GraceTrax

“FOR GOD so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him...” If you don’t understand the verses that follow John 3:16, the invitation to believe upon Christ may appear ludicrous. But the apostle John—under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit—provides a context for God’s redemption plan—a context that is often left out when references are made to that verse. The context begins in verse 17 and concerns the intention of Christ’s coming. 

What was Christ’s intention? He states it negatively in verse 17. “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.” That verse makes clear what Christ did not come to do—condemn the world. 

God did not send Christ into the world to condemn, but to save. Consider the last half of verse 17, “…in order that the world might be saved through Him.” He came to rescue and redeem, not to destroy. 

Jesus came to redeem us, and He’s returning to culminate that plan of redemption. Does that excite you, Christian? I’m getting more and more eager with every passing year. I think when we pass through the process of sanctification our longing for heaven intensifies. I’m ready to go! We’ve got it made, folks. We need to come to grips with what God has done for us and stop fearing affliction, sickness, persecution, and death. We have no cause for apprehension over those events. 

The most glorious event for you and me will be our dying and passing into eternity. Death is only a threshold for us. Understandably, that sounds odd to the world, doesn’t it? But we know rationally in our minds that death is the best thing that could ever happen to a Christian—dying and going to be with Christ. The truth that informs that glorious reality is found in this text: He came to save. 

Verse 18 continues that theme when it says, “Whoever believes in Him is not condemned but whoever does not believe is condemned already because He has not believed in the Name of the only Son of God.”  In other words, a sobering consequence accompanies unbelief. Whoever attaches his faith to Christ as the sole object—it can’t be faith in anything or anyone—will be saved from condemnation. 

No one who believes in Christ will suffer condemnation. All who believe in Christ—in heart, mind, and soul—will be saved. That’s the context for understanding John 3:16. In order to be saved from something, we must understand what we’re being saved from. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve had to remind people of this in my 39 years of ministry: We will never flee to Christ until we are persuaded that He is our sole means of escape. 

If you entertain the thought of an alternative route of escape, you will trust in your own flesh. Left to ourselves, we all do that outside of the Holy Spirit’s merciful work of conviction. So often God allows us to trust in those human, carnal, helpless means of escape, and then begins to move us into the realm of divine help. In a way, He funnels us away from trusting in our flesh until, finally, we look to Christ alone.  No one will look to Christ for deliverance until everything else has proven futile.  

Because of man’s carnal mind, he always chooses the carnal means of help over the spiritual, even though it will always prove futile. As an unregenerate audience to the gospel, we hear the message over and over, but cannot understand it. Then God’s divine light floods our minds and hearts and we see our true condition--along with His provision in Christ. Then all other carnal alternatives melt away and we see and believe in Christ. However, as long as those other alternatives appear useful, we will never believe in Christ; our flesh will resist and overpower us. 

It works like this: A person realizes his alienation from God, but believes he can simply attend church more regularly in order to get right with God. Perhaps he resolves to read his Bible more consistently, pray more fervently, give to charity, and read more Christian books. He’ll do anything to appease his conscience and convince himself of his right to enter heaven. That’s how the carnal mind thinks about and responds to salvation—and it’s damning! We may look to our church attendance, prayer life, Bible study habits, and even our so-called good deeds, but until we look to Christ alone we’re doomed. All other sources of hope are false. 

I believe one of the main reasons we’re failing in our evangelism efforts today is because we don’t understand the need for setting the context. If you approach someone and say, “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life,” how do you think he’ll respond?  He probably won’t, because you’ve not given him a context. What you’ve told him makes no sense at all. He doesn’t understand his own sin. He doesn’t even know Who God is, or what God is like. That’s why the Bible emphasizes the importance of pressing the law of God upon an unbeliever. Scripture refers to God’s Law as the “schoolmaster,” the “superintendent.” It serves as a tutor, a guide to bring lost men and women to Christ so they may be justified through faith in Him. 

