Look To the Cross To Find Life

Transcript

GR 341
12/16/1979
Look To the Cross To Find Life
John 3:9-16
Gil Rugh

John’s gospel, chapter 3. We’re going to be in John's gospel chapter 3 this morning and again next week. The following week I would like to focus our attention on some current events that are going on and what the Bible says about these matters to sort of bring us up to date on what has happened this past year that has biblical significance and look a little bit to what we might anticipate in coming days.

This morning we're going to be in John, chapter 3. We've looked at the first 8 verses, and we're in the middle of the discourse between Jesus and Nicodemus where Jesus shares with Nicodemus the facts relating to the new birth. The fact that it is the essential factor for being part of God's kingdom. So that makes it THE most essential factor for man to be aware of. Nicodemus comes to talk with Jesus about matters concerning a coming kingdom, that's evident from how the discussion progresses. He is a leader in Israel. He is a Pharisee. He is a member of the Sanhedrin, the governing body in the nation. He is a teacher of religious matters, and yet he is an unsaved person. He is lost in his sins on his way to hell. In spite of all his religious activity. This is clear because in verse 3 Jesus tells him he must be born again. Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God as Nicodemus would envision it would be that kingdom promised and prophesied in the Old Testament where the Messiah Himself would rule and reign over the earth with the Jewish people being the central people on earth. And that kingdom is yet to come. Now it's also all-encompassing from our perspective today. For anyone to have a personal relationship with God and to share in His presence, the new birth is essential. Nicodemus had some misunderstandings. How can a man be born again? And we noted this is very perceptive, not just a foolish question; but it shows that he perceives that the new birth demands that my past be dealt with. It's not good enough to pick up from today and be a different person. But what about what I have been. What about the sins that I have been guilty of? New birth demands a new person, dealing with the past as well as the future. Nicodemus says How can this be? I can't go back and undo what has been done. I can't be different for yesterday. I may be different for tomorrow. So he perceives that the new birth demands a totality of newness. So Jesus explained to him that the new birth involves being born of water and of spirit. We noted water probably here is another reference to spirit. The water symbolizes the spirit because the spirit brings cleansing. Cleansing deals with my past, as He makes me a new person. And that fits the way water is used in the gospel of John. In chapter 4 and again in chapter 7, water is used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. In John 7:38,39 Jesus speaks of the water within a person. He becomes a river and He says 'This He spoke of the Spirit.' Water is a reference to the Spirit. Nicodemus should have understood that reference because the Old Testament has various references. We looked in Ezekiel and Jeremiah and Isaiah at references where the Old Testament uses water as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Where God says He'll pour out His water on the dry, thirsty ground. And I will pour out My Spirit upon Israel. The dry, thirsty ground is the nation Israel. Water poured out is a reference to the Holy Spirit. So I think that probably is what is in view here. I do not believe baptism can be in view because Nicodemus would not understand about Christian baptism, and as we'll see in a moment, he is expected to know what Jesus is talking about.

The issue in verse 6 is that you need a new birth. Nicodemus was trusting his physical birth, being born a Jew, being involved in physical activity like physical worship, etc. Being a teacher of religious things. Jesus says 'That which is born of flesh is flesh.' You haven't changed any of that by becoming religious, by performing religious functions. You must be born of a spirit.
It necessitates a spiritual birth. And that's what He is talking about a birth that is brought about by the Spirit in the realm of the spirit. We noted verse 8 ties it with the wind. We have a windy day today, and we noted you can see the effects of the wind. You don’t see the wind, but you see what the wind is doing. The new birth is like that. You don't see a new birth, but you see the results of the new birth. You see a changed life. You see a person in whom God has worked. You see the results of that birth. Now in verse 9, Nicodemus responds again.

Verse 9. "’How can these things be?' Jesus answered and said to him, 'Are you the teacher of Israel, and you do not understand these things?'" Unbelievable! He uses the definite article with teacher here, "Are you THE teacher of Israel?" It would seem to indicate that Nicodemus had some prominence, fame, as being a very well-known dynamic, effective teacher. He was a man who could effectively communicate the Old Testament. And Jesus said 'You are a teacher in Israel and you do not understand about being born again? You do not understand about the new birth?' That would indicate that verse 5 cannot be talking about baptism. There is nothing in the Old Testament that would have caused Nicodemus to see that you would need to be baptized for salvation. As far as we know, the Jews through the Old Testament did not practice baptism. Jesus says here, 'How can you be ignorant of this, being a teacher of Israel?' which would involve being a teacher of the Old Testament. You don't grasp this? And we noted from the verses we looked at last week that the Old Testament is full of material on the new birth. Full of instruction and revelation of the fact that men are going to have to be born by a work of the Spirit. It is going to be the Spirit coming upon on the dry, parched, spiritual condition. He is going to produce a blossoming of spiritual life.
How can you not know this? As we noted, it's no different today.

