“For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him. John 3:16-17 (NLT)
God sent His only Son to save me from the judgement that I deserve. His sacrifice was perfect and complete. My response is to believe He is who He says He is. By faith, I believe His love was so great that He made a way for me to have eternal life separate from sin.
My hope is in this eternal promise. I recognize that today, this life here on earth is not all there is. When troubles come, difficulties rise up, despair and hopelessness call out to me, uncertainty shakes me, it’s this gift of Jesus that makes hope alive in me.
I have hope today because of this great gift of love! It is by faith and not by sight, that I believe Jesus is real. It is His presence that holds me and stills my soul. I am so thankful for knowing the Truth today.
Thank you, Lord, for the gift of your Son, Jesus. I know I am a sinner who is in need of a Savior. I welcome you into my life and my heart. Thank you for forgiveness and for eternal life with You. Amen.
What is God speaking to you today in chapter 3 of John? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
“Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.””
John 3:3 ESV
https://www.bible.com/59/jhn.3.3.esv
This was one of the very first scriptures that had started my questions! What does it mean to be born again? Jesus goes on to explain it in John 3:5-6 “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.””
John 3:3 ESV
https://www.bible.com/59/jhn.3.3.esv
I pray my curiosity will continue to keep me seeking answers to the hard and important questions! I also pray to have a way to express the answer in a way that draws others closer to God and not further away!
Amen, me too!
“He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.”
John 3:30 NLT
I love the parallels in this chapter of two men “doing ministry” but how different their perspectives are based on their knowledge of who Jesus was. Nicodemus was so wrapped up in knowing the word as law and being important for it that he missed the promise but John kept his sight on God and was able to still affect change without needing the attention or praises of man. Lord help me to work in my calling like John the Baptist.
Amen.
“The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.””
John 3:8 NLT
https://www.bible.com/116/jhn.3.8.nlt
Faith- strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.
(This is google’s 2nd definition of faith)
How deep is your faith?
As humans we like to see evidence, proof. But, who needs faith if you have proof…Peter stepped out of that boat on faith, but his human brain took over & he sunk.
God has given us the ability to have really deep faith, it’s only when-we start to dissect the faith that we lose the ability to believe…like being born again! How can you explain this? Nicodemus couldn’t wrap his head around it.
Jesus talks a/b the wind…How you can hear it & see it’s effects, but you can’t actually see it. I just love His explanation!
Lord, I want deep faith! The kind that allows me to get out of the boat & walk on water, the kind that when You give me a dream, I can believe that no matter what…it WILL come true!!!
Amen, I long for this kind of faith and the ability to trust Him so completely!
John 3:30 He must become greater; I must become less.
This is such a great reminder to me everyday. As life happens it is easy to rely on ourselves to “fix” our daily struggles. However, God continually tells us to lay our burdens down. We have to allow Him to carry our yoke. It was never intended for us to maneuver through our time on earth alone. We must allow Him to be greater and ourselves to be less.
Such a great reminder!
“John answered, “No one can have anything unless God gives it to him.”
John 3:27 GNB
A reminder to be humble and in all things give thanks. I sinfully take pride in my accomplishments, but need to remember that all I have, and all I do comes from God. I need to make a concentrated effort for Him to become more and I become less. I can do all things through CHRIST, who gives me strength. I do NOT have this strength on my own.
Amen Kelly!
John 3:20-21 “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
I think about this verse often when I think about the events happening in our world and the strong push away from God by most of society. And I compare that to the actions of my own children when they’ve been caught doing something they know they shouldn’t. When we are stuck in our sin, we don’t want to hear that we are sinning. We lie and cover it up because we don’t want others to see it. But when we are doing the right thing, we don’t care who sees or knows.
Yes, so true.
John 3:16 God so Loved the World. Loved with an unconditional love, love by choice, an act of his own free will. That is a very strong Love. Help me to love with that kind of love that Jesus shows us. Sometimes, it is hard when people treat us unfairly or are not kind. But, Jesus shows that kind of love all the time. My prayer is that I show that same love also. Jesus help me to love as you have loved us. Thank you Jesus for your unconditional love.
Yes! That is what the world needs more of, His love! I second that prayer, that I too can love like He loves!
In THE MESSAGE, Jesus really lays out Nicodemus, a man from the Pharisee sect. He came late one night to talk with Jesus. He knew Jesus was a “teacher straight from God” He said if he wasn’t, he couldn’t do all the God-pointing acts if God weren’t in on it.” That was just the lead Jesus wanted to turn Nicodemus’ mind and world inside out!
Eugene Peterson gives Jesus’ explanation of being born of the Spirit the “plain as the hand before your face” speech. In fact, Jesus tells Nicodemus that “there is nothing secondhand here, no hearsay. Yet instead of facing the evidence and accepting it, you procrastinate with questions. ”
Wow! Is all I can say.
I believe Jesus wants us to take Him in the simple faith of a child, and follow where He leads. Knowing that His pure love is so great a LOVE, yet 🎼🎶🎵just in “simple faith to trust Him.”🎶🎵 oh for Grace to trust Him more. 🎼 This is one of my favorite passages.
Amen, to just trust Him!