Today’s Reading: John 3:18-36; 1 Peter 1:3-9
“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. 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 others can see that they are doing what God wants.” – John 3:18-21
WE HAVE A CHOICE: BELIEVE & WALK IN THE LIGHT OR CHOOSE UNBELIEF AND STAY IN THE DARK.
Day or night, light or dark, belief or unbelief. When we truly believe, we step into the light with a willingness to let our sins be exposed. Jesus meets us there, not to judge our sins but to save us from our sins and offer us eternal life – SPIRITUAL REBIRTH.
“…The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands. And anyone who BELIEVES in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.” – John 3:35-36
John the Baptist believed in Jesus and with that came an understanding of what it meant to be born again or born of the Spirit. John knew that the miraculous signs were more than just evidence that God was with Jesus – He knew that God had sent Jesus.
These are the words of John the Baptist regarding Jesus. His disciples had come to him concerned that everybody was going to Jesus to be baptized instead of coming to John and his disciples. John, who believed that Jesus was the Messiah, spoke with confidence of God’s plan.
“It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the best man is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else. He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few BELIEVE what he tells them! Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true. For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit…” – John 3:29-34
Still today we live in a society where many struggle to believe in God. We have a choice to make – to believe and allow God to transform our lives through spiritual rebirth OR to not believe and continue to focus on earthly things. When we have doubts, we can either focus on the struggle or focus on Jesus in the midst of the struggle. He holds the answers and can help us get through our struggle to believe; He can give us the faith we need.
GOD ALLOWS THIS STRUGGLE TO BELIEVE IN ORDER TO STRENGTHEN OUR FAITH.
The movie God’s Not Dead challenges people to either confirm that they BELIEVE in God or admit they have given up on the struggle and chosen unbelief. Debates on whether there really is a God can be heard across social media, college class discussions and coffee shop conversations. If someone told you to come to the front of the room and convince those around you of God’s existence, could you? Better yet, would you?
Pop culture and politics want us to believe that we are in the minority when we put our trust in an unseen God, but a 2022 Gallup poll shows that 81% of Americans believe in God. The media wants to shame us for our Christian beliefs and the entertainment community chooses to mock us, but when an NFL player collapses to the ground during a game, both players and fans respond quickly by going to prayer.
Let’s be ready to share why we BELIEVE what we BELIEVE. If you struggled with doubts but came out strong in your faith as a result of the struggle, it is necessary to now equip yourself for the conversations God is going to place before you. If you are still in the midst of the struggle to BELIEVE, trust someone with those doubts and find someone to talk to. Focus on Jesus in the midst of the doubts and allow Him to reveal Himself to you. Let Him give you a rebirth or new life experience that will help you to experience His presence and give you faith that God is most definitely not dead.
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.
So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. – 1 Peter 1:3-9