The Most Precious Gift – Sunday Thought For The Day

Most people can quote John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (KJV)

But, let’s examine this precious truth for a moment. Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, better known as C.I. Scofield, D.D.; explains: “Belief in the New Testament (N.T.), denotes more than intellectual assent to a fact. The word (Greek: Pistis, noun) means adherence to, committal to, faith in, reliance upon, trust in a person or an object, and this involves not only the consent of the mind, but an act of the heart and will of the subject. ‘Whosoever trusts in or commits himself to Him [Christ].’ Belief, then, is synonymous with faith, which in the N.T. consists of believing and receiving what God has revealed.”

Dr. Scofield further explains: that the word “perish,” is the Greek word “apollumi,” translated “marred.” “In no N.T. instance does [this word] signify cessation of the conscious existence or of consciousness. Instead, it indicates, here that state of conscious suffering which continues eternally and is the inevitable result of sin.”

Put then, as simply as possible, John 3:16 instructs us to commit oneself to “believing” in Jesus Christ and “receiving,” i.e., accepting as truth, all that God has revealed in His Word. This, then, is the only way we can avoid the eternal conscious suffering of hell by being “marred” because of unbelief.

Which, brings me to the point I want to make today. The absolute only way to be saved, i.e., not “perish” and experience the eternal conscious suffering of hell for all eternity is by belief through faith in Jesus Christ and the commitment to embracing the revealed “Truth” of God’s Word.

That means, commitment to and reliance upon Jesus Christ unto salvation. It means to live our life in obedience to His Word, by the power and guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit, who abides in us the moment we accept through faith, Jesus Christ as Savior.

No person who commits to believing in Christ as their Savior, desires to continue living a life of sin and disobedience. To which I add: Praise God for making it possible to live a life free from the bondage and subjugation of sinful behavior and wicked desires. It doesn’t mean we won’t stumble or even fall, but the commitment to believing in Christ as Savior means we won’t stay down.

That my friends, is the gift of the birth of Christ we should celebrate not just at Christmas, but every day of our lives as Christians.

READ:

John 3:16-21 (KJV)

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 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.

19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.