Did Jesus Come to Condemn or to Save?

Tom:

We are going through the gospel of John with a particular emphasis on the gospel and certainly, the salvation we have in Christ.  Dave, we talked in our earlier segment about the incarnation.

Dave:

You may have confused somebody there.  We are going through the gospel of John with particular emphasis upon the gospel, not on John but on the gospel.  See, maybe some people don’t know what the gospel is.

Tom:

Well, let’s explain it to them.

Dave:

Go ahead, Tom.

Tom:

Okay.  The gospel of John is a book in the Bible, one of the four gospels.

Dave:

Right, and it explains the gospel of Christ.

Tom:

And the gospel of Christ is the only way we can have salvation.

Dave:

Okay, just for the benefit of some people that might be confused by that.

Tom:

No, that’s good.  My pastor—one of the things that I like that he does, when he asks people to check a Bible verse out with him and he names the book, he is very explicit on where that book is found and sometimes we just assume everybody knows right where to go and there are people out there that don’t.

Dave:

Very good.  Like 2nd Timothy is right after 1st Timothy and that really helps.

Tom:

Well, that helps me, but finding Timothy—that can be a problem.

Dave:

There you go.

Tom:

…especially if the people are not Bereans, which we encourage everyone to be.  Dave, going through the gospel of John, let’s pick up with John:3:17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
See All..., “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”  John:3:18He 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.
See All..., “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.”  Now, these are Jesus’ words, He is speaking them to Nicodemus but He is sounding very dogmatic, very narrow minded here, Dave.

Dave:

What Jesus is saying really relates to that question, that letter that was written in.

Tom:

Yeah, in our previous segment.

Dave:

He is saying he that believeth on Him is not condemned.  Now, is that good news?  I mean, the gospel means good news.  Is that good news? To whom is He saying this?  If I am dead in trespasses and sins and I can’t believe, then why is He telling me this?  And if I have been regenerated and I am already alive, what’s the point of telling me anyway, because I had nothing to do with it.  So, it seems like, God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son.  He sent His Son into the world, not to condemn the world—wow, He could have done that.  He goes on and says, verse 19, “this is the condemnation, light has come into the world and men love darkness rather than light.” So, the very coming of Christ—He condemns sin in the flesh because He lives a perfect sinless life.  But that wasn’t His goal was to condemn men but it was to save men.  That’s so gracious of God, not to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved.  Now it sounds to me like world means world, and this is everybody out there, and they all have the opportunity to hear the gospel.  Paul preached the gospel, he said,—Well Jesus is talking about believing, “he that believeth on him is not condemned.”  He says, “Faith comes by hearing the Word of God,” so as I hear the gospel and I believe the gospel, I am saved and to suggest that I can’t believe the gospel, that’s a hopeless situation.  But anyway Tom, it’s as you said it’s very clear.  He that believeth on Him is not condemned.

Tom:

Now Dave, this idea of condemnation—I know some people say well, why is it that I have to take the rap for something that supposedly two people way back when sinned and now I am under condemnation, how fair is that?

Dave:

You know exactly what the scripture says, “As by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin.  So death passed upon all men for all have sinned.”  So, whoever it is making that complaint, are they sinless?  They are not being compelled to sin because Adam and Eve sinned.  Yes, we are born dead to God, separated from God because of Adam and Eve’s sin, there is no doubt about that but you’re not compelled to sin, no one is compelled to sin, everyone is guilty by his own choice, but there is a condemnation. But if we would believe we are not condemned, we are forgiven because the penalty has been paid.  So, “he that believeth not is condemned already.”  What is the condemnation?  See, Tom, it’s one thing to realize that I am condemned to eternal separation from God because of my sin and that’s the just penalty and this is God’s Word, this is His Law, He can’t go back on it.  But it’s even worse for me to reject the pardon that God has offered.  That’s the worst sin that you could commit, is to reject the Son of God.  He paid the penalty, He suffered for our sins and then I am going to reject what He did in His love I am turning my back on His love, on His mercy, on His grace, on His compassion, His kindness and just out of stubbornness—Well, I think that’s too narrow minded and dogmatic—I’m not going to believe in Jesus because I think there are other ways, and I don’t think God should hold me accountable and so forth and so on.  I can’t fathom such stubbornness because Christ has paid the penalty; He offers forgiveness as a free gift.  Now, to reject that—wow!

Tom:

Dave, from our opening segment to this segment right here, one of the things that we haven’t really touched upon is accountability.  We talked about God pleading, all the things that God did, we are accountable.  All of these verses that we have just read here, we are accountable.

Dave:

Well yes, we are moral agents who are accountable to God for our lives, but people don’t want to be accountable to anybody.  We have a “do your own thing” generation now.  That’s why we have all of these—well, part of the reason why we have so many shootings at schools, the crime, the rebellion, the divorce.  I can remember when I was in high school I knew one child whose parents were divorced and it was the scandal of the whole—these are unsaved people now—and you look at where we are today and Christians have about the same percentage, about 50 percent.  So, it’s a world of self-centered people who want to do their own thing, who want to go their own way.  Well, Isaiah said that all we like sheep have turned astray, we have each one taken on his own way, we have turned to our own way.  But God laid on Him our sin.  Now, why not accept the penalty that Christ paid— Well, I don’t want to admit that I deserve death, I don’t want to admit that that’s right—I mean, that’s too hard, that’s too narrow minded—I’m not going to accept that.  Well then the Bible says, If you don’t believe and you do not accept the penalty Christ paid for you, then you are still under the condemnation of your own sin and the judgment of God, the wrath of God—Jesus—jumping ahead here, Tom.

Tom:

Before you jump ahead I just want to continue with accountability.  Another aspect of accountability is that these who are rejecting this will stand before God and they will be accountable for, not only what He has done but how they have rejected what He has done.  So, it really comes back to fairness.  People said—we started this off by saying well no, this just isn’t fair, I’m under condemnation for something that they did.  But when the gospel is presented and they reject it, the accountability, the fairness goes—I mean it is absolutely fair, it’s more than fair because of all that God has done for them but they rejected it.

Dave:

It’s very serious you make God a liar the scripture says.  You make God a liar.  God says the soul that sinneth it must die.  God says I have given my Son in the payment for your sins.  God says, I am offering you eternal life.  This is the only way, the only hope and you say, no.  God, you are a liar and I’m going to take my own way.  Tom, I can’t think of anything worse than to do that.