Last year I was at a school speaking to a theology class. The man there has been a professor of theology for a number of years, teaching it day after day, week after week, month after month. When I got done, he said ’That was the first time I’ve ever sat through a logical presentation of the new birth.' Totally blind. How can you be a teacher of theology and not know about being born again. Things haven't changed at all in 2,000 years. So he goes on.

In Verse 11 he draws attention, "Truly, truly.’ A way of drawing attention to the importance and significance to what is being said. "We speak that which we know, and bear witness of that which we have seen; and you do not receive our witness." I think He's moving into an area here to draw attention to the authority of His own person. ’I am speaking to you about things that I know about. I’m bearing testimony as an eye witness, and you won't believe it.' The 'you' here is plural as is the 'we' and seems to tie to the fact that not only Nicodemus but the nation is involved here. They are unwilling to accept the testimony. They are unwilling to accept what He is saying. You note where the responsibility is placed? YOU won't receive it. The problem here is your unwillingness to believe. Your unwillingness to accept the testimony that I am bearing. It's true, I've seen what I am bearing. I know what I'm talking about but you won't receive it.

Now..."If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how shall you believe if I tell you heavenly things?" Question. What are the earthly things that he is talking about? One area that we didn't look at in verse 5 with water and spirit is that does water refer to a physical birth? We didn't look at that because I don't believe it is so. Some would say the earthly things here refer to the physical birth. Jesus was saying 'You must be born physically and spiritually.' Well, he can't be saying to Nicodemus, 'Nicodemus, you don't even understand about physical birth.' No problem here evident that Nicodemus questioned anything about physical birth. It's true, water is involved in the physical birth, but there is no evidence that it was used in this way in New Testament times, no use of it in extra-biblical sources at all to refer to a physical birth. The natural way would have been to say ’born of flesh and spirit' which would have tied then to what he says in the following verse. I take it the earthly things he is talking about in verse 12 are the things of the new birth. In what sphere and realm does the new birth occur? It occurs in the earthly realm. Everyone who is ever born again will be born again on earth. That's a realm in which this occurs. That's just like the wind blowing. That's an earthly phenomenon. The new birth is an earthly phenomenon.

Now be careful. It's a spiritual work being born from above, but it happens in the realm of the physical. So Nicodemus could observe the impact and result of people being born again. He had been part of Jesus' ministry, enough to know what He had been teaching and doing. He could see lives being transformed by contact with Jesus and believing what He was saying. So these are things, Nicodemus, that you could experience, that you can see. That's to be a tremendous impact.

Even today lives are transformed by hearing and believing the gospel of Jesus Christ. What's the explanation for that? That's a testimony to others. How many, even here, can say they came to trust Christ because they saw the change in the life of this person over here? That happens in the realm of the earthly. Nicodemus, if you don't grasp these things, how are you going to grasp heavenly things? Not that the new birth doesn't have a heavenly source, we noted the word 'born again' in chapter 3 means to be born from above. But now we're going to tell you about heavenly things, things that you've never seen or experienced on earthly, how are you going to believe that? I start telling you about the kingdom and the glories of heaven, about what is yet to transpire as we have at the end of Revelation, how are you going to believe that? You don't have any experience in those things? You can't look around and see the results of any of those things, they're all future. I told you earthly things and you don’t believe that, how are you ever going to believe the heavenly things I have yet to tell you? I take it the earthly things are the new birth. Not that the new birth is earthly in source, but if you’re going to be born again, you're going to be born again here. There is no chance to be born again once you leave this life. It's only here as a physical being on earth that you can experience the new birth. After this, your destiny is settled. Going on.

For His own authority, key verse. Fix this in your mind. I use it often in talking with religious people. ”No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven, even the Son of Man." This is a statement here as to the greatness of His person and the finality of His authority. Who can tell you about heaven? Well for sure, someone who has been to heaven. Who has been to heaven and come to earth to tell us? Jesus Christ alone.

