“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” (Eph. 1:4 NIV)

Did you know that God chose you to be adopted into His family? It’s true, and that was His plan all along!

And wait, there’s more!

And, on top of that, He has made you “holy and blameless in his sight!” When he looks at you, He looks right past any kind of blemish and only sees you as His perfect child, made that way through the cleansing blood of His Son, Jesus Christ!

And why did He do this?

Because he loves you! (John 3:16). You are chosen and loved by God! And he backs it up, not simply with words, but with His power, with His Holy Spirit, and with His deep conviction!

“For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.” (1 Thess 1:4-5 NIV)

So, hold your head up high with complete confidence! After all, look who your adoptive father is!

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5 NIV)

The Bible says that God WILL “generously give you wisdom” if you simply ASK Him for it without wavering (James 1:5-6).

That is a very important promise for you to take advantage of!

Just look at all of its benefits listed in Proverbs 3:13-19

“Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed. By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place.” (Proverbs 3:13–19 NIV)

To recap:

1) Better returns than silver and gold!

2) More precious than rubies!

3) Nothing you desire compares with it!

4) Long life!

5) Riches!

6) Honor!

7) Pleasant ways!

8) Paths of peace!

9) A “tree of life”

10) You’re blessed!

Wow! Wow! Wow! That’s why the next verse says …

“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:7 KJV)

Therefore, make getting wisdom your principle thing! It’s just that important! ASK God for it, and then you will get to enjoy the many wonderful promises that come along with it!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 NKJV)

This is undoubtedly the best-known promise in the Bible. You see John 3:16 posted prominently in many places, such as on billboard signs, on the sides of buses, on bumper stickers, and even painted on people’s faces and bodies, at televised sporting events.

But, sadly, most people don’t understand what it means!

Let’s define the words within the verse

– For God (the creator, Himself)

– So loved (cared for deeply and affectionately)

– The world (the whole of human civilization)

– That He gave (He freely transferred the possession of)

– His only (the only one He had)

– begotten Son (born son)

– that whosoever (whoever, anyone, any person)

– believes (truly accepts, wholeheartedly trusts, puts confidence in)

– In Him (the Savior, Jesus Christ)

– should not perish (not destroyed, not permanently lost)

– but have everlasting (eternal, endless)

– Life (intimate relationship with the living God)

Make it your personal promise!

John 3:16 is a very wonderful and personal promise! You can personalize it and apply it to your life this way:

Add YOUR NAME everywhere you see an asterisk * below

“For God so loved * that He gave

His only begotten Son, that if *

believes in Him. * should not perish

but * shall have everlasting life.”

Signed in His Blood, Jesus Christ

Why God did this wonderful thing

Most people have heard John 3:16, but not the very next verse, John 3:17, which explains clearly why God sent His Son into the world.

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:17 NKJV). God sent Jesus to save the world!

You must receive Him for yourself

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:12 KJV)

It changed my life!

I received Jesus Christ into my life many years ago while driving down a busy road! I had just read a little gospel booklet that I had found in a glove compartment. It explained to me how to pray a simple prayer of faith to ask Jesus for forgiveness and to be my Savior.

I prayed, “Jesus, I believe in you and need you! Thank you for dying on the cross for me! Please forgive me of my sins and come into my life. I invite you to be my Savior! In Jesus Name, Amen!

That simple prayer changed my life dramatically forever that day!

“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8 ESV)

An old saying you often hear is, “Forgive and forget!” But, when someone hurts you deeply, it’s impossible to do! You just can’t do it no matter how hard you try. In fact, the very act of trying to forget an offense only brings it up again and actually reinforces it. So, what do you do?

Don’t forget it, just forgive it!

You choose to do what’s right no matter how you feel, because it is the correct and loving thing to do! “Love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8b ESV).

That’s what Jesus did for you and all humanity on the cross! He did not feel like doing the right thing. In fact, He felt just the opposite! He sweat great drops of blood in anguish about it (Luke 22:44). He had a way out, too, He could have called thousands of angels to rescue Him, (Matt. 26:53), yet, He didn’t! He chose to do the right thing because of love (John 3:16).

Look beyond the offense

You choose to do the correct thing because you look beyond the fault to see the bigger picture on the other side of it.

When Jesus was on the cross he cried out, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do!” (Luke 23:34 KJV). He chose to look beyond their fault and see their need!

“When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.” (Is. 53:11 NLT)

Expect God to make good come out of it

Keep in mind that God always sees the big picture of things. He has all the facts, and can make good come out of any situation no matter how it looks to you. Expect Him to!

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Rom. 8:28 NIV) And yes, this is another wonderful promise!

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5 NIV)

A very important truth

When you compare light with darkness you discover a very important truth, darkness does not exist. Darkness is only the absence of light. Think of it this way, you can have a flashlight but you cannot have a flash-dark. You cannot shine darkness because it does not exist. Put another way, you cannot bring darkness into a room full of light and extinguish light, but you can, however, bring light into a dark room and extinguish darkness.

Light and darkness are metaphors for good and evil

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:5-7 NIV)

Jesus is the light of the world

There is another Light, a Light so important that Jesus, the Son of God, came to both declare and impart it to men. John 8:12 (NIV), records, “When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the Light of the World. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but have the light of life.’” The allegory used by the Lord in this verse speaks of the light of His Truth, the light of His Word, the light of eternal Life. Those who perceive the true Light will never walk in spiritual darkness.

