The Good News and the Bad Newsਨਮੂਨਾ

What Do We Need To Do?

Yesterday, we talked about a problem that came about in the Garden of Eden. The problem is death, and this is bad news. We also talked about the solution to the problem which is everlasting life – the good news of a free gift from God.

John 3:16-18 talks about this and what we must do to receive this everlasting life. Did you notice that we are taking verses 17 and 18 too? Often these verses get left out, but I dare say they are just as important as verse 16.

John 3:16-17
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

The solution to the death problem is everlasting life and the solution to the sin problem is no condemnation.

Sometimes people might portray God as someone who judges and condemns us for all the wrong things we do; that He is just waiting for us to do something wrong so He can punish us; that His standards are too high and that we must jump through all these hoops to "earn" salvation.

But we can see in verse 17 that God isn’t wanting to condemn the world, but rather that He wants to save it!

There aren’t really any hoops we need to jump through. We only need to believe in Him.

The verses you will read today also talk about this mercy and grace God has towards us and that is how we are saved. Of course, there is mention of works and how we live our lives, but it all starts with belief in God and accepting the free gift He offers us. We are created in Christ for good works and once we believe and accept that, the works will flow out of us as we reflect Jesus’ character.

Today it is up to you what word you write on your hand.