John 3:36 – Believe or Reject

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” –  John 3:36

Most people, whether they believe in God or not, will acknowledge that human beings have a moral law that crosses time and culture. A moral law that we know when we violate. As Christians, we know that this moral law was written on our hearts and is used by God to help us see how much we need Him. Our knowledge of when we violate this law makes us well aware that we are not perfect. We were not perfect before we were saved, we are not perfect after we have been saved, and we will not be perfect until we are made perfect upon our entrance into Heaven with God. But for many, the truth that God’s wrath is real and that those who “reject the Son,” will be subject to God’s wrath leads them to question, “how can a loving God punish ‘good’ people?”

Most people, whether they believe in God or not, long for the evil in this world to be addressed. We long for wrongs to be righted, evil to be punished, and justice to be served. This longing is part of the same moral law written on our hearts. That there are consequences. That all will answer for what they have done in their time on earth. Fortunately for us, God promises to do just that, but He promises to do it on His timeframe. This delay in justice being served can cause a person to question, “how can a good God allow such bad things to happen?”

Verses like John 3:36 do not leave room for a shallow or lukewarm understanding of God that refuses to acknowledge the fact that we are fallen, imperfect, and deserving of the consequences we have earned over the course of our lives. Simply put, there is no purely “good person.” If we honestly reflect on our own actions, thoughts, and motivations we will all see imperfection, and plenty of things we wish we could undo. Recognizing our need for a Savior by growing conscious of our sins is a precious gift from God, compelling us to turn to Him.

Verses like John 3:36 should leave us comforted in knowing that it is not our merit that will save us, but it is the merit of our Savior and our belief in Him that saves. When we consider God’s timeframe in addressing the evil of this world, we should consider His patience with us, and we should find relief in knowing that justice will be served and it is the all-powerful, all-knowing, and perfectly just Judge who will serve it.

Our salvation through belief in Jesus should leave us eager and willing to spread the word about Jesus so that others might experience the relief that comes from knowing Him and be spared from condemnation and wrath.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for coming to save us. Thank you for your patience with us and for making us aware of our sins that we might turn to you and cling to you. Help us to be confident and bold in spreading Your Good News, that others might come to know your love, grace, and forgiveness.