TOPIC: ENJOYING GOD’S SALVATION
Read: John 3:13-21
John 3:13-21 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
That everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
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.
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.
But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
MEMORISE:
How shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. (Hebrew 2:3).
EXPOSITION
Today commemorates Nigeria Independence Day and International Day of Older Persons. There have been different schools of thought concerning salvation. Some see it as deliverance from evil or terrible situation, while some believe it is God’s gracious act to save the sinner from damnation. Others see it as living in affluence, that he who has come to Christ shouldn’t suffer any lack.
They go to such extremes as seeing believers passing through difficult times as those who have offended God. In whatever way salvation is viewed, the fact remains that it is God-His prerogative, programme and provision. It is God’s power to save man’s dying soul, bringing him back to God. It is the divine programme to redeem and restore man to Paradise, earlier lost to sin.
God’s provision of salvation for man from eternity came into play the moment man fell in the garden. Salvation was not an afterthought; the fall of man never caught God unawares. The Lamb of God has been slain from time immemorial to make room for man’s deliverance from sin and hell (Rev. 5v6-10). Genesis 3v21 records how God symbolically made the coat of skins to cover man’s nakedness in replacement of man’s self-made provision (fig-leaves). You can guess for how long fig leaves can last before they would dry off while the nakedness they are to cover is exposed again.
God’s provision through His Son, the sacrificial Lamb who takes away the sin of the world (Jn.1v29), brings permanent and lasting solution to the problem of sin in man (cf.Matt.1v21). The condition is therefore that whosoever believes in God through Jesus Christ should not die but have everlasting life. This is how to enjoy God’s salvation. In fact, such a person has passed from death unto LIFE (Jn.5v24-29). Alleluyah.
PRAYER POINTS:
1. Lord, I thank You for saving me from sin and hell.
2. Lord, help me to know the importance of Your provision for my salvation in Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
3. Lord, help all believers to appropriate the provision which cost You your beloved Son, and not to take this for granted in any way.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Ecclesiastes 2:16 – 5:14, Galatians 4:20 – 5:10