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

Q1: Where do we get our ideas about heaven, hell, who goes where, or how you get there?

A1: The only way a finite being can know infinite Truth is if an infinite being tells him/her.

Q2: Is there any evidence that there's an Infinite Being, who can walk (act) and talk (communicate)?

A2: Just take a look at history: Truth is that which best explains ALL the facts, and is found at the convergence of:

Revelation (authenticated super-naturally), Reason (logically consistent and defensible); Reality (it works, across time and culture).

Q3. Are the OT/NT Scriptures a reliable, authenticated record of the Creator God’s Revelation?

A3. Yes, and you’d expect it to be that way if you think about it. A purposeful being with the power to create, would have the power to communicate, and preserve that communication so His intended audience could understand and rely on it.

Q4. So what does this Revelation reveal? A4. The most famous sentence in all of history is:  John 3:16

Jn 3:16 Pt 1- “God so loved the world…”  There are five parts to this verse:

The first line tells us that God loves people and wants a relationship with them. Ps 23:1 The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.

Problem 1: We don’t want a relationship with God.  We’d rather do life on our own. We seek to do our will rather than God's.

Until we get smart and realize that having an eternal purpose and meaning to life, as well as a relationship with the Creator of the universe, in which our needs are infinitely met, so we’re free to truly love others, might not be a bad thing.

Problem 2: We can’t have a relationship with God because of our sin: (rebellion, commission, omission, self-centeredness)

Romans 3:23 “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

Isaiah 59:2 Your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear

Problem 3: Sin incurs the death penalty which no amount of good deeds can ever pay off. Cf Heb 0:22  Rm 6:23 the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.     Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved thru faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works

Jn 3:16 Pt 2 - “…that He gave His only begotten Son”  Substitutionary Atonemen       Rm 5:8 God demonstrates His own love toward us,

Solution 1: Christ died for our sins so we don’t have to.    in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Benefit 1: Believers are “redeemed” and “justified” God bought you (out of the slave market) you’re His, and He considers your sins paid for

Rm 3:24 being justified freely by His grace thru the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, thru faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law

Jn 3:16 Pt 3 - “…that whoever believes in Him…”

Solution 2: You have to believe that God the Father accepts Jesus’ death as the full payment for your sin.

John 1:12 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:”

Benefit 2: Your sins are forgiven; so you don’t have to pay for them.

Ephesians 1:7 “In whom (Christ) we have redemption thru His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”

Jn 3:16 Pt 4 - “…should not perish…”   

Solution 3: Hear and Believe       Jn 5:24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me

Benefit 3: (count three?)                    has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

Jn 3:16 Pt 5 - “…but have everlasting life…”   1Jn 5:11 And this is the testimony:  that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. 14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

ABC's of receiving God's gift of salvation: 3 steps

1. Admit (confess/agree) that you are separated from God as a result of ignoring, rebelling, and sinning against Him and His will for us.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1John 1:9 epistle

2. Believe (trust/rely) that God accepts Jesus' death as payment for your sin, and offers to give you a clean slate and relationship with Him

"God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

3. Claim (accept/receive) the destiny God offers you by inviting Jesus Christ to be your Savior and Lord

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name" John 1:12

Prayer

Almighty God and Father of life, I praise you for being the God who is merciful, just, and loving. Like an ungrateful child, I have rebelled and disobeyed you and your infinitely wise plan for my life, resulting in harm to myself and others. I believe that Jesus died for my sins, so I don't have to. Forgive me on the basis of my acceptance of Christ's death as payment for my sins, according to your revealed Grace. Please cleanse and change my heart and life so that I may live a life pleasing to you, as I follow my new Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. May I henceforth live as your servant, giving you the glory you so richly deserve. Amen.

"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17-18

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove (demonstrate in your experience) what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:1-2. cf Titus 3:5