John 3:16, 2of7

~ The Gospel in a Nutshell ~

The person who first noticed the following acrostic is unknown to me.

G  ~  for God so loved the world,

O  ~  that He gave His Only begotten

S  ~  Son, that whosoever believeth

P  ~  in Him should not Perish

E  ~  but have Everlasting

L  ~  Life.

~~~~~~~~~  

This well-known verse contains a summary of the entire Bible. It contains the entire Gospel—the Good News! The good news is that salvation of mankind has been provided at the Cross of Calvary. Because of the Cross all who trust in the substitutionary death (Christ’s death to pay the penalty of our sin which is our death) are redeemed (bought back). We were created by our Creator. Sin entered and separated us from our rightful owner. Our owner/Creator bought us back / redeemed us.

Consider what is presented in just 25 words.

The Target of Redemption  ~  All who truly believe / trust Jesus Christ.

The Source of Our Redemption  ~  God’s love!

The Cost of Our Redemption  ~  God’s Son.

The Process of Our Redemption  ~  The sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

The Acceptance of Our Redemption  ~  Belief in Jesus Christ and His atoning work on our behalf.

The Result of Our Redemption  ~  Escape eternal punishment and gain eternal life with Jesus Christ.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is that…

God’s Only Son Perished that you might have Eternal Life!

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

John 3:16, 1of7

~ Good News—Bad News ~

the good news:  Every year around the world millions of people celebrate Easter.

the bad news:  Millions of these same people do not fully understand who the risen Christ is and the impact of His bodily resurrection.

the good news:  Many who celebrate Easter wear new clothing.

the bad news:  Many who wear new clothing at Easter do not realize the symbolism of their new appearance in God’s eyes—If they are Christians they are viewed by God as wearing a robe of Christ’s righteousness. “Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by Him. I didn't want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God's righteousness. I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience His resurrection power, be a partner in His suffering, and go all the way with Him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it” (Philippians 3:8-11, The Message, emphasis added). 

the good news:  After His resurrection Jesus Christ was seen by many individuals on many occasions.  On one such occasion over 500 eyewitnesses saw Him at once (1 Corinthians 15:6).

the bad news:  Many still do not understand that the historical reality of Jesus Christ and His resurrection has more historical proof than any other event in or near the same time period.

the good news:  In “Christian” countries John 3:16 is the best known single verse in the Bible.

the bad news:  The message of John 3:16 has been fully appreciated by only a small fraction of those who can quote the verse.

the good news:  John 3:16 presents the Gospel of Jesus Christ—which has direct relevance to your life today.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is that…

God’s Only Son Perished that you might have Eternal Life!

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

Messiah, 84

~ Messiah Would Suffer for the Sins of Others ~

“Search the Scriptures—they testify of Me.”

— Jesus Christ (John 5:39)

The Scripture

“Those who hate Me without a cause are more than the hairs of My head; they are mighty who would destroy Me, being My enemies wrongfully; though I have stolen nothing, I still must restore it” (Psalm 69:4). 

The Messiah  

“Now it was not written for His sake alone that it was imputed to Him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, Who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification” (Romans 4:23-25). 

“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). 

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). 

~~~ EXPLANATORY “MESSIAH” NOTES ~~~   

(1)  Each Saturday ALN posts an example of a Hebrew Scriptures prophecy (or foreshadowing) related to the coming Messiah which was fulfilled in the birth, life, death, or resurrection of Jesus Christ.

(2)  While extensive it will not be a complete list—there are hundreds of prophecies of the coming Messiah which have been fulfilled by one man—Jesus Christ at His First Coming.

(3)  It is important that there are many more prophecies of the Messiah, yet unfulfilled, which Christians believe will be fulfilled at the time of His Second Coming.  A particularly relevant Scripture verse in this regard is: “Do not despise prophesies” (1 Thessalonians 5:20).

(4)  These posts will typically consist only of Scripture—which speaks for itself.  Sometimes italicized or bold font will be used by ALN for emphasis.

(5)  The numbering of these fulfilled prophecies of the Messiah is used to differentiate individual posts. It is not chronological (either by time of the prophecy or by sequence in the life of the Messiah).  The posting sequence will, for the most part, be in the order that the prophecies appear in Scripture.

(6)  Because of the chosen methodology (#5 above) we will find many specific prophecies repeated multiple times throughout the Scriptures.

(7)  These serial posts are in addition to our regular Tuesday ALN postings on random topics.

(8)  Subscription to ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog is simple—just use the link on the left sidebar.  Once subscribed you will not miss future posts.

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

“An Excellent Group Study”

~ Review of “Thy Will Be Done On Earth” by Christian Book Notes ~

Reproduced immediately below is one of the many positive reviews the book” Thy Will Be Done On Earth” has received.

Book Review by Terry Delaney of
Christian Book Notes
“Thoughtful Reviews of Christian Books”

Thy Will be Done on Earth

by Robert Lloyd Russell

Russell, Robert Lloyd.

Thy Will Be Done on Earth: Understanding God's Will for You.

Xulon Press, 2008. 178 pp. $14.99.

Purchase at Amazon for $11.69 or less.   

Introduction

Robert Lloyd Russell is a Bible teacher and seminar leader whose purpose in writing is to help Christians develop a living theology and dynamic discipleship.  He has a Master of Christian Leadership Degree from Western Seminary.  You can find out more about Robert at his website.  

Thy Will be Done is the first book in a series entitled Christian Concepts.  There are at least two more written and I believe three more waiting for time to put pen to paper.

Summary

This book is divided into four parts (really three) and is a quick read.  Part one lays a foundation from Scripture for what God's desire is. Part two looks at one of two graphic models that the author uses to show how we can discern God's will.  The third part develops the second illustration showing how you can be confident that your decision-making will be in-line with God's will.  The final part is one chapter that is four pages long detailing the benefits of doing your best to follow God's will for your life.  The ultimate conclusion is that in order to understand God's will for your life, you must be disciplined and willing to life a life dedicated to His service.

Review

I have to admit that at first, I didn't think this book was going to be good at all.  However, as I read it, I found myself marking “good” beside many sentences and paragraphs throughout the book.  While Russell's diagrams are very complicated to look at, he does a fine job of explaining each component and not overwhelming the reader with information.  Each chapter is from two to 5 pages long not counting the end section.

At the end of every chapter, there are “Think and Grow” questions. These are written to take you further and deeper in your study of what was just read.  Because of Russell's writing style, these questions are essential to gain a better understanding of what he is saying in his chapter.

There were a couple of chapters that I thought could be better explained or at the very least more written.  Nonetheless, each chapter did drive home a point and each chapter was instrumental in the reader's understanding of how this all worked.

Recommendation

I must say that while I was at first skeptical of this book because of 1) it's being published by Xulon and 2) the topic being discussed, I was fairly impressed with the ease of the read and the soundness in the doctrine and theology being expressed.  Given the shortness of the chapters and the in-depth study questions following each chapter, this book makes for an excellent group study in Sunday School or home groups.  While there are many, many books on discerning God's will, Thy Will be Done is a worthwhile introduction to the subject.

~ Review by Christian Book Notes

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

There is more information about Thy Will Be Done On Earth at the author’s website. 

You may order directly from Amazon or from Xulon Press. 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW