One of the things that we definitely all know well is this: Everyone we know, including ourselves, believes in something very strongly concerning life. For some it is the the cause of the environment, for others it is government, while for others it is their own self determination, for some it is good works, and for many, they have some type of a religious belief system. Everyone has some kind of belief system that guides them and shapes how they embrace and live it out life. What would you say yours is? What guides you toward purpose everyday when you get up in the morning? What gives you strength to make it through when the storms of life roll in and come crashing down upon your world? We all have a belief system and is yours strong enough to bring security in the deepest part of your life? This is the topic for today. Here is our passage of scripture for the week: 14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.16"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 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. John 3:14-18 (emphasis mine) The true test of our belief system, I believe, is whether or not it is strong enough sustain us in every moment of our lives and free us from the condemnation that sin brings. 3 places here in these verses, we can see what belief in Jesus Christ can bring and we must ask ourselves whether or not our current personal belief system can bring these things that Jesus claims he can do. I want to list them here for us to see better so that we can examine our belief system up against them. Here we go:
1. Belief in Him brings Eternal life – The bible says we all have eternal life, but the question is, where will our eternal life be spent, with him in heaven or in hell separated from Him. For so many people today, they think that life on earth is the full extent of who we are, so why not live life to the fullest and do whatever you want to do. But according to this passage, eternal life is completely based upon who we believe in and the person who it says we must believe in, is Jesus Christ. It is not our good works or determination, but it is belief in him only.
2. Our Belief must rest in Jesus Alone – Those who receive God’s eternal life, it comes when our faith in placed in Jesus alone. It is not Jesus plus something else, but it is faith in him alone. Where does your life philosophy rest?
3. Belief in Him frees us from Condemnation – This is significant as it speaks to something we all desire. We want to know if God truly loves us and has a plan for us or are we, even if we have a personal relationship with Christ, consistently “in trouble” with him because we do not always make perfect decisions. Do our wrong decisions place us immediately back in the path of his condemnation or are we protected from his wrath through the life and death of Jesus? Faith in him brings freedom from condemnation and that is something that we all need to know. That is what Jesus says here.
Those things alone are enough to say to us that we need a personal relationship with Jesus. He alone is God and it is he who died, rose, ascended, and is coming again. No one else has done this or is coming back. Let’s remember that our faith must rest “in him” alone and enjoy the freedom we have as we live in his love. Are you “in Him” today?
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