Gospel
God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
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.
Such a powerful and complete proclamation for all people.
But today let’s look closely so we might have eternal life.
For the Johns Gospel tells us all we have to do is believe. To believe is more than to confess that we believe he is real.
It is a calling to see the truth of Jesus Christ and ask what should we do about it? How should we live? How should we love?
If we believe in Jesus Christ.
Jesus himself gave us the answer in the two commandments he gave us.
Love God above all things. With all your strength and mind and soul. Place your very being at the service of God.
Love your neighbor as much or more than you love yourself.
This believing means we make mature intellectual choices and reorder our life …if we love God above all else.
If we are ready to love others.
We make choices of the heart. And ask for the faith and will to do his will.
We make real physical choices to control physical desires and selfish, self focused actions.
We become God focused and other focused in all things.
Then and only then, do we find what believing in Jesus means.
Then and only then do we believe in Jesus Christ. For believing means we choose God and have a relationship that exceeds all other things and people in our life.
“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”
Deacon Tony Pynes 
Leave a comment