John 3:17-21 follows the most famous verse in scripture where Jesus makes it clear how we receive eternal life with God – receiving Him as Savior and Lord. Often people can get stuck on the reality of God’s justice and requirements. Jesus makes it clear that “God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was”. Jesus’ life, death and resurrection was not about pointing out our sin alone – although He certainly does make it clear that sin has to be dealt with.
Truth is, He came for a very specific reason. “He came to help, to put the world right again”. Sin puts us in a bad way with God. We are cut off, more or less, from God’s power and presence. We are separated by a chasm and Jesus came to bridge that and help get back into right standing with God so we can have assurance of the result – eternity with God. He makes it clear though that there are only two sides to the chasm – we are either with God through believing in Christ, or we are on the other side separated and unable to change that on our own.
Jesus says “Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it”. We can come up with all sorts of reasons why we don’t believe. But Jesus makes it clear that unbelief is merely a choice. It is refusal to receive Christ and trust in Him. And that decision, as simple and innocent as it may seem, has a very long outcome. It is like selecting a death sentence to be separated from God for eternity. So we need to ponder this deeply.
He goes on to explain it even more clearly. Why? “Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him”. God gives us a chance to know Christ. We choose not to. It’s all about the choices we make. “This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil….hates God-light and won’t come near it….anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light”. Do you live in the light? Have you embraced Jesus and chosen to believe and trust in Him? It is the most important decision you will ever make.
Arlin Sorensen's Thoughts on Scripture 