John 3:18–19 “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”
The difference between the justified and the condemned is faith in the only begotten Son of God.
The people in hell were condemned for one reason: they did not believe in the only begotten Son of God. No matter how wretched or miserable a person may be because of the entanglement of sin, what can save them from its consequences and power is faith in the only begotten Son of God.
How Do We Believe in Him?
We believe that He is the only way to salvation. We believe that His Word will never go unfulfilled. We believe and follow His way without looking back or being distracted by things that have no eternal value.
We believe Him for who He says He is and for who He truly is to us. It does not matter what we interpret Him to be; what matters most is believing in His divinity and deity. Many believe Him to be one of the prophets, but they do not believe Him to be the Son of the living God.
Jesus asked His apostles, “Who do you say that I am?”
He wanted to know what they knew about Him, not merely what they thought of Him or what other people called Him. Whatever you believe Him to be determines the level of His influence in your life. The apostles were telling Him what others thought of Him, but He wanted to hear their personal confession. Therefore, He asked, “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
That confession sealed his faith. Until you believe in who Christ truly is and align yourself with that truth, you remain in the wilderness of life, searching for a way out while living in ignorance of the truth.
Condemnation comes to those who do not believe in Him. Had they believed in Him, they would have been saved from their iniquity, delivered from the wrath of God, and their names would have been CONDEMNATION
John 3:18–19
“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”
The difference between the justified and the condemned is faith in the only begotten Son of God.
The people in hell were condemned for one reason: they did not believe in the only begotten Son of God. No matter how wretched or miserable a person may be because of the entanglement of sin, what can save them from its consequences and power is faith in the only begotten Son of God.
How Do We Believe in Him?
We believe that He is the only way to salvation. We believe that His Word will never go unfulfilled. We believe and follow His way without looking back or being distracted by things that have no eternal value.
We believe Him for who He says He is and for who He truly is to us. It does not matter what we interpret Him to be; what matters most is believing in His divinity and deity. Many believe Him to be one of the prophets, but they do not believe Him to be the Son of the living God.
Jesus asked His apostles, “Who do you say that I am?”
He wanted to know what they knew about Him, not merely what they thought of Him or what other people called Him. Whatever you believe Him to be determines the level of His influence in your life. The apostles were telling Him what others thought of Him, but He wanted to hear their personal confession. Therefore, He asked, “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
That confession sealed his faith. Until you believe in who Christ truly is and align yourself with that truth, you remain in the wilderness of life, searching for a way out while living in ignorance of the truth.
Condemnation comes to those who do not believe in Him. Had they believed in Him, they would have been saved from their iniquity, delivered from the wrath of God, and their names would have been written in the Book of Life.
It is by believing that He has the power to forgive sins that your sins are forgiven, regardless of what the enemy may say.
It is by believing in Him that you will trust what is written about Him and keep His Word in your heart so that you may not sin against Him.
It is when you believe in Him that you will believe the testimony of Moses and the prophets, enabling you to stand rightly before God.
The thief beside Him on the cross believed that Jesus died to save him, and so he became the first beneficiary of Christ’s atoning sacrifice.
No matter how wretched you are, His blood is powerful enough to cleanse you and wipe away your iniquity so that it will not stand against you in judgment, for it has already been washed away by His blood.
There were people in the Bible with whom Jesus was cautious in His dealings because He knew they had closed their minds against the truth. No matter what was preached to them, they would neither understand nor believe, and therefore they would not repent and be healed.
Those who hear the message of truth yet continually harden their hearts against repentance place themselves in great spiritual danger. Their persistent rejection of God’s grace leaves them under condemnation unless they turn and believe.
This is the kind of heart represented by the stony ground. Even when they hear the Word, their hearts do not retain it long enough for faith to take root. Some may even pretend to believe while seeking opportunities to oppose the body of Christ.
You cannot say you believe in Jesus and refuse to do what He commands. You cannot claim to believe in Him while secretly admiring or trusting other powers besides Him.
You do not merely believe in His mercy while rejecting His judgment. If you believe in Him as the Lamb of God, you must also believe in Him as the consuming fire.
You must believe both in His hatred for sin and in His unconditional love for humanity. The depth of His love and His hatred for sin are what led Him to the cross so that whoever looks to Him might be saved from sin, its power, and its consequences.
Many professing Christians who are now in hell would not have been there had they truly believed that the Word of God is certain and trustworthy, and that Jesus never spoke carelessly. Whatever He says, He will do.
Had they believed that without holiness no one shall see the Lord, they would not have been there.
Those who belong to darkness do not want to believe because belief would expose them and bring their evil deeds into the light. They may know who Jesus is but refuse to acknowledge Him. Even Satan knows who Jesus is, yet he deceives others into rejecting Christ’s supremacy. The moment people truly know and acknowledge Christ for who He is, Satan loses his hold over them and there names will be written in the Book of Life.
It is by believing that He has the power to forgive sins that your sins are forgiven, regardless of what the enemy may say.
It is by believing in Him that you will trust what is written about Him and keep His Word in your heart so that you may not sin against Him.
It is when you believe in Him that you will believe the testimony of Moses and the prophets concerning him, enabling you to stand rightly before God.
The thief beside Him on the cross believed that Jesus died to save him, and so he became the first beneficiary of Christ’s atoning sacrifice.
No matter how wretched you are, His blood is powerful enough to cleanse you and wipe away your iniquity so that it will not stand against you in judgment, for it has already been washed away by His blood.
There were people in the Bible with whom Jesus was cautious in His dealings because He knew they had closed their minds against the truth. No matter what was preached to them, they would neither understand nor believe, and therefore they would not repent and be healed.
Those who hear the message of truth yet continually harden their hearts against repentance place themselves in great spiritual danger. Their persistent rejection of God’s grace leaves them under condemnation unless they turn and believe.
This is the kind of heart represented by the stony ground. Even when they hear the Word, their hearts do not retain it long enough for faith to take root. Some may even pretend to believe while seeking opportunities to oppose the body of Christ.
You cannot say you believe in Jesus and refuse to do what He commands. You cannot claim to believe in Him while secretly admiring or trusting other powers besides Him.
You do not merely believe in His mercy while rejecting His judgment. If you believe in Him as the Lamb of God, you must also believe in Him as the consuming fire.
You must believe both in His hatred for sin and in His unconditional love for humanity. The depth of His love and His hatred for sin are what led Him to the cross so that whoever looks to Him might be saved from sin, its power, and its consequences.
Many professing Christians who are now in hell would not have been there had they truly believed that the Word of God is certain and trustworthy, and that Jesus never spoke carelessly. Whatever He says, He will do.
Had they believed that without holiness no one shall see the Lord, they would not have been there.
Those who belong to darkness do not want to believe because belief would expose them and bring their evil deeds into the light. They may know who Jesus is but refuse to acknowledge Him. Even Satan knows who Jesus is, yet he deceives others into rejecting Christ’s supremacy. The moment people truly know and acknowledge Christ for who He is, Satan loses his hold over them.
Prayer: Father lord, put your faith and love in the heart of your children so they will not sin against you, in Jesus name amen