Now let me tell you something here. The devil has come up with some counterfeits, because Jesus used the argument 'Since I have been to heaven and come to earth, I am the authority to tell you what heaven is like.' You know what we have today? We have people who claim to have died and gone to heaven and now they'll tell you what it is like. What they are counterfeit Christs. They claim to be able to do what Jesus said He alone could do. 'I am the only one who has ascended into heaven and descended from heaven to tell you what it is like.' So I put all those kind of accounts in the realm of the spurious, counterfeit. Jesus said I am the One, the Son of Man. I am the only one who can make that claim. I am THE authority. It amazes me of how many people will go and listen to a man talk to them about heaven. Talk to them about hell. Talk to them about spiritual things—do they never stop and wonder where does he get his information? You know, if I didn't get it from the Bible, all I would be telling you would be the fantasies of my mind. The only reason I can tell you what heaven is like or tell you about heaven, is because the one who was there has communicated it. It is written in this book. Otherwise all we have is the speculations of our mind, or the stories of someone who has claimed to have been there. Jesus said the only one who has had that experience is the Son of Man. I take it that is a final statement true to today. He is the only one who has ascended to heaven and descended to the earth. He is the final authority. So be careful about reading books about someone’s experience. That’s not where I go to find out what heaven is like, or what life after death is like. I come to the One who IS the authority and whose record is recorded here. If you were a Jew and some of you maybe Jewish, saturated in the Old Testament as Nicodemus is, you would right away recognize that this is not a new statement. Jesus has simply drawn from an Old Testament account. No one has ascended, but He who descended—Proverbs chapter 30. Turn back there quickly.

Proverbs chapter 30, you have the words of Agur, the son of Jakeh. This is a chapter that is not authored by Solomon. It's an inspired chapter but by a different man. And the man here in verse 2 says, "I am more stupid than any man, and I do not have the understanding of a man. I have not learned wisdom, nor do I have the knowledge of the Holy" in verses 2 and 3. All you have to do is read chapter 30 and realize you're not here in the presence of an idiot. He's not more stupid humanly speaking, for he is speaking and bemoaning his real lack of full knowledge regarding spiritual things. Regarding knowledge of the Holy, God and His presence. I'm only a man. I'm limited to man. And you'll note how he begins verse 4, "Who has ascended into heaven and descended?" This is where real knowledge of holiness would come from. Real knowledge of the presence of God would be found. No man has done this. So you see what Jesus Christ is making the tie for Nicodemus? The very cry of Proverbs 30 is fulfilled in Me. Even the Old Testament cries out for someone to have been to heaven and come to tell us. Note how this goes on. "Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Wrapped the waters in His garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name or His son's name?
Surely you know!" His name? His son’s name? He is the Son of Man. You see the statement of deity here. Who else could you be talking about who gathered the wind in His fists, wrapped the waters in His garment, and established all the ends of the earth? You see what Jesus is claiming to Nicodemus? When He says I am the One who ascended and descended, I’m the One that Agur was talking about in Proverbs 30. I am the One that you really need for completeness of revelation. I supersede all revelation. I am the Son Himself.

So come back to John 3. Again, we go back and read it but Nicodemus would be familiar with it immediately. He is the authority, thus the Word of God as we have it is the record of the revelation of Jesus Christ is the authority. It does not matter what I think. It does not matter what you think. It does matter what God has said, what has been revealed in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. Now, He goes on then. He has brought to his attention the greatness of His person. I am the One that the Old Testament desired. I am that One come from Heaven. That One who is deity who established the ends of the earth. Now let me tell you the purpose in the coming. And thus He’ll be sharing the details of the new birth to bring it down to concrete tangible reality. Old Testament example. Again, I think it's crucial for those of us who have come to trust Jesus Christ. We have a responsibility to be ready to give an answer to those who would ask us concerning the faith that we have in Jesus Christ. To see how ready Jesus Christ and adept He is to share with him the details of the new birth. We ought to be able to do it just as well. And here He comes with an Old Testament example, Nicodemus.

Verse 14. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life." The serpent in the wilderness lifted up by Moses. Right away, Nicodemus' mind plugs into that example. Maybe he had taught it recently, maybe even that week, out of Numbers chapter 21. Go back to Numbers 21.