That’s the context of condemnation. Until a lost person senses the conviction of sin that comes from the Law and recognizes the darkness in his own fallen heart, he will never flee to and believe upon Christ. That is the role of the Holy Spirit—to convict, convince, and draw the sinner to Christ. It’s His work. May He do a fresh work in our families, congregations, neighborhoods, and city. Let’s pray to that end!    

THE Apostle John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote what has become one of the most well known and celebrated verses in the entire Bible, John 3:16. Take a look at that section, beginning in verse 16 and continuing through verse 21. 

"For God so loved the world that He gave His onlySon that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life, for God did not send Him Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned but whoever does not believe is condemned already because He has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.  And this is the judgment; the light has come into the world and people love the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light lest his deeds should be exposed.  But whoever does what is true comes to the light so that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been carried out in God."  

In Scripture, we learn that the triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—covenanted together in eternity past to design the exquisite plan of salvation. You see the beauty of that covenant in that passage. It’s one of the most beautiful texts in the Word of God and speaks of God’s wonderful deliverance of sinners—offered solely through the mercy and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.  

Three main points stand out in the first part of that text. 

First you see what we’ll call “The Father’s Plan” in verse 16. When you survey John 3:16, you cannot help but see the divine motive in the plan of redemption. The motive is this: the love of God. “For God so loved the world.” That is, by the way, the greatest motive of God.  The Bible says plainly that God is love. It also teaches that God at times manifests wrath against sin; but Scripture never says that God is wrath.  In his essential character, He is love personified.  That beautiful attribute—God’s love—motivates His redemptive plan. God loves sinners.   

God’s love does not mirror our own imperfect love. For example, we love our spouse, our children, and our parents.  But those loves are temporal. In contrast, the love of God is eternal. There was never a time in eternity past when God did not possess perfect love for His children, for He is a God of love.  

Intrinsically, love characterizes God, not only love within the Father, but the Son and Holy Spirit as well.  God’s love explains why we’re here today—why we’re assembled here in this place hearing the Word of God, singing the songs of the saints, and enjoying the privilege of being heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. Because of His love, we are kings and priests unto God. We enjoy that status because of His abundant love.

Secondly, you see in that passage not only God’s motive but also His action. Love moved God to give the greatest gift of all: His own Son. He didn’t withhold from us His greatest gift, but sent us His only Son. The greatness of God’s sacrifice is magnified by the fact that He is the only Son. God was motivated by love, pressed by love to send His only Son. His Son, Who did not have a place to lay His head; a son who was ridiculed, a Son who was murdered, a Son who suffered a cruel death on a cross—all because of His great love toward sinners. 

What rebels we are, and yet God did that for us—vile, wretched sinners, filled with wickedness and deceit. Because of that truth, when we adopt the attitude of Paul, who said “O wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death,” we are closer to God than at any other time. When we recognize the greatness of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, motivated by the Father’s love, and express that recognition with humble, heartfelt worship, God is glorified. 

Jesus spoke of that great, motivating love in John 17 when He said to His Father, “You have loved them, even as You have loved Me.” Isn’t it amazing that from all eternity, God set His love upon His own Son, and yet loves us in the same way? That’s a remarkable truth, Christian.  

Thirdly, you see in that passage a sublime, yet simple means of deliverance: faith. Note the simplicity of that truth: “Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” The one element we must possess in order to attain heaven is faith. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Faith, trust, confidence; believing the Gospel; believing specifically in the object of the Gospel, which is Jesus Christ. That’s the means of deliverance. Faith—and faith in Christ alone.  

When we experience seasons of fear, doubt, trials, and tribulations, that truth will elevate our hearts.  When we give thought to the proper object, which is Christ, we’re lifted up and encouraged, because we’re looking toward the proper object. You see, you must not stop at just the concept of faith. You must go further. Faith must have the perfect object and that perfect object is Christ. 

That is the grace and the mercy of God. Again, sublime and yet so very simple. Think about the people in hell, suffering the intolerable wrath of God for this reason. They would not believe. Their judgment and condemnation is irreversibly fixed because they would not believe in the only acceptable object of faith, the Lord Jesus Christ.  

