The concequence of unbelief

What do I believe in – The Consequence of Unbelief

18He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

John 3:18-21

God? Verse 18b “he who does not believe has been judged already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” We are condemned to an eternity separated from Him if we do not confess that He is Lord in this lifetime. This speck of time that we call “ours.” We have but a moment to see the Light that has come into the world. In this vapor we call life, our pride tries to rule over what we think is our kingdom. Truth is any kingdom that is not God’s kingdom will surely perish—and not bending the knee to the King while we can indeed leads to a consequence of unbelief.

What does it even mean to confess Him as Lord? How does that apply to my life today? If I confess Him as Lord, does it mean I have to give all my possessions away and live a life of poverty? Does it mean God is angry with me if I’m not giving my tithe to the church? Does it mean I have to be in “Church” every Sunday? Or does it mean that I have realized I cannot make it through this life on my own?

The concequence of unbelief
Sun Rise – Credit Kristen Weidner

I need a savior because, in my strength, I have a natural bend to want to accumulate a lot of possessions. Possessions that I think will make me comfortable in life.  Or if I make enough people happy, I’m a good person. I confess He is Lord. I understand that my relationship with a Holy God is far more valuable than anything this world can give. And I want to spend eternity with Him!

Forever?

How do I wrap my head around eternity? How can I fathom someone not spending eternity with God but completely separated from Him? My finite brain only has a concept of time. And my mind is generally focused on my present. Sometimes, it dwells in the past and tries to plan for the future. But in my finiteness, do I care about the person next to me? Do I see them the way God sees them? How can I live in this life of comfort and know that there are people who will not confess He is Lord? They will spend eternity separated from Him. I believe in this miracle that is salvation.

In my confession of who Jesus is, I struggle to share the gospel. Is the pain of rejection from men more significant than the pain of disobedience to God? I know I can only plant seeds of hope in someone’s life. And it is up to the Holy Spirit to lead them to salvation. But am I doing my part? Am I sharing the gospel? Do I share the good news of Jesus?

I know starting this platform to send out what I read in the bible is a form of sharing the good news, but it will never replace sitting down across from another human at a table and sharing hope over a cup of coffee. God is a God of communion. He is a personal, relational God that cares about me and you. He loved us in His creation so much that the pain of breaking communion with His Son was far greater than just allowing us to our own devices. There is Hope; there is a savior.

You are loved!

Prayer

Father, You have given us so much. Thank you for Your Son, thank you for the Cross, and thank you for the miracle of salvation. Stir something inside us to bring hope to those who feel hopeless. Let us be a vessel for you to bring You glory and honor in our everyday life. Plant seeds of good news and strive to be Christ-like in loving others. Amen

An open bible to John 3

The Problem of Unbelief

11Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. 12If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. 

John 3:11-13

In John 3:11-13, we come to a scene where Jesus is speaking with Nicodemus at night about belief and unbelief. Through the conversation, Jesus poses a question to Nicodemus in verse 12 “If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” Even though this question is spoken to Nicodemus, it is a question that everyone must answer. Do we believe the Son of God had descended out of heaven into the earth? Do we believe His testimony of His accomplishments on earth and in heaven? Over the following eight verses, the word “believe” appears seven times.

How do I believe in something? What does it mean to believe in the Son of Man as Jesus has labeled Himself in verse thirteen? What does unbelief look like?

A Believer…

As a believer, my hope lies in the truth of Jesus. That the Son of God descended from heaven into humanity as Jesus. He lived, died, and rose again so that when I believe in Him, my sins are forgiven. He took the wrath that God had for me and placed it upon Himself. So that His righteousness could be placed on me. We can live a spirt filled life to the fullest now and for eternity.

One day He is coming back for His church. I will stand before Him to give an account for what I have done with this life. Will I be told, “Well done, my good and faithful servant”? Will my life reflect who Jesus is? From the first moment I believed until my last breath of air, what will my life say about Jesus? That I was perfect? Far from it! That I had it all together? Not even close. That in every failure, my eyes would be on the prize that is a personal relationship with Jesus?

Regardless of the circumstances, feelings, or what the world tells me, my eyes would be focused on the Savior. Not to receive just a blessing but to honestly know Him. Sometimes going through a particular pain of life, we must refocus on Jesus, and sometimes it takes longer than others, but does that focus always get corrected? I like to think so.

The question

Where are you in your journey of belief? Are you having problems in the realm of unbelief? Would you call yourself a sold-out committed follower of Jesus Christ, or do you land somewhere between the two? What would it take to move from unbelief into belief? Or even move from a “good person” to one who has a depth in their relationship with Jesus and is willing to remove the sin that so easily entangles us to follow Him wholeheartedly? In His time on earth, the people saw Him perform miracle after miracle, yet they still rejected Him. What are you going to do with the good news of Jesus?

Prayer

Father, I thank You that Jesus came and died for me. He knew everything I was ever going to do, yet He still loves me. He loved me enough to lay down His own life just so I have the same opportunity as everyone else, to believe in Him. I pray that we remove distractions in our lives and that we can either focus for the first time or refocus our hope in You. Amen.

Open Bible John 3 and Coffee
Believes – John 3