You have here the children of Israel wandering in the wilderness. They have come into a barren, parched place. The rock city of Petra is located in this region. It was, of course, constructed later than this, but it tells you something of the environment. A very barren, arid region, and the children of Israel didn’t like it.

At the end of verse 4 we are told they became impatient because of the journey. Just on the side, do you ever get impatient with the way God is leading you? The path that He is taking along? Ever get impatient with God and wonder why? Why did He bring me through this barren place? Why is He taking me through this tremendously trying situation? Why is He taking me through these hard places? The Children of Israel are becoming impatient with the journey. They didn't like the route that God laid out for them, and they were complaining.

Verse 5. "The people spoke against God and Moses, 'Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food."1 Note what they said is not quite true. "There is no food and we loathe this miserable food." There’s no food that we like, is the situation. This isn’t what I had in mind. They’re not starving to death here, but they don’t particularly appreciate the provision. I had in mind a little bit more plush route, God; trampling through the dry, arid ground, eating this stuff isn’t my idea. So they complain. So God answers their complaint. ’You don’t like the trip, I’ll take you out.’ Okay.

Verse 6. "The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died." Ever say, ’Oh, I’d rather be dead.’ And then bite your tongue and say would you really? Often we say Oh, I’d rather be dead. Then the doctor walks in and says ’Guess what? You’re going to die.' You say, Wait a minute. I changed my mind. I didn't really mean it.

Serious matter to complain against God. God sent fiery serpents. That was not their appearance, but rather when they bit, the bite was like fire. There was a burning sensation from the bite, extremely poisonous. Israel is suddenly infested with snakes. Everywhere they turn, everywhere they step, everywhere they laid down, every rock they go by, these extremely poisonous snakes were biting them. They were dying. Verse 7, "So the people came to Moses and said,'We have sinned..." Note the importance here. The front end of the situation. They recognized their own personal sinfulness. The problem is theirs, not God's. They are sinners. They recognized it. You know, the person is not ready for the remedy until they come to that. They are still doing battle with God and why it's God's problem and God's fault. And He ought to be held to blame, and He ought to be held accountable. They come to the point now where they say 'Yes, it is my sin.' "'...because we have spoken against the Lord and you; intercede with the Lord, that He may remove the serpents from us.' And Moses interceded for the people." Now you note, the people say 'Intercede for us that He may remove the serpents.' They not only acknowledge their sinfulness, ask for forgiveness for mercy, they also had the solution. Take the snakes away. Now you note, God will respond to their request for mercy, but He won't do it the way they want. He won't necessarily take the snakes away.

"The Lord said to Moses, 'Make a fiery serpent and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he shall live." That is a strange plan, to say the least. At a time when you've got multitudes dying, Moses is going to take time to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole. What we need is an effective snake anti-venom solution. Something for the people to drink. Some kind of snake repellent or something! (One of my children has a G.I. Joe book and he has snake repellant and he puts it on him and it protects him!) They needed something like that. This is no time to put the craftsmen to work!

Verse 9. "Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any many, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived." You know, a great appreciation for Moses. Some of us become very bitter people because of what people do to us. These people have been belly-aching against him, complaining against him, taking it all out on him, but these people come and ask him to pray for them and what does Moses do? Prays for them. Doesn't say, 'Now I got you where I want you. You can sweat a little bit and you'll find out how godly I really am. Appreciate me a little bit.' No, he prays for them.

Moses made a bronze serpent, set it on a standard and it came about that if a serpent bit any man (note, the snakes aren't gone) and he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived. Now that's amazing. Here is the bronze serpent - bronze in the Old Testament pictures judgment. A man's been bitten by a poisonous snake, he looks to that bronze serpent and he is healed. Now the significance, and John makes this clear, the looking is to manifest your faith in God to take care of your need. There is no physical reason that looking at a bronze serpent ought to provide healing from poisonous snake bites. The significance is that God said that He will do it if you believe. So in effect, they are putting their trust in God for their healing. I'm going to trust God, I'm going to look to the serpent and trust God to do the healing. I'm going to put my faith in Him, in effect. All kind of things could have been done. All kinds of programs. What we need is a program to exterminate snakes. What we need is a program to build a barrier to keep snakes out. We need a program to research the kind of poison these snakes have so we can develop a solution. No. You know what we needed? We needed a remedy from God. Now this is God's remedy. Now you note here—it's important to understand John to understand Numbers 21. Numbers 21 is a type of Christ. It prefigures Christ, pictures Jesus Christ and His work. There are two alternatives—trust God and look to the bronze serpent or die. Those are the only 2 alternatives. Because you note part of the problem here—a person has been bit by a snake here and they say 'I’m never going to complain again.' What do they do? They die of the snake bite. A person is bit by a snake and they say 'I'm going to be careful where I walk from now on.' And what do they do? They die of the snake bite. A person says 'I'm never going to come this way again.' What happens? They die of the snake bite.
What's the problem? They've been bitten by the snake. What's the solution?
God's Solution! Important to see that. It's so clear when we read Numbers 21.
We come over to the New Testament and you know what people are doing? They're coming up with all kind of alternative ideas for the problem.

