True Discernment

It’s not the shopping, it’s not the gift giving, it’s not the feasting, it’s not Santa Clause, it’s about Jesus’ birth:

Jesus was born to be the Savior of the world. John 3:14-15

All men are sinners, and exposed to the wrath of God.

All men were in a hopeless condition lost in sin.

God gave his Son. Man had no claim on him; it was a gift–an undeserved gift.

He gave him up to extreme sufferings, even the bitter pains of death on the cross.

It was for all the world. He tasted “death for every man,” Heb 2:9. He “died for all,” 2 Cor 5:15. “He is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world,” 1 John 2:2.

Jesus was God’s manifestation of love. “For God so loved the world.” (John 3:16) We often say to people that God loves you….and this is the proof. It does not say God loved a few special people, or just those who believe in Him, but He loved the whole world. That includes everyone here, in this nation and around the world. Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross was to pay the sin debt of all men who ever lived. If that is not true then He could not offer salvation to all men and we could not preach the Gospel.

The verse says that “He gave His only begotten Son.” The phrase only begotten has great meaning.

It says that God gave. Salvation is a free and unmerited gift. It cannot be earned. Only Christ was perfect and only He could satisfy the sin debt you and I owed.

“Only-begotten.” This term is never applied by John to any but to Jesus Christ. It is applied by him five times to the Saviour, John 1:14; 3:16,18; 1 John 4:9. It means literally an only child. Then, as an only child is peculiarly dear to a parent, it means one that is especially beloved

Only-begotten. This term is never applied by John to any but Jesus Christ. It is applied by him five times to the Saviour, John 1:14; 3:16,18; 1 John 4:9. It means literally an only child. Then, as an only child is peculiarly dear to a parent, it means one that is especially beloved. Comp. Gen. 22:2; 12:1-20; 16:1-16; Jer 6:26; Zech 12:10. On both these accounts it is bestowed on the Savior.

He was eminently the Son of God, sustaining a peculiar relation to him in his divine nature, exalted above all men and angels, and thus worthy to be called, by way of eminence, his only Son. Saints are called his sons or children, because they are born of his Spirit, or are like him; but the Lord Jesus is exalted far above all, and deserves eminently to be called his only-begotten Son. Believers are the adopted sons of God. God has only one Son and that is Jesus Christ.

The term specifies Jesus as being like the Father and refers to His deity. The phrase is (ton huion ton monogenê). Literally = “The Son the only begotten.” “the only son.” “Monogenes” Begotten, describes the absolutely unique relation of the Son to the Father in His divine nature. This verse plainly states…God has only one Son. We are adopted sons, not like THE SON. It notes that He was eminently the Son of God, sustaining a peculiar relation to Him in his divine nature, exalted above all men and angels, and thus worthy to be called, by way of eminence, his only Son. Believers are called his sons or children, because they are born of his Spirit, but the Lord Jesus is exalted far above all, and deserves eminently to be called his only-begotten Son.

D. “Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

This statement divides religion from biblical Christianity. It states plainly the means of salvation as being by belief or faith. It leaves no room for error to add or subtract from God’s clear statement.

If one believes in Jesus Christ, he will not perish, but have everlasting life.

It cannot be stated clear than in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

“Shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” There are many attacks on the Word of God and the two main ones are to say that salvation can be earned or merited and the other is to say that salvation that is received in belief can be lost.

Nothing is further from the truth. 1 Peter 1:5 proclaims, “Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”If you cannot earn your salvation by good works how can one keep it by good works. If you have truly believed with your heart as Romans 10:9-10 states….you are on your way to heaven and it is God who promises to get you there. You may fall and you will sin, but God’s provision for the believer….is to never leave or forsake you….and as sure as you are here….you will be in heaven with Him…if you have believed.

God did not send the Lord Jesus to condemn the world. John 3:17

Jesus in His first coming did not come to judge or condemn the world.

He came to save the world.

Revelation 20:11-15 refers to last judgment which is the judgment of those who rejected the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the judgment of those who trusted in false religions, idols, and false churches for their salvation who all teach that a man came be good enough to be saved and can add his works to God’s grace and be saved. Nothing is further from the truth. Here in this passage in Revelation God tells us what will happen to all who reject God’s free gift of grace and present their works for their salvation.

The passage says they all will be cast into the eternal Lake of Fire. What a sad thing to be offered salvation freely, but reject it.

Yet, Christ came not to condemn….mankind was already condemned, but to redeem and offer salvation to all who would by faith receive it.

III. He that believes is not commended. John 3:18

This verse explains what should be clear to us all. We are sinners and being sinners we are under the condemnation of sin. Romans 6:23 says “The wages of sin is death….but the gift of God is eternal life.” That is what this verse says also….

This verse states the reason for condemnation. “but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Many teach that there are many ways to go to heaven and that one does not have to believe in Jesus Christ. Yet, in Acts 4:12 God tells us that, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

Only Jesus Christ was God incarnate in the flesh the Only Begotten Son of God. There is no other savior. It was God our Creator who made the way and there is no other way. All the supposed that man has devised are the same….they have man being his on savior. Yet, other gods do not exist…there is only one God and He is our Creator and John 1:3 and Colossians 1:16 tell us that He is Jesus Christ. He is our God and Creator.

IV. This is the Condemnation. John 3:19

Both verse 18 and 19 state the reasons that some men will not go to heaven.

First they do not believe in the name of Jesus Christ. These folks put their faith in something else.

The verse says that Light….that is the Gospel, the truth of who Jesus Christ is has come into the world

In John 8:12, 9:5 Jesus said that He was the light. In John 12:46 He says, “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.”

Sadly, men love darkness….where the Light of God’s truth does not shine….rather than light.

What thing did Jesus do that warranted Him to be so hated that they beat Him mercilessly and then crucified Him in that terrible death? Why did they hate the Apostle Paul so much that he had to flee for his life from city after city? What made 40, of the most religious and devout Jews, Pharisees, make a vow that they would neither eat nor sleep till they had murdered him? Why was Paul beheaded, what was his crime. And Steven, Philip, and all the apostle except John?

There crime was they were doing was proclaiming God’s truth, telling people that sin destroys and ends in eternal death. Trying to turn men to Jesus Christ our God and Creator, our Savior who loves us and wants us to spend eternity in heaven with Him.

They love their sins more than heaven, and more that accomplishing their purpose for being on this earth. Sin blinds them to a false pleasure and their addition to sin….like a additive drug destroys them and they lose heaven.

Conclusion:

Why was Jesus born? What is the meaning of Christmas….? The answer is simple….you and I needed a Savior. We are lost in our sins and trespasses against God. We cannot save ourselves, because our sins have condemned us.

Jesus was born that we might be able to have life after death. He conquered death and sin for us so we could have eternal life.