Pastor Rick Jackson
The heart of
Christmas is the Heart of God, the heart of God is the Bible. The heart of the
Bible is the New Testament. The heart of the New Testament is the Gospel of
John. The heart of the Gospel of John is the third chapter. The heart of the
third chapter of the Gospel of John is the 16th verse. So the heart
of Christmas and the heart of God is John 3:16. The human heart has four
chambers. Consider these four thought from the heart of the Bible – John 3:16.
I. “FOR GOD” There is obviously a lot you can say
about God. He is Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent, eternal, perfect and the
list could go on and on. Among other things - God is Holy- that is part of His
nature [He cannot deny Himself.] That means God can not allow sinful men to
come into His presence. God can not allow sinful men to go to Heaven. He can
not deny Himself. He cannot cease being Holy. But God is not just Holy… and
that brings us to the second chamber of this verse, the heart of the Bible and
it deals with the fact that God is loving…
II. “SO LOVED THE WORLD” That is very good news for sinful
creatures such as we are. God loves the world. That doesn’t mean the planet.
That doesn’t mean the trees and the rocks and the birds and the beasts. That
means us. That means mankind. That means men and women, boys and girls. That
means sinners. Now God is Holy so He hates our sin. But God is Love so He loves
the sinner, and we are all sinners, ever since Adam sinned in the Garden of
Eden. Adam was a real man, in a real garden, facing a real test which he really
failed and now every son or daughter born of man and woman is a real sinner.
God loves us poor sinners. But God is Holy, God hates sin, so God can NOT
overlook sin. Sin must be paid for. But God loves us. So He did the only thing
that could be done. And that brings us to the third chamber of this verse, the
heart of the Bible and it deals with the fact that God is so loving…
III. “THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN
SON” He gave Him
willing [God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us], Christ came willingly, Christ gave His life willingly
[Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his
friends.] God gave the ultimate sacrifice. God gave the first, best, most
expensive Christmas Gift that has ever been given or ever will be given. Christ
died, yea, rather, is risen again, but it will not do you a scintilla of good
unless you see the fourth chamber of this verse, the heart of the Bible and it
deals with the fact that YOU must accept the Gift of God’s Son, from God’s
heart or it is useless to you.
IV. “THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM
SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.” Listen, this great gift must be
accepted or it will not help you at all. Don’t try to add to it either [church
membership, baptism, good works] or you insult God and Christ. You are saying
He didn’t do enough. Don’t try to take away from it either and say it isn’t
necessary or there are other ways to Heaven. You say that and you are saying
God doesn’t know what He is doing, that He is wrong when He declares you are a
sinner and Christ is the only Saviour. No, the only way to honor God and be
saved is by receiving His Gift in humility and faith. And when you have
received it, the only way to honor God is to live for Him because you are His
child NOT to become His child.
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