John 3:18 He that believes on him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already… I. THE BELIEVER NOT CONDEMNED. 1. Christ has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 2. Faith in Christ identifies us with His sacrifice. 3. Identification with the sacrifice of Christ removes all personal guilt. 4. So the believer is not regarded or dealt with by God as a sinner. He is not condemned — (1) by God; (2) by the law; (3) by Himself: remorse subsides, fear vanishes. II. THE UNBELIEVERS ALREADY CONDEMNED. 1. What does unbelief seem to do? (1) It despises God's unspeakable gift as superfluous, or insufficient, or comparatively unimportant. (2) It dishonours the Son of God Himself. (3) It refuses to listen even to God's testimony concerning His Son. 2. The cause of unbelief must be evil, and what is evil is foolish. 3. The nature of unbelief. (1) It is sin both in the spirit and in the letter (1 John 3:23). (2) It is the greatest folly (Acts 4:12). 4. The doom of unbelief (Mark 16:16; Proverbs 1:34-36; Matthew 11:23; Luke 12:47; Hebrews 10:29). This doom is confirmed by the conscience of the unbeliever. (S. Martin.) Parallel Verses KJV: He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. |
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