“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
The danger of living in the bible belt is that we hear verses like this so often we become callused to them. Familiarity breeds resistance to the remarkable concept of an Omnipotent Deity loving us and adopting us as children. We are told that we have been redeemed from deserved destruction and given eternal life, yet we are uninspired.
Unfortunately, the church has contributed to this phenomenon. We have created a watered-down version of the gospel preaching about God’s sacrifice- but never discussing our sin, or His holiness- which made the sacrifice necessary. We have created a “self-help” version of Christianity, even though the basis of Christianity is that we are unable to help ourselves.
We have heard John 3:16 since we were children, but when was the last time it knocked you to your knees and produced remorse and repentance? How long has it been since the price paid for your sin took your breath away?
I wish we could read that verse for the first time again. But instead, we have been "vaccinated" against the powerful truth it contains by a small, ineffective dose of religion. This numbs us to God’s life changing power, and we lose the jolt and astonishment we should experience when we hear the gospel.
The most staggering news you will ever hear is that God has offered you freedom from sin and death. His love paid the price of your transgressions, and He has made a way for you to have eternal life with Him.
If you can read John 3:16 and not be shocked, then you don’t understand it. If it doesn’t stun you that Jesus chose to die for you, while you were still sinning against Him, you’re missing the point… Be Still and consider the substance of this verse… Read it as though you have never seen it before.
God loves You. Let that sink in… let the price He paid for your salvation shake you to your core. Live today in freedom as a new creation, perfected in His love, and amazed by the transformation His mercy has provided.
"Here's the paradox. We can fully embrace God's love only when we recognize how completely unworthy of it we are.” ― Ann Tatlock
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