Tim Maas Supporter Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

I would say that these verses summarize the fact that humans deserved (and continue to deserve) condemnation from a holy God because of their universal sin.

However, despite that fact, God still had such great love for humanity that He made it possible for any human to have everlasting life in His presence through faith in Jesus, who was (and is) God's only-begotten Son, and who was incarnated not to condemn the world, but to save it.

People who do not accept this merciful offer of salvation and eternal life through faith in Christ will be condemned to eternal separation from God. However, that condemnation will not be God's doing. Instead, it will result from God granting them their own preference, because they chose to remain in spiritual darkness so that they would not have their sin exposed, and be forced to confess it, rather than acknowledging it and receiving forgiveness for it.

By contrast, those who have been justiifed (made righteous) in God's sight through faith in Christ welcome having their salvation revealed to all, and their subsequent actions that are performed in gratitude and service to God made fully known.

(As a side note, the Christian apologist C. S. Lewis expressed this process in his book The Great Divorce by saying that people who do not avail themselves of salvation in Christ at some point during their earthly lives by saying to God, "Thy will [that is, that they be saved through faith] be done," would subsequently hear God say to them, "THY will [that is, that they remain separated from God] be done," but that separation will be for eternity.)

August 21 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

James Kraft Supporter 74 year old retired pipeline worker

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son, Jesus, that WHOSOEVER, anybody, believeth in Him, should not perish, but HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. Present tense. Jesus said it, we believe it, and that settles it. 

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through His life, death, an resurrection could be saved. 

Believers are no longer condemned, but unbelievers are condemned already because they have not believed on the name of the Son of God. 

First John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that BELIEVE on the name of the Son of God, that ye might KNOW YE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.

Man's way is to save himself by good works and keeping the law. God's way is by faith alone apart from works to receive the free gift of eternal life by faith alone in Jesus' finished work on the cross as full payment for all our sin. 

Believers love grace. Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace ye are saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the GIFT of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.

August 28 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report