Would you say ‘hey, show me that face’? Well that’s what we’re going to do today, show you the face of the one that loves you above all others. We have in our lives one that would do anything for us, even lay down their very lives. This one is Jesus Christ. (Joh 15:13) Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

There was this fellow named Nicodemus that came to Jesus and asked Him how a man could be reborn after being a man, and obviously born the first time. Surely Jesus wasn’t saying a man can reenter the womb and be born again, so what did He mean?

(Joh 3:12) If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? (Joh 3:13) And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. (Joh 3:14) And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: (Joh 3:15) That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (Joh 3:16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Jesus tells Nicodemus that he really needs to understand the context and situation, for it’s just plainly obvious Jesus didn’t mean being physically reborn from his mamma, but a spiritual rebirth. If Nicodemus isn’t thinking enough to realize this, he wasn’t ready to hear the deeper information of Heaven.

Then he is told that only Jesus can teach us what needs to be taught for He is the Son of God. Next Jesus tells Nicodemus a brief summary of how man will be given salvation through the lifting of Christ on the cross like the snake that Moses lifted up.

Jesus then says that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life, and then we have the most famous verse in all the Bible which speaks to God’s love.

The love we see here is the fact that God gave His son for us. How many of you would allow your son to be killed for the sake of not just good people, but for rapists and murderers and thieves? Jesus died for them too, died for what we would consider horrible people. God loves all, including those that have done monstrous things in their lives.

Some might give their son to save a righteous or even good life, but how many would give them to save a dark life? You see, Jesus died for all of us, all of our darkness. How can we compare this love to anything we could possibly know?

We all walked in darkness before we called on the Lord for salvation. You may have been a law-abiding ‘good’ person before you were saved, or you might have been a murderer, but if you are saved, then you are forgiven. And even before that, you were loved. If you are not saved now, God still loves you no matter what. (Joh 3:17) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

This is a central tenet in Christianity, and 0ne unique to our religion. Mohammed did not die to take our sins, nor did Buddha, or Krishna, nor anyone else. We were shown the greatest love from Jesus that He died for us.

What is the biggest example of God’s love? Life itself. You exist don’t you? Is life not a gift? Would you rather not ever have existed at all? I doubt many of you would answer positively to that question, and if you do, I pray for you that your troubles pass.

Creation shows us God’s love. Look around you, do you not see the beauty of nature? That is God’s love, giving us the world of wonders and beauty that we see everyday and take for granted.

I love a good west Texas thunderstorm. I think they are beautiful and awe inspiring. I often go out on a porch or look out the windows and just think to myself how awesome the power of God is! I pray too that no one is hurt, of course. The power and majesty of the storm, which is nothing compared to His power, is just beautiful.

We look around the world and see nothing but the bad, forgetting that every day above ground is a good day. Currently everyone is wrapped up in the environment, but they fail to see the creator behind nature. (Gen 1:4) And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. (Gen 1:10) And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. (Gen 1:12) And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. (Gen 1:31) And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

You see, all that was made is good. That is God’s love, that He said that all creation is good, even man and that He allowed us in His wonderful creation, which is our reality, our universe, our planet.

(Psa 19:1) To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork. (Mat 5:45) That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. We see that the beauty of creation shows itself to the unjust and on evil, another sign that God loves us even when we are sinners.

(Act 14:17) Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. Fill your heart with gladness when you see the world around you.

(Act 17:24a) God that made the world and all things therein. Again we see that God made all, and by allowing us in His creation He is showing us great love.

(1Ti 6:17) Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded; nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.

The Bible itself is a sign of love from God. Have you ever seen a parent that does not speak to their children? That do not communicate in any manner? People communicate with things they love, just as God has done.

People talk to their plants, they talk to their dogs, I’ve heard guys talk to their cherished cars sometimes. Point is, communication is important to those that love somebody, and God has communicated, and is still communicating with us now through His Holy Word.

(Psa 119:105) Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Without the word, which is communication, our path would be in darkness. (Joh 6:63) It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. The words of the Spirit are full of life, and are instructions to us. That is love, my friends, that is love that brings God to tell us things, to help us with things, to clear up our confusions.

(Act 20:32) And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. Jesus went to Heaven and put in a good word to God for us! How much love is in that? (Mat 10:32) Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.

Jesus died for your sins and mine, our sins led Him to the cross, but He still is willing to commend us to His father! That is so beautiful of a love that it brings a tear to my eye!

(Eph 1:4) According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. So you see here that God’s love was so great that He chose and loved us before the foundation of the world, before the very beginning.

(Psa 103:17) But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children. God’s love for us does not end, but is forever and ever.

(Isa 54:10) For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee. Even when the mountains fall and the hills fall low, God’s love will still be with us. Again, His love is just that deep.

Though there is this love from God, we have separated ourselves from Him due to our sins. (Isa 59:2) But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

(Rom 5:8) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. God was full of love for us, even while we were sinners. He loves us like a parent loves a unruly child that is defiant to an extreme. His love is that eternal.

(Rom 3:10) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. We’ve all done something wrong in our lives. We’ve either stole a grape at the grocery store or we’ve stolen a car or have beat someone up or have gossiped about hateful things behind someone’s back. Point is that every last one of us can come up with something that we should not have done.

(Rom 6:23) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. This is punishment for sin, so you better repent before payday. God offers us eternal life whereas sin offers us nothing but death.

What else does God have to say on the issue of getting the gift of eternal life? (Joh 1:12) 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. So if we receive Christ, we become sons of God, those that can be with God forever after our death.

(1Co 15:3) For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; (1Co 15:4) And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. Jesus died for you, and was raised from the dead to give us a way to Heaven. (Joh 14:6) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

(Rev 3:20) Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Jesus is knocking my friends, will you let him in? He comes to us and knocks, who else comes to man and seeks us? Jesus only.

(Rom 10:13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. That is how easy it is to set up for eternal life.

This is the sum of what you need to know for salvation: Confessing to God that I am a sinner, and believing that the Lord Jesus Christ died for my sins on the cross and was raised for my justification, I do now receive and confess Him as my personal Savior.

If you have prayed this prayer, may God be glorified and welcome to the fellowship of Christ. Here are some assurances for you in your faith.

(Rom 10:9) 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.

(Joh 5:24) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

(1Jn 5:13) These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

(Joh 20:31) But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

Whether you are newly saved, or saved for a long period, this is the grace of God, and may all the glory go to Him.

(Joh 14:27) Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Our God is an awesome God, is He not? No fear my brothers and sisters.

Until next time, God bless.

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