John Chapter 3 Verses 18 – 21

 Ok, I know that was a lot but you have to take these statements of

Jesus, these concepts, these verses, almost as one complete thought for

us to see the big picture of what was said. There are tons of little

pictures in here that are clearly laid out as well, and I don’t want to

just miss them, so we’ll hit those first.

 Very clear here. Condemnation, which is a word in the Greek meaning

destined for ultimate destruction, it is a hell sentence, condemnation

comes through the rejection of Jesus Christ. And the restraining force

that keeps someone from receiving Jesus Christ is their love for evil.

 It’s clear here and its true but I just know people (most people) would

vehemently reject this statement! For example, not serving someone in

your life. Living for you in the relationship rather than living for them.

That is entirely opposite of the character of God and therefore evil. So,

someone says of someone they don’t particularly care for, “Well, I’m

not being mean to them!” Yes, true, and you’re not praying for them

either. Serving them either. You, are loving evil! Tell that to a self-

righteous critically natured seasoned Christian! HA! If you do, brace

for impact!

 Reject it all you want. Proverbs 8:13 says, “The fear of the Lord is to

hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way…” It’s awfully hard

to be critical of someone when you’re washing their feet. So, the

source of rejection of Jesus Christ, is just plain refusing to

acknowledge what is evil in the eyes of God as evil in your eyes!

That’s major right there and a deeper doctrine than any that are taught

in Bible Colleges or Seminaries. Learn that one and you learn

everything…

 But, that one’s ridiculously hard to learn because of the last thing Jesus

says clearly in this verse set… That if you learn that, you have to come

clean about it with yourself and with others. You have to own your

own evil rather than living like most and expecting only everyone else

to… Own their own evil AND yours!

 Arms-length Christianity is not only safe for our flesh, it’s quite

comfortable. We get all the titles, t-shirts and tattoos, stickers on our

cars and slogans on our social media pages, but when it comes to

actually surrendering your heart to God to be more like Him, “Oh,

yea, I’ve definitely done that,” when one moment in the light, actually

being honest, like Wonder Woman’s rope around you honest, you’ve

definitely not done that…

 Heaven bound perhaps… I’m not judging that. We serve a merciful,

endlessly merciful, God, but missing out on so so much of what God

has for you and for me and anyone who will lay their life down and

take up the cross… It’s so much better to let your deeds be exposed in

the light and dealt with… It’s like breaking chains…

 Ok, that was the surface level stuff. Here’s the forest and not just the

trees. This concept presented by Jesus is one concept and it is critical

to understand. Condemnation is destruction. It destroys. To condemn

is to pronounce worthlessness. Danger. A state of waste awaiting

destruction.

 And Jesus says that ultimate condemnation comes through the

rejection of the name of Jesus. To reject the one single provided and

ultimately only possible way for sin to be completely dealt with such

that presence with a perfect and holy God is possible.

 AND, Jesus links this condemnation and rejection to evil deeds. Not

that doing evil deeds is the condemnation but that walking in the flesh,

and this is mind-blowing, creates and coddles a love for darkness that

keeps you from the light. Puts you to sleep to actually what is evil in

the eyes of God…, and you can’t go to THAT light! Then things

would be found out, exposed… And that is what ultimately destroys.

 Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. I

have free will and at anytime, even being saved and filled with the

Holy Spirit having already taken hold of and inherited eternal life, I

can choose to reject the will and ways of God… I can still not only sin

but also transgress. Totally within my free will even as a born-again

Christian…

 And yes, the love of God in me and my relationship with Jesus

compels and restrains me, but that alone, my flesh can yet be a

formidable factor! So, know this, it is when I walk in evil deeds,

which is anything outside of the character of God, take it all the way

there…, when I walk, live and act in the flesh, I am feeding a love for

evil, strengthening a love, a bent, a lean towards evil in my own

heart…

 Jesus called it “practicing evil.” Practice makes perfect, ever heard

that? Of course that is incorrect, practice makes progress! Practicing

evil is practicing condemnation, destruction, waste, loss… But some

get so good it that they stop seeing it… So, the revelation, the

understanding here to walk away and practically receive and apply

what Jesus is helping me with… Choose the flesh and practice my

own condemnation.

