The one verse in the Bible about our Father’s love that is probably recognized everywhere – John 3:16; “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (ESV – all emphasis is mine)
For this statement to be complete, we need to continue to verses 17 and 18; “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. 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.”
For all those who are saying there are many ways to Heaven and that Jesus is not necessary for our eternal Salvation, just those three verses contradict that.
After the Father created the heavens and the earth, and after sin was introduced into this world in Genesis 3, God knew He Himself would have to provide a victory over sin and death for all who would live according to His will. In Genesis 3:15, God told the serpent, who was actually Satan, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”
The “bruise His heel” refers to the temporary “injury and death” of our Savior on the cross at Calvary. This led to the ultimate defeat of Satan. This act put an end to regular sacrifices for sin, as Jesus provided the ultimate pure blood sacrifice once and for all.
Just to give a few verses that tell us that if we have the Son, we have the Father as well: Matthew 11:27; Luke 10:22; John 3:18; John 3:36; 1 John 5:10-12; 1 John 2:23 and John 14:6. We may not fully understand the concept of a “Triune God,” but we know that all will be made clear when we finally get Home. In the meantime, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three entities in one Godhead. By faith, all true believers accept this, especially the part about the Holy Spirit within us.
In today’s world, we are witnessing a turning away from our Savior, which is no surprise to Him. In 2 Timothy 3:1-5 we read, “But understand this, that in the last days, there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power – Avoid Such People.”
Jesus foretells what to expect at the end of this age in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. And Paul, James, Peter, and John each give us warnings in their writings. In fact, prophets in the Old Testament give us signs that were provided to them through our Heavenly Father.
Knowing how this world would be all the way up to the final curtain, just imagine how much our Jesus has to love us to have given us the absolute most wonderful gift of all. In 1875, S. Trevor Francis (1834-1925) wrote a hymn, “Oh The Deep Deep Love of Jesus.” His message has a good grasp of our Savior’s love for us.
1.) Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus – vast, unmeasured, boundless, free – Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me. Underneath me, all around me, is the current of His love – leading onward, leading homeward, to His glorious rest above.
2.) Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus – Spread His praise from shore to shore. Praise His mercy, praise His goodness, praise His love forevermore. How He watcheth o’er His loved ones, died to call them all His own. How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o’er them from His throne.
3.) Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus – Love of every love the best – tis an ocean vast of blessing, tis a haven sweet of rest. Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus – tis a Heaven of Heavens to me; and it lifts me up to glory, lifts me up eternally.
Jesus is a part of the Godhead. John 1:1-3 tells us of this fact. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.”
In a concept that is difficult for some to understand, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have always existed. They have no beginning, as they’ve always been there. Time was created for humans after the Father created the earth, and He is not bound by it. The only time Jesus had an earthly beginning was when He was born a human infant through a virgin – Mary. He felt human emotions, human pain, human hunger, and many other things. But through it all, He never once sinned. Those who believe He did are falling for one of Satan’s notorious lies.
Through the Holy Spirit placing Jesus in Mary’s womb, her blood never mixed with His. He was the only “human” to be born without the contaminated blood sin nature that we all have. He was the only “human” who could provide a pure, sinless blood sacrifice that the Father must have to atone for all the sins of the world once and for all. He willingly came to die a horrible death for the remission of our sins – My Sins!
Hebrews 10:3-4 tells about sacrifices before Calvary; “But in these sacrifices, there is a reminder of sins every year. for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”
Going to Hebrews 10:12, 17-18; “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.” Then He adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more. Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.”
Until we are free from these human bodies, we are subject to sin. Our Heavenly Father knows this, so He gave us our pathway to forgiveness. Looking at 1 John 1:7-10, “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”
Please understand, we do not fool our Heavenly Father. He knows our every thought, word, and deed. All He asks is that when, not if, we sin, we talk to Him, confess that we did sin, and ask Him to forgive us. He promises, and God cannot lie (Titus 1:2), that He will forgive us. We may still receive discipline as a result of what took place, but as far as the Father is concerned, the blood of His Son covered us. Psalm 103:12 tells us our sins become as far as the east is from the west, which is infinite!
While we’re here, we try to do what is right and to honor the sacrifice our Savior made for us. There may be habitual sin that we need to deal with, and in this case, we ask the Father to give us the strength to get through it. Just know He’s there for us, or He never would’ve allowed Jesus to die on a cross to begin with.
The end of this age is drawing very near, and anyone who has not called on Jesus to be their Savior is gambling with their eternal soul. He will turn no one away who truly calls out to receive and accept Him as their Savior. Tomorrow could just be too late. Today would not be too early.
Hope to see you at His feet with us soon!