John 3:16-18 (KJV)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 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.
The good news is, there is nothing we can do that is bad enough to keep us out of heaven. The bad news is, there is nothing we can do that is good enough to get us into heaven.
Bad News: My sin has separated me from God.
God is holy and we are sinful. A Holy God cannot tolerate sin. (Isaiah 59:2) Sin separates us relationally from God.
Bad News: If I die in my sin, I am condemned to hell.
In John 3:16, the word “perish” reminds us there is a place in creation called hell. It was a place prepared for the devil and his angels. It is a place of torment. (Luke 16:24) It is a place of darkness. (Matthew 25:30) Hell is also a place of eternal separation from God. (2 Thessalonians 1:9) So, hell is torment, darkness, and separation.
There are only two places in the universe where there is no hope. One is hell – because when you go to hell, you’ve lost hope. The other is heaven – because when you are in heaven, you don’t need hope anymore.
Good News: God doesn’t condemn me for my sin. He wants to forgive me.
We are all born with a condemned sign on our devastated life. When we trust Him, God removes that sign and rebuilds us into a more beautiful dwelling than before. We become a new creation!
Good News: On the cross, Jesus experienced hell for me.
Jesus isn’t only our example. He is our substitute! Hell is a place of torment, darkness and separation from God. What happened to Jesus on the cross. He suffered more physical agony than we can ever imagine. We often talk about someone experiencing excruciating pain. That English word “excruciating” comes from the Latin word meaning “cross.” He experienced the torment of hell so that we wouldn’t have to. Jesus who was co-equal and co-eternal with the Father, experienced a relational separation from God.
Good News: When I trust Jesus, He gives me real life!
Eternal life doesn’t begin when you die. It begins when you trust in Jesus. But eternal life isn’t just existing forever. It’s a quality of life you can have now. You can have real life right now.
The word “believe” means to trust. Faith is static, but trust is active. You can memorize the Bible, but you will take off for eternal life until you personally trust Jesus to forgive your sins and to give you eternal life.