ If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell, ⁴⁶ [where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.] ⁴⁷ If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell, ⁴⁸ where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.
⁴⁹ “For everyone will be salted with fire. ⁵⁰ Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
 
Message: The Unquenchable Fire of Hell

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying: 

Preface -  As they continue in Capernaum, Jesus emphasizes to his disciples another key word about the importance of how we treat others - having already mentioned people's social status, looking at their fruit not their grouping, and the rewards that will come from this - and now he emphasizes that in no way are we to cause another person to stumble. For doing this would result in a horrific path of death.   

Jesus here deals with the subject of hell. In recent years, this is a subject that seems to be spoken of less and less. Even in my church, though the gospel is mentioned, it is not mentioned in the way that it is a matter of conversion, but rather more of an acknowledgement that we have been saved by grace. Conversely, hell is not mentioned much at all. Universalism is the belief that everyone will go to heaven no matter what they believe. Annihilationism is the belief that unbelievers will cease to exist. The idea of suffering or being in a fiery pit is just not even talked about today. 

Yet, here in this passage, Jesus clearly speaks of hell. He speaks in language that presents contrasts. Prior to this verse he offered the seriousness of leading a person astray or causing a person to sin. Here, he continues with striking language regarding hell, that it would be better to mutilate your body than to go to hell. This mentions the seriousness of sin. To Jewish listeners, bodily mutiliation in Judaism was strictly forbidden and it disqualified one from entering the worshiping congregation (Deuteronomy 14:1; 23:1). 

About hell in verse 47, Tabletalk states: 

The word “hell” in verse 47 translates the term gehenna, which was another name for the “valley of the son of Hinnom,” the place near Jerusalem where many ancient Jews sacrificed children to the pagan god Molech (2 Kings 23:10). By the first century A.D., the place was seen as accursed because of that, and it was used as a figure for the eternal place of punishment after death, or hell. Jesus’ use of the unquenchable fire in reference to this place (v. 48) borrows from the fact that in his day, the physical gehenna was a garbage dump where garbage never stopped burning. Jesus uses the physical reality to point to something much worse—unending pain in the afterlife for those who go to hell.

Jesus here mentions the hand, foot, and eye. All 3 are very useful to man. And yet it would be better to part with one or all of these than to cause another person to stumble. The foot should restrain us from stepping or carrying us into the company of evil company, unlawful diversions, and forbidden pleasures. The hand and the eye are to be turned away from those alluring objects which raise in us lust and ambition. 

And then Jesus speaks of hell as an unquenchable fire and gives a picture of them using a worm and fire. where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. "Bodies of men, interred in the earth, are eaten up of worms, which die when their food faileth; and those that are burned are consumed in fire, which extinguishes itself when there is no more fuel added to feed it. But it shall not be so with the wicked; their worm shall not die, and their fire is not quenched. These metaphors, therefore, as they are used by our Lord, and by the Prophet Isaiah, paint the eternal punishments of the damned in strong and lively colours.” — Macknight. It is a horrific picture that Jesus gives here to denote those that end up in hell for he mentions that some will go to the kingdom of God and some cast into hell. It is a gruesome picture that deserves our attention.

Summary - Jesus continues to speak to his disciples about how they are to relate to others and emphasizes the seriousness now of offending ourselves and causing ourselves to stumble. Here we need to be very careful. The consequence of stumbling here is ending up in hell, not the kingdom of God which is the contrast.

Promise: Hell, though painful to talk about, needs to be mentioned. It is a reality that Jesus speaks of. We preach the bad news so that people may know the good news.

Prayer: Lord, help me to remember the contrast of heaven and hell and to speak more of this reality to people's lives. In our inclusive and tolerant world, it simply is not a popular subject. We are falling victim to inclusive and tolerant language and services being more about self help and the Bible a book of moral guidance. Lord, I pray that your churches would be true to the entire message of the Bible and the gospel and would show clearly the complete change that must take place in people's lives.

Revelation 21:3-4 - Our Joy to Come

Revelation 21:3-4
³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, ⁴ and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

Message: Our Joy to Come

Time: The date of the book in its present form is probably near the end of the reign of Domitian (A.D. 81–96), a fierce persecutor of the Christians. There was a unanimous agreement as to the Apostle John as its writer by the early church. Throughout the book there is a conflict of earthly personalities and people directed and energized by demons and especially Satan in order to overthrow Christ’s rule on earth. But the book climaxes with God’s ultimate triumph through Jesus Christ to overthrow evil and establish the kingdom.

What the Lord is Saying: If we die in faith, we go to be with the Lord in heaven. This heaven is an intermediate place, meaning this is not my final state. Thus, at some point, the spiritual disembodied existence I will enjoy in heaven before Christ returns will come to an end and another state will take its place (as is spoken of in Revelation 21). Our physical bodies will be resurrected and heaven will come down to earth and there will be a perfected creation living in this heaven on earth.

The first heaven and first earth pass away, as does the sea (v.1). The holy city comes down out of heaven from God....and God Himself shall be among them. This new city is a holy city out of heaven, down to earth and God resides there with them in the city. He shall wipe every tear from their eyes and there is no more death, mourning, crying or pain. Those that are there are he who overcomes. But the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. Verse 8 expresses that not all will be there and those that are not know by Jesus, but instead by their sin, as their sin is not covered, they will not be present but will be in the lake of fire. But, the bride, the wife of the Lamb or the church will reside in the new Jerusalem. The city wasn't flat, but seemed to be a prism or cube of some sort, with streets of gold. This final home will be beautiful and grand and we will be content to live in the incredible glory of God (v. 22-27).

Promise: Our suffering will be worth it because it will have led to the vision of God's full beauty and glory.

Prayer: Lord, thank you that you have planned a place for your children, me, to live for all eternity. Thank you for your perfect design and your perfect ways and your perfect order. Help me to be a channel and to help others see this glory, this ideal state. Draw people to yourself and bring them into close unity with You as their God and Savior.

Zechariah 5

Message: Visions of people's sins

Time: Written during the building of the temple -- 520-516BC

What the Lord is Saying: The visions continue from Zechariah to Zerubbabel the governor and Judah the High Priest -- to encourage the rebuilding of the temple.

This time Zechariah sees a flying scroll with 2 sides. One side basically reminds the people of the command, "Do not steal." The other is the remind to not use the Lord's name as a curse word or blasphemy. The other vision was of a basket filled with sins. And two women flew and took the basket of sin away.

In these two visions we see the responsibility we each have to not sin, but we also see that the Lord removes sin from His people. Sin results in poor outcomes for people. But God has removed sin for having a hold on people for eternity. This signifies the final purification of God's people.

It is interesting that with the basket, sin is removed, but it is taken some place else. Sin will reside in a place where people that love it will reside with it. People in hell will be there because they want to be there. They prefer sin over God.

Promise: Hell is a real place. And the people there will be where they want to be. Living in sin.