Now just on the side while we're here. You know what happens? God does a work and you know what people begin to do? They make a relic and worship what He has done instead of believing the One who has done it. Know what happened to this bronze serpent? It became a relic. Some people are fond of relics. They say in the Middle Ages there were so many splinters of the cross being sold that you could have built a number of cathedrals! People are fond of relics. And the people of Israel began to worship the bronze serpent. Go over to II Kings.

II Kings chapter 18. Hezekiah becomes king of Judah. He's a godly king.
He does right in the sight of God. He cleanses the adulterous, idolatrous worship out of Israel, in verse 4. "He removed the high places and broke down the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah" - the places of idolatrous worship and the objects of idolatrous worship. Now note..."He also broke into pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehustan." See what they were doing? They were worshipping the bronze serpent. Why? It's just like some people are with the cross. The cross is supposed to have some kind of magical significance, magical power. We often wear it in jewelry, etc. and people have some idea that there’s some magical idea about the cross. There is nothing. It’s just a piece of wood. Even if we found the actual cross upon which Christ had been crucified, all it would be would be a worthless piece of wood is what I want to say. That’s it! A worthless piece of wood, that’s it. No one would get saved by touching it. No one would get saved by being crucified on it. A worthless piece of wood. You know what is significant. What's significant is what happened there. That people believe. You know what is significant about the bronze serpent? It was just a bronze serpent. You note what they call it at the end of verse 4? "It was called Nehustan.” You know what Nehustan means? Means a piece of bronze. Just a piece of bronze, that's all it is. If it’s a cause of idolatry, let’s grind it up. Just like if we found the cross, we'd say it's a piece of wood. If it is going to be a stumbling block, let's put it in the fire and burn it up. Oh-h, sacrilegious! All this foolishness. Whether we've found the shroud that Christ was wrapped in. I really don't know what significance it has.
I'm going to watch a film on this in California - interesting, but I really don't care. You know what? It doesn't change a thing. All it means is that many more thousands of people will flock to worship at this place. Maybe they ought to burn it in a fire and resolve the problem. The significance is not 'Was He wrapped in this piece of cloth?' The significance is that He died on a cross and was raised from the dead. People are saved by believing that! So that's the issue back in Numbers 21. Lift up the serpent. Lift up the serpent and believe - you'll be healed. You don't, you die. Those are the only two alternatives.

Come back to John chapter 3, verse 14. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up." Note the parallel. Moses made this bronze serpent and lifted it up on a standard, on a pole. Now the Son of Man must be lifted up. That is always in the gospel of John a reference to crucifixion because they laid the person on the ground, nailed him to the cross and then stood the cross in the ground. Lifted up, and the Jews recognized this. It is used in John 8:28, but come over to John chapter 12, verse 32. "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." You note, I will be lifted up from the earth. What’s He talking about? "He was saying this to indicated the kind of death by which He was to die," - by crucifixion. The multitude understood this. "The multitude therefore answered Him, ’We have heard out of the Law that the Christ is to remain forever, and how can You say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?'" See they knew that He was saying the Son of Man must be crucified. But we thought the Messiah was going to be here forever. Who are you talking about? He was talking about Himself as we understand the completeness of revelation now.

