Part one

I wanted to share something here that I haven’t done in the past, but I do have a department titled “Biblical“ in order to post stuff from a “biblical“ perspective, and that is where I believe truth does originate and grow from.

You may or may not know that I am a Christian, maybe not the purest or most knowledgeable, but I do have faith, and I do believe that, as Jesus said, we are to go and make disciples of all men. Some may believe this is where missionaries come in, but if we have love for our family, friends, and neighbors, then shouldn’t we share our core beliefs with others? We share great food recipes, great restaurants to eat at, great mechanics, HVAC companies, plumbers, doctors, dentists, etc. Why shouldn’t we share the “great news"? And by the way, great churches and great pastors.

This is not an ad for my church, but I do enjoy the church I attend, the fellowship, the people, and the pastor. His name is Jim Reese, and the church is Decided Church in Irmo, South Carolina.

All that to say, you are invited any Sunday if you are looking for a great church. If you are happy at your church, great. But this is more about his message from a previous Sunday, February 18th, 2024, in case you want to watch online. I believe it is there, but I am not sure. I am not very fluid with online tech stuff, iPhone or iPad, or anything like that.

I am not going to plagiarize his sermon, but parts of it I do want to talk about and add my two cents. Most people have seen John 3:16, whether in the Bible or watching an NFL game on TV. “For God so loved the world...” and most can repeat the rest. His sermon was on John 3:1–21. The before and the after of 3:16—that is what he spoke about, and this is what I want to talk about as well.

The before, John 3:3

Jesus says, “Truly, I tell you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.“. I believe this, but many don’t. Some have even said, “There is nothing in the Bible about being saved, about going to heaven, going to hell, etc. But there are plenty more scriptures besides this one.

I want to highlight this scripture because it answers something a friend and I were discussing not too long ago. Heaven and Hell: “No one goes to hell; we are all saved because God is love." Yes, he is love, and he did. Does “so loved the world refer to his creation? But... the rest of the story is “his son, Jesus, his crucifixion, and his resurrection, but that’s for later.

There are commercials on TV and at this year‘s Super Bowl about “Jesus, he gets us.“ Yes, he does, and I understand the whole story, not just the “so loved the world” part, but the other part about being “seeing the kingdom of God“ (heaven). And if there is a heaven, then a hell, as well. Yes, Jesus gets us; he is, after all, God in the flesh, born of a virgin, lived among us, was tempted, and gave up his life for us. Why, none of us should perish (die eternally without forgiveness of our sins, which are plentiful; even I am a Christian, not pure, not sinless, before or after my being “born again”).  Despite my disobedience, stubbornness, and even my non-understanding or misunderstanding of scripture, I, we, as Christians, still learn something new every time I, we open the Bible, attend church, study the Bible with friends, etc. It is a walk, a journey, and a lifelong process. But back to the scripture, John 3:3, “Unless someone is born again.”.

Part Two

Nicodemus could not understand this, and if you know a lot about Nicodemus, who he was, etc., it was confusing, even to him. Yet he came; he was searching for understanding, for truth. Even though he didn’t know it, he found “truth.“.

Have times changed over all these years? Well, yes, in a lot of ways, but no in many ways as well. One way it hasn’t changed is that man is still confused about being “born again” about heaven, hell, or “seeing the kingdom of God.“.

Many religious people of different faiths and denominations of the Christian faith still don’t understand being “born again,” having eternal life with God, or being separated from God.

Heretical faiths, gnostics still live today, believe Jesus is not the son of God, weren’t born virginally (but today a woman can be a virgin and have male sperm implanted and become pregnant, give birth, yet believe an all-powerful Creator God couldn’t do this), weren’t crucified for their sins, and weren’t resurrected (yet there are more and more cases of people dying and coming back to life, and they believe this or acknowledge that it is possible).

As Jesus responds to Nicodemus, in short, he asks, with all your knowledge, How come you don’t know these things? And then he answers his own question and replies; in short, you hear all this stuff, but you do not believe it. If I told you earthly things, things seen by others, facts that can be sought after and verified by others you know, what they saw or witnessed, you still wouldn’t accept them as “truths.“. Then how can I expect you to understand spiritual, heavenly realm things? You won’t.

It can be called denial, stubbornness, a hardened heart, or simply illogical. It doesn’t make sense. I can’t understand it, so I won’t “accept it."  What is missing is trust and stepping out in faith. I was that way once; I didn’t believe, didn’t want to, didn’t believe in heaven or hell, and didn’t even take the time to stop and figure it out. Nicodemus was at least searching, trying to understand something that went completely against his knowledge, his understanding of his faith, his God, and his teaching.

We do not know what happened to Nicodemus; did he die without knowing? But we do know from other scriptures about his actions and his devotion to Christ’s body. I personally believe he was the second individual to the other man on the other cross to know and accept who Jesus was saying he was. I do believe he is in heaven with Christ. Whether it came with a public profession, a cry of “God help me,"  “save me a sinner,” or a quiet time of reflection that ended with an “oh my God“ bingo moment, I do believe his sincere, earnest search for truth was answered by Jesus. The Bible teaches that God gives us the desires of our hearts, and if we ask honestly, without selfish ambition or agenda, he is there. He meets us where we are. Yes, “he gets us.”.

16 “For God so loved the world in this way: He gave us his one and only son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but may have eternal life.“.

Part Three

The After John 3:17–18

In short, in my translation, Jesus didn’t come into the world to condemn people, but to save people; we are condemned already. All are sinners, destined to hell because of sin. Yes, “Jesus gets us"; he forgives us if we ask, if we repent, if we acknowledge we are sinners. But if we don’t, we die in our sins and transgressions. That's in the Bible as well. Jesus accepts us as we are, where we are, and if we accept Jesus as who he says he is, as the Bible teaches he is and God says he is, then he says, “Your sins are forgiven “or “go and sin no more."  If not, then at judgment, we could hear, “Get away, I never knew you.“.

Yes, Jesus “gets us. “He gave his life for us, and if we “get him,"  accept him as savior, give our lives to him, and accept him as lord. Then one day, we can hear, “Today, I will see you in paradise.”.

Or John 3:19–21.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the light.

No one comes to the Father except through him.