Many churches are moving away from the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our day. Therefore we must endeavor more than ever to lift high the Lord Christ Jesus Christ, Who said, “If I be lifted up I will draw all men to myself.” That’s our mission, to lift high the risen Savior.   

Many doctrines emerge from the pages of Scripture, but when we disconnect them from Jesus Christ in the pulpit, they are worthless; dead doctrines that serve only to build up egos instead of fueling love and devotion to Christ. God intended for doctrine and theology to bring us to a person: Christ. Christianity without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is satanic.  It makes no difference how theologically minded a person perceives himself to be. Until he possesses a relationship with the person of Christ, he is simply a lost theologian. Many theologians who knew about Christ populate hell. You can read about them in Matthew 7. The knew about Christ, but they didn’t know Christ personally. Knowing Christ is eternal life (John 17:3).     

That’s the sublime, simplistic plan: believing in a person, the person of Christ, the One Who became the God-Man and bridged the great gulf of iniquity between God and man. That vital truth introduces the remainder of the passage—the intention of Christ’s Coming. We’ll take a look at that next time. Don’t miss it!   

IN THE DAY and age we live in, two questions have become blurred: If a man doesn’t work, ____? If a man can’t work, _____? Our society has treated both questions with the same answer: unfettered support. 

Now, before you stereotype and label me heartless, understand this: I fully believe we should help a man who is unable to work. However, if an able-bodied man refuses to work, then no financial assistance should be given. To help such a defiant individual would support his laziness and unwillingness to assume his God-given responsibility.

While there are huge political reasons for this blurred difference, I’m not going to go down that road. I want to stick with Scripture. What does the Bible say about a man who won’t work?

The apostle Paul had much to say about that subject in his letter to the Thessalonian church:

Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living (2 Thessalonians 3:6-12).

We notice a few things in that passage. In verse 6 if that passage, Paul commands believers to stay away from those who claim to be believers and yet walk in idleness—to refrain from helping those who refuse to work and seek to live off the labor of others. 

In verses 7-9, Paul reminds them of his testimony. While serving among the Thessalonians, he worked with his own hands and never ate a meal that he did not pay for with his own money. Next, Paul explains his motive and encourages every believer to imitate his lifestyle and resist the temptation to become an unnecessary burden to others. 

According to that passage, you might say that loving your neighbor is doing everything in your power to avoid being a burden. That was Paul’s philosophy. Even though he had the right to eat free as a minister of the gospel, he chose to forfeit that right, so he could be an example to the church.

Paul makes a striking point in verse 10 that even the church has forgotten: “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” Even though Paul addressed that command to the church, even lost people can understand his principle. Paul said in 1 Timothy 5:8, “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” 

Paul is saying that if a believer, whom the Spirit of God indwells; who has been renewed in his mind; who has been given an inclination toward holiness; who does not provide for his family, he’s worse than an unbeliever. Why would Paul say such a thing? Because God has instilled in lost men enough natural affection to give them a sense of responsibility—even without being regenerated—to provide for their family. And, of course, that provision comes through work.

Therefore, when a believer refuses to provide for his family, he not only insults the Spirit of God Who regenerated him, but he also denies the natural affection that God has given to all mankind. It’s impossible for a true believer to abide in so deep a perversion for a prolonged season of his life. 

Paul finishes by saying every man should earn his own living. So, while laziness and the accompanying denial of God-given responsibility is epidemic in our day, just remember that it was also a problem in the days of the Apostle Paul. There’s no new evil under the sun.

The problem hasn’t changed, and neither has the remedy—the Word of God. Obey it, Christian, because if a man doesn’t work, he doesn’t eat!

IS IT RIGHT for a Christian wife and mother to work outside the home? If yes, when is it okay and when is it not?