Jesus Christ brings light to the darkness of any heart. It is the Good News about the truth of God’s love that is capable of overcoming any obstacle, no matter how dark.

God’s light is shed upon the darkness of all sin, allowing human beings the opportunity to escape the dark grip of sin for the light of God’s love. This is why (and how) “the blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7 NIV)

You, too, have a light to shine

Jesus tells is to keep our light out in the open where it can do good.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:16 NKJV)

“Come near to God and he will come near to you.” (James 4:8 NIV)

Want God to be “near to you”?

Notice the order of things described in this promise. It tells YOU to come near to God, and then, if you do, He will come near to you!

Many Christians have it backwards!

They spend a lot of time asking God to “come”, “bless” and to “hear their prayers,” when He has already made those things, and much more, freely available to “whosoever” will simply reach out to Him and receive them by faith!

Come boldly

The Bible says to “come boldly” to God and receive what you need. (Heb. 4:16) Another passage says to “seek Him first” and then all that you need will be added to you. (Matt. 6:33) Notice, in each verse, you are instructed to take the initiative. And, that’s because God has already done His part! You just need to act on it with faith!

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3 NIV)

“I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” (2 Tim. 1:12 KJV)

This is a great assurance passage

Many Christians don’t know for sure that they are saved! They only hope they are. That’s unfortunate because the Bible says, “These things I have written to you that believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13 NKJV) We must never be in doubt about our salvation! The price Jesus paid for us was more than sufficient!

There is a lot to learn from today’s Scripture passage at top

I have taken each part of the verse and laid it out word-by-word and defined each part using the Word of God. Read through each part carefully to understand what it means to be fully assured of where you stand with God. There is absolutely no need to doubt!

2 Tim. 1:12 defined

“I know” – aware through observation, inquiry, or information. “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” (2 Peter 1:16 NKJV)

“whom” – which is Jesus: “Son of God” (John 3:16),”the Name above all Names” (Phil 2:19), the one who “Holds all things together and by Him all things exist” (Col. 1:17).

“I believed” – personally accepted as true, genuine, and real. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Romans 10:9 KJV)

“and am persuaded” – totally convinced with no doubt. “And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.” (Rom. 4:21 KJV)

“that He is able” – He has the authority and power to do it! “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me’.” (Matt. 28:18 NIV) And, “But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” (1 Cor. 1:24 KJV)

“to keep“ – nobody, or absolutely anything else, for that matter, can take it away from Him! “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” (John 10:29 NIV)

“that” – your spirit, soul and body. “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thes. 5:23 ESV)

“which I’ve committed” – entrusted for safekeeping. “But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed.” (Rom. 6:17 NASB)

“unto Him” – to Jesus. “the author and finisher of our faith.” (Heb. 12:2 NKJV)

“against that day” – when you die and go to be with the Lord. “After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” (1 Thes. 4:17 NIV)

“I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” (Psalms 16:8 NIV)

When I was first saved many years ago, I struggled with many doubts. Some of it was due to my own personal struggles and failures and some of it was because I was looking around at others, both friends and church leaders, who were imperfect, or worse. Some had failed very seriously and publicly. A pastor friend who I had greatly respected, was caught in an affair and dramatically removed from his church.

I was an emotional wreck and it showed

Then one evening I went to a church meeting featuring a woman evangelist. I didn’t know the speaker was a woman until I was seated in the middle of the audience. I have to admit that back then I was very prejudiced against women preachers, and I would not have gone to the meeting if I had known. But, there I was and so I just sat and listened to her.

She was delivering her message in a normal speaking voice. Nothing seemed strange or unusual. Then suddenly, without warning, she raised her voice greatly, pointed her finger directly at me and said, “Young man, stand up and listen to me!!!”

I was startled and embarrassed, but I rose slowly to my feet and looked at her.

Then she said loudly and passionately, “Get your eyes off of man and back onto God!” Then she lowered her voice and went instantly back to her message as though there hadn’t been an interruption.

I was greatly moved!

How did she know what I was going through at the moment and the exact words to say to me? It had to be from God! What she said was exactly what I needed to hear! And I took it very seriously and did exactly what she said to do as though it had come from God Himself.

“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” (Psalms 118:8 NKJV)

“The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” (Prov. 28:1 NIV)

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, as a practical joke, sent an anonymous telegram to several of his friends: “All is discovered. Flee at once!” All of them immediately left the country!

Supposedly, these friends were upstanding and honorable people by all outward appearances, yet something was obviously going on inside their minds, that was so frightening to them that it caused them to flee!

The Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9 NKJV).

Yes, all hearts are wicked!

It’s because of the sin problem we have all inherited. The Bible says, “there is none righteous, no, not one.” (Rom. 3:10 NKJV). And, the heart is a place for fear to exist. Fear is a very powerful and damaging force if anyone allows it to have control. It can cause people to totally withdraw and shut down, or even to act strange or irrational. “The wicked flee though no one pursues.” (Prov. 28:1a NIV)

The good news is that the heart can be changed by Jesus! (John 8:36)

“The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Psalm 118:6 NIV)

You can control fear!

“Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27b NIV)

And, understand that “the righteous are as bold as a lion.”

And yes, that means you!