April 16, 2012 · John 3:16–17

Lifted Up

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

“I don't know. I'm being honest. I go back and forth on that one. But here — that is kind of a main complaint against Christianity. And one of the things — that's starting to realize is that the condemnation doesn't come from that. And to be honest, most people on most islands far away that never heard the name Jesus are just people like us. And — I — probably call each other names, and fighting with their families, and doing all these little things that we all know are wrong. And so many — somehow, — in his phrase — God will provide. But what I see in the Scriptures is this idea that when you come face to face with Jesus — let me read a little bit further, just after this passage. It says in verse 20: "All who do evil hate the light, and refuse to go near it, for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light, so that others can see what they are doing — what God wants." And what I started realizing is, the one thing that God calls of all people is to respond to the amount of light they're — showing. So if you are in an island — you don't know anything else — God will show as much light as he can — see — and do you respond to that light?”