 Walk in the flesh and every step makes it more difficult to step back…

And risk ending up being stuck in mainstream Christianity where your

heart is so far from the heart of God’s such that you don’t inherit

everlasting life that God has secured for you in any way until your life

is over… And a life lived like that, man, I hope someone can receive

this and not just be offended, a life lived like that is a life totally

wasted…

John Chapter 3 Verses 22 – 27

 The enemy runs his tried-and-true trick play called division. How can

I, what can I use to turn them against each other!? The Jews were

disputing with John’s disciples about purification. We don’t know

what about purification but we do know that the Jews, most likely

Pharisees, were being resisted and rejected by John’s disciples. That’s

why there was a “dispute.” So, watch out for this, happens all the

time, if someone doesn’t gain your agreement with their argument,

next up, many times they will just try to undermine you… Whether

they or wrong or whether they are right. This is why Abraham Lincoln

said, “Do I not defeat my enemy when I make him my friend?”

 This stir about people going to Jesus is a distraction. What does that

have to do with the ministry of John? Let alone that is the goal

anyway…, to get people to Jesus, but even if it wasn’t, has nothing at

all to do with John. His response is perfect. I will focus on what God

has directed for me…

John Chapter 3 Verses 28 – 29

 The bridegroom’s job is to focus on the bride. The friend of the

bridegroom’s job is to enable that focus. Deliver the rings. Deliver the

speech. Share in the joy. But the friend of the bridegroom isn’t there

for the bride, he’s there for the bridegroom and that is his only focus.

That’s why he’s called the best man…

 It’s like when there is someone on stage. The room is dark, the people

are waiting, watching, and then the curtain pulls back and the main

character stands there on stage. Right there, ready to go… under the

spotlight. The show goes on and the people are swept in their interest

of the character… And after the show they applaud and congratulate…

And the spotlight operator watches…

 No one ever brings the spotlight operator to the stage for flowers and

applause… And yet without that spotlight operator, no one would have

even seen the main character. That is ministry. We are not the source

of the light; we are only operators of it. And the job is to put the

spotlight on Jesus so that people can see Him.

 Is the job important? Absolutely. Essential? Totally. But know when

you sign up for it, this is the job… Step in front of the spotlight and

you block people’s vision of the main character. The reward is the joy

of the people, the joy of the show… And the fact that the Man on

stage knows you and somehow its better when no one else does…

Memorize this perfect response of John…

John Chapter 3 Verse 30

 On the surface and how this is translated, this is outstanding. John

making the statement that in his life, in his ministry, he’s figured this

out, that if Jesus and the work of heaven increases, everything will

increase. All things get better. All ships rise with the tide… And so as

the things of Jesus increase, it’s great for him and everyone else.

 And he realizes that Jesus doesn’t increase, the work of heaven doesn’t

increase, without the work of the flesh decreasing. We’ve got 100%.

That’s all we have all the time. People say, “I give 110%...!” Don’t

trust those people, HA! I understand the sentiment but that statement

is categorically false! HA!

 If I want to give 100% of moment to the Spirit and I’m currently

giving 75%, I must overtake that final 25%. Something must decrease

in order for the work of the Spirit to increase. Just a simple, probably

not perfect, principal.

 Interesting how it works though, or doesn’t work. If you simply stop

doing something of the flesh, you leave a vacuum that needs to be

quickly filled with things of the Spirit. People set goals to stop bad

habits without setting a corresponding goal for something to take its

place. Makes it very difficult….

 The Greek transliteration is equally as profitable. What John says here

can be translated, if people stay focused on me, they will decrease.

The word in the great speaks of dignity, character, personal strength,

wisdom… It’s like John is looking at himself and then looking at Jesus

and saying, I will decrease them… Jesus will increase them… I want

them with Him!

John Chapter 3 Verse 31

 There are some amazing people, pastors, speakers and role models out

there… And we appreciate and admire them. AND, they are all less

and far below the One that is above all! If you think highly of

someone in the faith, let that lead you to look further into Jesus!

John Chapter 3 Verses 32 – 36

 This is the presentation of the essential doctrine that Jesus is who He

said He was. God in Person, One with the Father, the only begotten of

heaven, the only Way that sin can be forgiven, the only way anyone

gets to heaven. John’s clarity is brilliant. If you receive what He has

said, then you have received Him. If you do not, then you have not

received the Son and you are still in your sin.

 This is why understanding, accepting, which means believing that

Jesus is the Son of God, God Himself, is essential for salvation. If you

have been taught and have accepted anything else about who Jesus is,

then you are in danger of the penalty of sin…

 But back to the middle of this chapter, anyone, anywhere, anytime,

any circumstance and for any reason…, whosoever would accept Jesus

as He has presented Himself to be, shall not perish but have

everlasting life!