We must look to God’s Word for the answers, and consider simply two errors to avoid in relation to this question:

First, do not fall into the error of being conformed to this world [Romans 12:1-2]. The world, largely through feminism (including within the church), has demeaned home-making as being of less or even of no importance and has then told women that they are being oppressed to be kept in the home. The truth from God’s Word is that the home is the earthly priority of a Christian wife and mother, and being in the home is a privilege and joy. Consider also these highlights from Proverbs 31, pointing to the excellent wife’s priority being her husband, children and home:

“She does [her husband] good, and not harm, all the days of her life” [v.12];

“She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household” [v.15];

“She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness” [v.27].

Titus 2:4-5 says, “and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

A Christian husband and wife should make determinations about the wife’s work and time based on the biblical priority of the home for her. In fact, if a Christian woman prioritizes pursuing a career over the biblical call to prioritize her husband, children and home, she is sinning.

Second, do not fall into the error of being self-righteous, legalistic or judgmental. “Working outside the home does not make you ungodly any more than being in the home makes you godly” [Pastor Kenny St. John]. Consider these highlights from Proverbs 31 pointing to the excellent wife working outside the home as part of her priority of her home:

“She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard” [v.16];

“She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant” [v.24].

[See also Acts 16:14 and 18:3].

Each wife should look to her own heart (and each husband leading his wife look to his own heart and his wife’s). Do you have a heart and demeanor that is Christ-centered, submissive, home-focused, joyfully following God’s design for you as a redeemed woman in whatever situations you are including at home and at work? 

In fact, the secret to the wife’s excellence in Proverbs 31 was that she was “a woman who fears the Lord” [v. 30]. Such a woman, now as well as then, “is to be praised” [Proverbs 31:30].

A RECENT ARTICLE entitled Addicted to Adultescence read,

Meet Matt Swann. Matt is a 27-year-old American male who took six and a half years to graduate from college with a degree in cognitive science, and is just getting started figuring out what he wants to do with his life. Matt was asked if he was looking forward to marriage, family, and owning a home. His answer? "I don't ever want a lawn. I do not want to be a parent. I mean ... why would I? There's so much fun to be had while you're young."

Though Matt was being shockingly honest, his response is very revealing. Young people these days are resisting adulthood. They bounce around from job to job and relationship to relationship, never quite finding a steady place of growth. If they muster up the courage to move out of their parents’ house, they often return shortly. In fact, most young people resemble the destructive warm water current El Nino, cycling back around every few years to crash with Mom and Dad again.

What is the solution to extended adolescence? The apostle Paul gives us the answer in 2 Timothy 2:2: “Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”

His answer includes three prescriptions for young men:

1. Flee youthful lusts: Paul instructs Timothy that he must flee those temptations and lusts specifically enticing to young people. Instead of running headlong after the passions that spring from a youthful temperament, Paul instructs us that we should be sprinting away from them. When he encounters youthful lusts, the saint of God has two choices: either flee or fall.

2. Pursue godliness: Paul instructs Timothy to “pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace.” The word “pursue” does not simply mean to follow after, but is very strong and denotes striving after. Timothy is not simply running blindly from a childish disposition; he is running toward a goal. Pursuing is just as important as fleeing. Timothy is to pursue these four goals:

• Righteousness – The young man’s dash should culminate in conduct that glorifies God.
• Faith – Fickleness and unreliability aptly describe a youthful mindset; young men should pursue faithfulness, fidelity, trustworthiness and stability in all areas of life. 
• Love – The weeds of harshness and criticism flourish in the soil of immaturity, and thus the godly young man is continually to sow seeds of love.
• Peace – Since conflict comes naturally, the young man of God is to pursue peace with others. Self-assertion should be abandoned in favor of deference and humility, which promote harmony.

3. Pursue Fellowship: Finally, Timothy is to join himself in fellowship with “those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” He is not only to flee from youthful lusts, but also those who engage in them. There is a safeguard in engaging in the pursuit of godliness with other believers as Proverbs 27:17 reads, “Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”

¹ Written by Al Mohler, http://www.albertmohler.com/2005/06/28/extended-male-adolescence-the-british-version/. Accessed on 11-14-2011.