For God So Loved…
John 3:1-21
If anyone could be saved by their works alone, it would likely be Nicodemus. He was a religious leader and a teacher among the Pharisees, a religious sect that sought to uphold every single one of the 613 Old Testament commandments. If Nicodemus could not work his way to salvation, neither can we.
The conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus at the beginning of this chapter is meant to show us how we can get into the kingdom of heaven. Jesus makes the distinction between physical birth and spiritual rebirth and says that everyone must be “born of the spirit” to enter the kingdom of heaven (v. 8). A spiritual rebirth is something that is out of our control because the Holy Spirit must be the one to transform us from the inside out. We do not have enough willpower or control to obey God on our own, but with the help of the Spirit, we can have faith in Jesus and seek to obey Him.
Now, why would God be so gracious as to do all the work of salvation for us? Verses 16 and 17 of chapter 3 answer this question and are perhaps the most quoted verses in the entire Bible.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only son,that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through Him.
God did the work of salvation for us because He loves us. He loved us enough to send His only son to the world to live the life we never could and die on the cross in our place. Jesus took on the punishment that we deserved and then rose three days later to prove that our sin had no power over Him so that we could have a free relationship with Him both now and forever. With our punishment paid on the cross, we are also freed from the condemnation for our sins. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the guilt of our sins against God, but verse 18 says that because of His sacrifice, we have no condemnation because Jesus already defeated our sins on the cross. It has no power over us; we can live free from guilt and condemnation.
Are you trying to do anything to earn or work for your salvation? Repent and live into the free gift of faith.
Do you feel guilty for your sins against God? Remember the cross and the freedom that it gives you.
