AMEN!! Merry Christmas btw, I have to get back to decorating before Reconcilliation tonight!
John 3 16 Lovely, isn’t it?
John
Chapter 3
1
1 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2
2
He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.”
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Jesus answered and said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born 3 from above.”
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Nicodemus said to him, “How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?”
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Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.
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What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit.
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Do not be amazed that I told you, ‘You must be born from above.’
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The wind 4 blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
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Nicodemus answered and said to him, “How can this happen?”
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Jesus answered and said to him, “You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this?
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Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony.
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If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
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No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
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And just as Moses lifted up 5 the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
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6 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
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For God so loved the world that he gave 7 his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.
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For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn 8 the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
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Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
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9 And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil.
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For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed.
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But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.
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10 After this, Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea, where he spent some time with them baptizing.
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John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim, 11 because there was an abundance of water there, and people came to be baptized,
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12 for John had not yet been imprisoned.
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Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew 13 about ceremonial washings.
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So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him.”
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John answered and said, “No one can receive anything except what has been given him from heaven.
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You yourselves can testify that I said (that) I am not the Messiah, but that I was sent before him.
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The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man, 14 who stands and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete.
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He must increase; I must decrease.”
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15 The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things. But the one who comes from heaven (is above all).
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He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony.
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Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy.
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For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift 16 of the Spirit.
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The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him.
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Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.
Continued:
BUT, Paul gives some caveats to our acceptance of the Salvic Gift of our Lord. It has nothing to do with our Lord, and everything to do with the human heart:
(Jeremiah expressed it, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt; who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9).)
Jesus told us, there are those who “believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away” (Luke 8:13).
Paul:
1 Cor 4:3-5
Quote:
3 But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself.
4 For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord.
5 Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness
and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.
because you might have saved some from fear and trembling:
2Philippians 2:12
Quote:
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence,
work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
when Paul led some into thinking that their salvation was not assured:
Heb 10:26-27
Quote:
26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
obviously given to the overt spiritual hubris Paul saw:
Matt 24:13
Quote:
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Paul obviously was concerned his body would betray him in his desire to live in Christ:
1 Cor 9:27
Quote:
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should
be a castaway.
Paul realizes that he could disqualify himself from the offer of salvation that he has accepted:
1 Cor 10:12-13
Quote:
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able;
but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
He even seems to teach that those who have become partakers of the Holy Spirit can be lost:
Heb 6:4-6
Quote:
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
p.s. a few more verses that might draw your attention:
cf: (Matt. 24:13; cf. 25:31–46)
Rom. 11:17-24
“See then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness;
otherwise you too will be cut off” (Rom. 11:22; see also Heb. 10:26–29, 2 Pet. 2:20–21).
‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord” shall enter the kingdom of heaven’ (Matt. 7:21).”
Concerning his remaining life, Paul was frank in admitting that even he could fall away: “I pummel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others
I myself should be disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:27).