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Wednesday, February 27, 2008

For God so loved the World (the answer to God's Wrath)

How do we escape the wrath of God?

John 3: 16-21 "For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever beleiveth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

He that believeth on Him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds be reproved. (exposed).

But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought of God.

In these verses we see that Jesus Christ came to save the world, but that those who will not believe are not saved, but condemned, by their own refusal to give up their evil deeds and come to the light.

The word world in these verses comes from the Greek word that we have transliterated into the English word Cosmos, and denotes all of the material world, and by reduction, all of the worlds inhabitants.

So, as I stated in my last post, Christ came for all, but not all have received, and that as verse 18 of John 3 states, He who believes not is already condemned. Since the fall of man through Adam as the Federal Head of mankind, all born are stained in their flesh with the stain of sin.

What about newborns and children too young to understand the Gospel?

God is a Merciful God, not just a Vengeful God. I trust his mercy applies to not only the children of undeveloped understanding, but to adults who have the mental capacity of a child with no comprehension. In the book of Samuel, 2nd Samuel 12: 15-23 we find the account of how the first child that King David had with Bathsheba, became very ill and David would not eat, and lay all night upon the ground (or floor).

On the seventh day of the child's illness, he died. The servants and ministers of the household of the King expected David to be in mourning and great grief upon the death of his child, but were confuse when he rose up, washed, anointed his head with oil, and changed clothes. Further, he ordered the table to be set for him to eat. When the servants asked him about this, King David said: "While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, where fore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

David believed without any doubt that he would see his son when he himself would pass from this life and go to be with the Lord. He knew the promises of God concerning the coming Messiah, and like Abraham, his faith was counted unto him as righteousness. That righteousness is the righteousness of Christ, which by Faith, we receive, and wear as a garment which covers our sins. More on this subject of righteousness that comes by faith, later.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.


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