So you come back to John 3 and Jesus is saying the Son of Man must be crucified, and He uses the parallel, from the type, in Numbers 21 of lifting up. It's another way of saying the Son of Man must be crucified. Why? "That whoever believes may in Him have eternal life." Now, instead of looking to a bronze serpent for healing from certain death, they look to the crucified Messiah as certain Savior, healing from certain destruction. That's the parallel. Whoever believes in Him may have life. Now note how narrow it is. The type is also there - what was the alternative in Numbers 21? Look to the serpent and believe and be healed or die. There may have been people going around who were coming up with alternative remedies; you can be sure that they died. So, John 3:16. Just want to make a couple of comments about this verse because it ties in the context very closely.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him, should not perish but have eternal life.” Most famous verse in all the Bible. Invariably, whenever they are going to translate the Bible into another language, they start with John 3:16, the first verse they translate. It contains in one concise statement, the greatness of God’s work for salvation. The simplicity of it. Multitudes and multitudes and multitudes of people can quote John 3:16 on their way to hell. Because they are not saved by quoting John 3:16. They are saved by believing the truth of John 3:16. ’’For God so loved the world..." This is the issue - the love of God. Loving the world. This was a new concept, revolutionary for Nicodemus.

Rabbinical writers talked about God loving the Jews, never God loving the world. But God loved the world. He loved all mankind. Now, people today like to talk about the love of God. God’s love, oh yes, the love of God is wonderful. You know, the only way you and I are sure of the love of God, and know that He loves us is the next statement - "That He gave His only begotten Son." The great demonstration of God’s love is that He gave His only begotten Son. You do not know anything about God's love. You do not perceive anything or understand anything about the love of God if you have not come to understand and believe that God’s Son, Jesus Christ, died for your sins. That IS the demonstration of God's love. That’s the evidence. Oh I know God loves me, I feel it in my heart. Talked to numbers of people who have said that. You ask, 'How do you know that God loves you?' I can feel it. That's not what it says here. God loved the world so He caused us to feel it. No. That’s not what He says, is it? I don't want to be sarcastic in an unkind way, but it's too
important to allow people to go on in ignorance. We're talking about an eternal issue here. Are you going to be in God's presence or aren't you? Are you
going to live or die? The issue is eternal life at the end of verse 15. I
don't do you a favor by allowing you to go on to a certain doom. Moses had an
obligation to tell the people to look to the serpent and live. He didn’t do anybody any favor by saying 'Well, they feel better if they put a little bit of dirt over that wound where the serpent bit them and wrap it in a tourniquet. I’d rather not shake their tree. Let them believe it if they're more comfortable.' What a cruel thing to do, let them die when there's life available. God loved the world so He gave His Son. That's the character of the kind of love we're talking about, agape love. He gave His Son. This love is a giving love. He did something. Why?

"That whoever believes in Him might not perish but have eternal life," so that we could have opportunity for forgiveness of sins, and new life in Christ. That's why Christ came. That's why He died. The simplicity of it. The same reason God made a standard and put a bronze serpent on it - so that men might live and not die. He had His Son come and die to pay the penalty for sins so that we might live. It's that simple. You note the issues here and the alternatives. "That whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." Those are the only two options. Either you believe and have life, or you don't believe and you perish. That's it.

Now we've come up with all kind of home remedies. Go to church, be the best that you can, be baptized, confirmed, confess, live a righteous life. God didn't say that. Those are man's remedies, and the only cure is God's remedy.
God says this is such a serious matter that I gave My Son.

Be careful. If there are any other remedies, God has made a terrible mistake. If you gave one of your children to die for a cause and then you found out it was totally unnecessary that it die, we’d have to say you were a terrible fool. Now here, the emphasis is on the fact that God gave His Son, His only begotten One, for the purpose of enabling men to have life instead of perishing. Now we're going to say 'Oh you could have life by doing good,' I have to say that God made a terrible mistake. No. How awful. His only begotten Son. You know, there’s another way! There was no purpose to it. God is a God of love, nobody’s going to perish. And we say what a foolish thing. His only begotten Son came to earth and died and it wasn't necessary.

IT IS NECESSARY. It is the only answer. That's why it is such a crucial issue. You perish, or you have life. The issue is, do you believe what God has done? That His Son has come and died. That's the issue. That's the great demonstration of the love of God.

Couple of other passages - Romans chapter 5, verse 8. Invariably when the New Testament talks about the love of God, it talks in the context of Jesus Christ, and what God has done in Jesus Christ. That's how you understand love. Romans 5:8, "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." How do I know God loves me? Me, personally? Christ died for me. How do I know? God says so. He says 'Gil, I loved you so much I had my son die for you. You are a sinner. You are perishing, doomed to hell. I loved you, My Son died for you.' I know God loves me, He says so. He proved it by what He did.

