3 Days of Christmas - Not Perish - Bijou Planks 357/365
At the Grotto in Turtle Crossing Park in Paprihaven, it is the annual Christmas in the Park! Pastor Charles Calvin is preaching about the greatest gift of all, seen in John 3:16.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
So, beloved, we have seen the love of God expressed in His supreme sacrifice to save His enemies, this free gift of salvation received through belief in the Savior Himself, the Lord, Christ Jesus.
What does this mean for us? It means everything. What is this life but, as the Scripture says, a vapor? However old you are today, my friend, it doesn't seem like it took you very long to get there, does it? Yesterday you were born, today you are, and tomorrow you rattle out your last breath and step into eternity.
It is this eternity that our verse now warns us of. A never ending existence. Now that God has created you, you will never cease to exist. And that, dear soul, is either the best possible news or the very worst, all dependent on your relationship to Christ Jesus.
Our verse tells us, "that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." Death, or life. 'For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.'*
Let us consider death first. Let us consider the bad news so that we might better appreciate the good news. We see the word, 'perish'.
It means to be cut off, completely, with finality. We are born into sin, alienated from God in our wickedness. But God Himself provides the way of salvation. He so loves the world that He gives His only Son. The Son, in that same infinite love, willingly comes to pay our price, to do the work for us.
For us, there is only to repent and believe. If we do not, we perish. That is, our alienation from God becomes final and absolute. While here, in a lost state apart from God, He still gives us His kindness. Does our Lord Himself not say that He causes the sun to shine on the just and the unjust.**
Ah, friends, this is the most hated doctrine of the Bible. That we are evil, and deserving of His wrath.
We try to convince ourselves that we are good but our self-righteousnesses are filthy rags to the perfect God of all glory, who is light and in Him is no darkness at all.*** We, in contrast are darkness, with no light in us at all.****
Do you see the gap between us and God? Do you see why it is He who must bridge it? And so He does with the work of the Lord Jesus.
If you have not yet done so, I want you to see the urgency of this repentance and belief. For, when our verse reads perish it is speaking of that terrible finality.
Here, though you live against Him, you still experience His grace, His mercy, His kindness. To perish means all of that will be gone. All that will be left for you is His wrath. An eternity of His wrath with never another relief of His mercy.
Consider that friends. Though horrible to think on, it is what is coming. To think on this and come to fear God is the beginning of wisdom. *****
God warns us that 'The wages of sin is death.' Wages, dear soul. It is an accruing wrath. The longer you life without Christ, the more sin is thrown to your account and to die in that state... well, the longer you live without Him, the worse your judgment will be.
Is this hard to hear for some of you? Understand, I would show a sin towards God and a lack of love towards you if I did not warn you just as our verse does.
To perish in our sin is to enter eternity in a state of suffering that is beyond our imaging. And this is just. It is what we deserve for our transgressions against this perfect God.
But God is not only just, He is also merciful! He is gracious! That is what I want you to see!
'For the wages of sin is death Yes, that terrible truth is what we have just seen. But that points us to the rescue! but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
•───────────︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵────────────•
A year of the shows and performers of the Bijou Planks Theater.
* Romans 6:23
** Matthew 5:45
*** 1 John 1:5
**** Romans 3:10-12
***** Proverbs 9:10
Previous Days of Christmas in Paprihaven!
2015:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/23840383982/
2016:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/31040290854/
2017:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/39290040911/
2018:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/44620395470/
2019:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/49264205896/
2020:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/50751589267/
2021:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/51770378719
2023:
3 Days of Christmas - Not Perish - Bijou Planks 357/365
At the Grotto in Turtle Crossing Park in Paprihaven, it is the annual Christmas in the Park! Pastor Charles Calvin is preaching about the greatest gift of all, seen in John 3:16.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
So, beloved, we have seen the love of God expressed in His supreme sacrifice to save His enemies, this free gift of salvation received through belief in the Savior Himself, the Lord, Christ Jesus.
What does this mean for us? It means everything. What is this life but, as the Scripture says, a vapor? However old you are today, my friend, it doesn't seem like it took you very long to get there, does it? Yesterday you were born, today you are, and tomorrow you rattle out your last breath and step into eternity.
It is this eternity that our verse now warns us of. A never ending existence. Now that God has created you, you will never cease to exist. And that, dear soul, is either the best possible news or the very worst, all dependent on your relationship to Christ Jesus.
Our verse tells us, "that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." Death, or life. 'For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.'*
Let us consider death first. Let us consider the bad news so that we might better appreciate the good news. We see the word, 'perish'.
It means to be cut off, completely, with finality. We are born into sin, alienated from God in our wickedness. But God Himself provides the way of salvation. He so loves the world that He gives His only Son. The Son, in that same infinite love, willingly comes to pay our price, to do the work for us.
For us, there is only to repent and believe. If we do not, we perish. That is, our alienation from God becomes final and absolute. While here, in a lost state apart from God, He still gives us His kindness. Does our Lord Himself not say that He causes the sun to shine on the just and the unjust.**
Ah, friends, this is the most hated doctrine of the Bible. That we are evil, and deserving of His wrath.
We try to convince ourselves that we are good but our self-righteousnesses are filthy rags to the perfect God of all glory, who is light and in Him is no darkness at all.*** We, in contrast are darkness, with no light in us at all.****
Do you see the gap between us and God? Do you see why it is He who must bridge it? And so He does with the work of the Lord Jesus.
If you have not yet done so, I want you to see the urgency of this repentance and belief. For, when our verse reads perish it is speaking of that terrible finality.
Here, though you live against Him, you still experience His grace, His mercy, His kindness. To perish means all of that will be gone. All that will be left for you is His wrath. An eternity of His wrath with never another relief of His mercy.
Consider that friends. Though horrible to think on, it is what is coming. To think on this and come to fear God is the beginning of wisdom. *****
God warns us that 'The wages of sin is death.' Wages, dear soul. It is an accruing wrath. The longer you life without Christ, the more sin is thrown to your account and to die in that state... well, the longer you live without Him, the worse your judgment will be.
Is this hard to hear for some of you? Understand, I would show a sin towards God and a lack of love towards you if I did not warn you just as our verse does.
To perish in our sin is to enter eternity in a state of suffering that is beyond our imaging. And this is just. It is what we deserve for our transgressions against this perfect God.
But God is not only just, He is also merciful! He is gracious! That is what I want you to see!
'For the wages of sin is death Yes, that terrible truth is what we have just seen. But that points us to the rescue! but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
•───────────︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵────────────•
A year of the shows and performers of the Bijou Planks Theater.
* Romans 6:23
** Matthew 5:45
*** 1 John 1:5
**** Romans 3:10-12
***** Proverbs 9:10
Previous Days of Christmas in Paprihaven!
2015:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/23840383982/
2016:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/31040290854/
2017:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/39290040911/
2018:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/44620395470/
2019:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/49264205896/
2020:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/50751589267/
2021:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/51770378719
2023: