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This verse was really on my mind this morning!! So much I needed to re-read it! I knew that there was a treasure there that I needed to find! So, this is what I found! I pray, it blesses you as much as it blessed me. Gave me an entirely new perspective on one of the most quoted verses in Christianity!

John 3:16-21 HSCB

For God so loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God. 19 “This, then, is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. 21 But anyone who lives by the truth comes to light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”

What a beautiful love and promise we have in believing upon the name of Jesus Christ. I would like to start off by stating that in this verse we do see the genuine love of our God! God’s motivation for people is love. God’s love is not limited to a few or one group of individuals, but His gift is for the whole world. I would like to go over verse 16. We all know so very well. I was focused on another translation that used sent instead of gave and I just was not satisfied with the word sent. We are aware it was more than sent! So, I concentrated on another version. I came upon gave so, I looked up gave in the Greek Lexical Aid also in the Strong’s Concordance, and this is what I found reference number #1325 in Strong’s edoken (he gave) which led me to dídōmi the transliteration of edoken. The Definition which I read several times because a lot of words stood out to me. Here is the Strong’s Definition dídōmi

A prolonged form of a primary verb (which is used as an alternate in most of the tenses); to give (used in a very wide application, properly or by implication, literally or figuratively; greatly modified by the connection): – adventure, bestow, bring forth, commit, deliver (up), give, grant, hinder, make, minister, number, offer, have power, put, receive, set, shew, smite (+ with the hand), strike (+ with the palm of the hand), suffer, take, utter, yield.

So in Strong’s it also gives you equivalent Hebrew words and there were a lot, but I just read yârad

Strong’s Definition of yârad

A primitive root; to descend (literally to go downwards; or conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary, the enemy, etc.; or figuratively to fall); causatively to bring down (in all the above applications): – X abundantly, bring down, carry down, cast down, (cause to) come (-ing) down, fall (down), get down, go (-ing) down (-ward), hang down, X indeed, let down, light (down), put down (off), (cause to, let) run down, sink, subdue, take down

I also want to share with you the Brown-Drivers-Brigg’s Definition
to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down

(Qal)
to go or come down
to sink
to be prostrated
to come down (to revelation)
(Hiphil)
to bring down
to send down
to take down
to lay prostrate
to let down
(Hophal)
to be brought down
to be taken down

Amazing! When you think about what God did to save us; I heard a story on the radio yesterday it was a talk show about witnessing might have even been a podcast I turned on. The man that was speaking was giving a testimony about being a young Christian. Not knowing every scripture God still enabling him through the Holy Spirit.

So the story goes there was a store that he went to every day. The clerk and this man started talking to one another. One thing leads to another, and he decided to start witnessing to the clerk. The clerk responded:

“I mean if I knew I was going to be resurrected in three days, I would willingly die! I mean how is that doing anything for us!”

The young Christian man was perplexed and bothered by the clerk’s response. He hung his head and left the store puzzled at where he went wrong. The next day the young Christian went back to the store as usual and noticed a sign in the window saying: LIVE BAIT SOLD INSIDE!

The young Christian walked in and approached the clerk again started a conversation and asked to buy some live bait. The clerk walked over to the live bait picked up a tub of earthworms. The young Christian man opened the lid and looked at the worms and said to the clerk:

“You see these worms?” “What if these worms were diseased and dying? Would you become a worm and crawl around with them? What if your coming would save them from illness and death?”

The clerk responded:

“NOOO, Why would I ever want to be a worm! There a dime a dozen; just throw them out and replace them!”

The young Christian replied:

” Well that is what Christ did when He descended from heaven to dwell with us in complete human flesh upon earth; Jesus willingly died upon the cross and in doing so took upon all  disease, curses, condemnation (sin) and defeated it for you and I. Making a way to heaven for every person who will believe.Not only that ,but also that Jesus came so that nothing could ever come and infect us again once we believe through Jesus’ Spirit. Which is the Holy Spirit of God and the only way the Holy Spirit could come is if Jesus arose and ascended in heaven seated at the right hand side of the Father! “

The clerk gazed at the young man leaving him speechless. Think about it for a moment would you be willing to do that?

No matter who or what you are; in the eyes of God. You are the reason He was given you are priceless. That you would never have to endure the punishment of hell which is eternal separation from The Creator. God did not create Hell to send you there; He created Hell for Satan and his evil angels that followed Satan in rebellion against God. Hell was never meant for you or me!  It was set up for Satan’s rebellion. God had to protect us against the evil one. God’s plan of redemption was always through the blood of Jesus Christ; His one and only son. Jesus is the only way to be restored in fact; it is a choice we make to believe or not to believe. I pray that you believe, because even if you don’t know that Jesus is fighting for your attention and will continually pursue you! Read the verses I placed up top the entirety of John 3:16-21 it is truly a treasure in the Holy Bible! Cry out to Jesus. He will come running with arms opened wide! He loves you beyond measure! If you have read this and wanted to know  Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, it is simple all you have to do is say….

 

” Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God, fully God and fully man at the same time. I believe you took on the sin of the world and my sin to have me. I am a sinner Lord, and I need your given sacrifice Jesus Christ to forgive my sin and to turn me away from my rebellion against God; I believe on the third day you arose from the grave declaring victory! I give you my life and heart always. I ask that you would come and live within me, Lord. In Jesus mighty name Amen!”

 

If you said a prayer like that would you let me or someone know, the Bible says that the angels of God are rejoicing as a soul submits to the Holy Spirit pursuit of salvation

Luke 15:10 10In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”

I pray if you did say that prayer that you would find a local church that believes in the Bible. I pray that Jesus would guide and lead you right where you need to be. I also would love to send you a Bible! It would be my honor to serve you and pray with and for you! Also if you are a believer in Christ and you feel led to share this with someone that may not know Christ, I would be grateful and thankful that you are helping spread the love and grace of Jesus Christ.