Look over in Romans 8. You can read the whole context. Beginning with verse 31, "What shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" Verse 35, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" Can anything? He goes on to list those things. Verse 37, "In all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. I am convinced that neither death, nor life, angels, principalities, things present, things to come, powers, height...."anything, nothing, "can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." You note that's where God's love is. He loved us in Christ. He had Christ die for us. Those who choose not to believe what Christ has done for them, will not be the recipients of the love of God but the wrath of God. So God is love, but that love is realized and manifested in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ.

One other passage. I John 4, verse 9. By this the love of God was manifested in us..." How was the love of God manifested? "...that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him." You’ll note. God's love is always connected to the coming of Christ. The coming of Christ is always connected to our need for life. God manifested His love, sent His only begotten Son so that we might live. We were dying. You know, I had the poisonous sin. There was nothing I could do to change that. Just like the person bitten by the snake. They couldn't undo that. I am infected by sin. I cannot morally reform my life, it won't change. I am dying. But God sent His Son that we might live.

"And this is love, not that we loved God, but that God loved us..." And what did He do? The great evidence of love is that God did - He sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Propitiation means satisfaction. Love - He did. The great evidence of God's love - He gave His Son.

Interesting in the context, you ought to pick it up in verses 7 and 8. "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God for God is love." Know what that says? It is not possible if you've not been born again, to love with the depth and kind of love that we're talking about. That's why lives are transformed. That's why marriages are transformed. You can't love your wife, you can't love your husband with the love we're talking about until you've been born again because this is the love that God produces. You note the importance of it. What a tragedy that we talk about the love of God and oh, how I appreciate that God loved me and sent His Son to die for me, and then I not manifest love toward you, Love toward other believers. This is unthinkable. That He would love us so much, He would initiate that love and what did He do? He did what was necessary for me.

Interested in reading one of the news magazines this past week. Said the decade we are leaving now was the "Me Decade", the decade of selfishness. Where everybody was concerned about 'Me' and how it affects ME, and what do I get out of it, and what is MY benefit, and how can I benefit, and what’s in it for ME? Now here is a secular magazine, and they evaluate the last ten years and say it’s been ten years of ME. Everything is seen in light of ME. If we’re not careful, that begins to infect us as believers. And it is diametrically opposed to God's love being produced in my life. Because that turns it around. How often do we evaluate situations among other believers - what benefit am I getting out of it? How have they ministered to ME? How thoughtful are they to ME and MY situation? What interest do they take in ME? How do they treat ME? How they responded to ME. That’s not the love of God at work. God didn’t look and say 'I wonder what's in it for ME if I send my Son.' How am I going to benefit if My Son goes? What will I gain if My Son goes?

It's not a question of what you’re doing for Me. God's working in my life makes it a matter of What am I doing for you? How am I ministering to YOU. What benefit are you getting from ME in your life? That's where my emphasis needs to be. Two questions. Have you responded to the love of God? You are infected by sin, and unless you look to Jesus Christ and believe that He died for you, you are destined to perish. What a tragedy! The provision is made. There’s no necessity for you to die in your sins. God loves you and He wants to forgive you. He made provision to forgive you. The only question is, are you unwilling? As Jesus said to Nicodemus, ’You will not receive it if you are unwilling to believe. Then you are sure to die in your sins.’

Secondly. Those of us who have believed? Is our life a living testimony to the love of God at work in our life? Do people look at us and see the transformation of the new birth at work? Are we a people who love as only newborn people could love? The first fruit of the Spirit? The fruit of the Spirit is love, and that ought to characterize us above all things. We who have been the recipients of such great love are privileged to manifest that love to others in the family of God. Let's pray together.

Father, what a privilege it has been just to look with a glimpse at the greatness of the salvation that we have in Christ. Father, with our finite minds, it is so difficult to appreciate the greatness of the manifestation of love when you gave your only begotten Son to die for us. Lord, we thank you for that. We thank you for the privilege for loving you because you first loved us. For the privilege of believing in the provision you have made for us in your Son.

Pray for those who are here this morning, Father, for any who have come. Perhaps they come week by week, perhaps they are new; Lord, any who have yet to look to Jesus Christ, to believe that He died for them. That He is the One, the only One, who can forgive and cleanse from sin. Father, give them life from death. We pray that they might believe this morning.

For those of us who have, pray Lord, that the effects of the new birth might be seen in us. That we might be manifesting your character and above all your love in our dealings with one another, for we pray in Jesus' name.