JOHN 3:16

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JOHN 3:16

INTRODUCTION:Though we live in temporary bodies, our souls and spirits are eternal. God created us in His

spiritual likeness with a mind, will, and set of emotions in our soul. We are free to make our choices and the Bible informs us that we have all made some grievously poor ones.

God is holy, morally perfect, and too pure to look upon sin. We, on the other hand, are all sinners. God lives in a holy and sinless place the Bible calls heaven. Those of us who identify ourselves as Christians share an eternal hope of joining God, our Heavenly Father, in his heaven but we have a very serious problem that we cannot solve!

The Bible is very clear about the eternal destiny of those with unforgiven sins; Hell! Hell is a place of torment forever separated from our Heavenly Father.There is no provision for us to work off or pay for our sin guilt. Our Creator Father loves us so much, however, that He has provided The Way by which we can be forgiven and live with confidence of joining Him eternally in His sinless and holy heaven. Please notice that He did not

provide A Way but the Exclusive Way.THE WAY:

The Way of forgiveness and assurance of eternal life are recorded in John 3:16. "For God so loved the (people of the) world that He gave His only Begotten Son and whosever believes in Him will never perish but have everlasting life."

This is probably the most memorized scripture in the entire Bible for it is so precious. The offer of forgiveness is a Grace Gift. Gifts are free and designated for a specific individual. People do not work for gifts nor are they expected to pay for gifts. Gifts are to be taken and enjoyed.

This slide illustrates students separated from God by a cloud barrier of Sin. It also illustrates a gift at their level below the cloud.

Wrapped gifts with our name attached is intended to whet our interest and eagerness to learn what the gift is. That is the Way God

Loves you.

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JOHN 3:16

We know God as three persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.In this slide, we illustrate The Son leaving heaven and coming down to earth to live with us.

The Bible informs us that his physical birth was very unusual. The angel Gabriel approached a young Jewish virgin by the name of Mary and told her that of all women, God favored her, and she was to give birth to a son to be named Jesus. She objected on the grounds of being a virgin. She was assured by Gabriel to not be afraid and that the conception was to be Immaculate. She was to be impregnated by the Holy Spirit!

Thus, Jesus' linage is back to God rather than Adam like the rest of us. Therefore, Jesus did not inherit a sin-nature like the rest of us. While here,

Jesus was subject to temptations to be disobedient to His Heavenly Father in every way that we are but He resolutely remained obedient. Jesus also went by the title of Lamb of God.

Jesus declared in John 14:6, "I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no man can come to the Father but by Me." That makes Christianity very exclusive!

As the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus became the only acceptable sacrifice that God, the Heavenly Father, could accept for the payment of our sin debt. As sinners, we could not pay for it but Jesus could and did.

During the time that Jesus was amongst us, the Romans conquered, and ruled Palestine. The Roman government executed criminals by crucifying them. Criminals were nailed to a cross and hung out in the heat to suffocate. Loss of blood resulted in weakness to the point that the one being crucified could no longer hold up his slumping body. His air passage would be closed and he would eventually suffocate.

Though Jesus certainly was not a criminal, He permitted the Romans to execute (sacrifice) Him based on false charges from the religious leaders that objected to The Way.

We are assured that we can be forgiven of our sins by believing that our Heavenly Father accepted Jesus' sacrifice for us. In Ephesians 2:8-9 we are promised, "By Grace you have been saved by Faith."

God has offered the Gift of forgiveness to who-so-ever will accept it by Faith.

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JOHN 3:16

This slide illustrates Jesus, the Son, returned to sit at the honored right hand of the Father and the Holy Spirit taking up residence in those who, by faith, believe that the Lamb of God has taken their sins away.Grace is truly Amazing!

The separating cloud of sin has been removed and Grace establishes an open line of communion with God; Prayer.

THE SCOPE OF GRACE:

John 1:29 tells us that the Lamb of God takes away the sins of The World! The reason that

Jesus dreaded the Cross was not because of the pain He would have to bear, it was the Shame of having our sins put on Him. For the first time in eternity, God, The Father, turned from His Son due to our sins being on Him. The sins

of all people past, present and future were dumped on our Saviour while nailed to that Cross. That is a lot of Sin!

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JOHN 3:16

The miracle of John 3:16 continues. Who-so-ever believes in Jesus, will exchange his sins for His righteousness.

Our Heavenly Father no longer sees our sins but sees the

Righteousness of Jesus in us!Being eternally separated from our Loving

Heavenly Father is horrible but Hell is a place of terrific torment! No matter what poor choices anyone has made, Christ has paid for those sins by His sacrifice on the Cross.

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