"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE DEALING WITH CONDEMNATION"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE DEALING WITH CONDEMNATION"

John 3:17 “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Some explanatory thoughts and application:

1. This verse tells us two things about Jesus. #1 what He did not come to do, and #2, what He did come to do. 

2. What He did not come to do was to condemn the world. In fact, Jesus states that the Father did not send Him to condemn. So, The Father and the Son are not on a mission to condemn the world. Condemn, means, to put asunder, to judge, in the sense of giving up on someone, and wanting nothing to do with them. It's having an ungodly opinion about someone else. Not God's opinion. 

3. What Jesus did come to do, was to save the world. He says it in 3:17, "That the world might be saved through Him. That is, by having faith in Him. To be saved, means, to make whole, to heal, to keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction. To save a suffering one from perishing. To deliver from the penalty of sin. 

4. Condemnation can come from ourselves, that is our own thoughts. It can come from others around us, and it can come as an attack from Satan. But, one place it has not come from is God. This is not the goal and purpose of God towards man. In fact, it's just the opposite as noted above. God sent Jesus not to condemn, but to save. 

5. Condemnation can lead to discouragement and to depression and hopelessness. Faith in the one who loves You and gave His life for you can lift you up and give you strength. Unbelief and focusing upon thoughts of condemnation, do the same thing, they pull us down into discouragement. But, faith in God and His Word, bring encouragement, and strength in our souls. 

6. To say it another way. If you are down and discouraged, and feeling like the worlds worst, and have lost your joy and sense of hope, and have no spring in your step as it were. May I encourage you to get yourself in God's Word. There is no doubt, that He will reverse the condemnation, and bring you encouragement, and lift you up into His peace. 

7. May I also encourage you to take a close and reflective look at a prayer that Paul prayed for the believers in Ephesus. It's filled with what God says about You, and what God wants to do in you. Pray this prayer for yourself. Let's believe God together, to bring encouragement to you. 

A prayer:
Ephesians 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Ephesians 3:15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

Ephesians 3:16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
Ephesians 3:17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

Ephesians 3:18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--

Ephesians 3:19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

Ephesians 3:21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia