Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
I remember a few years back when my buddy told me that he was no longer a Christian. He said, "I don't want to have anything to do with Jesus Christ." Then he said, "I actually don't feel like I need Him anymore." My heart broke because this was someone that I loved. It was a close friend of mine, and honestly, I was confused. I wondered why people would leave the faith. This was someone that was going to church, and had been serving in the church for years and years. Then I came to find out they wanted nothing to do with the church.
The Object of Our Faith Is a Person
This is one of the most quoted verses in the Bible by Christians and by non-Christians, and I want to hone in on the first piece here, in the second part of the verse, where the writer says this: "Whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."
The object of our faith is in a Person. My faith is in a Person. Here's why I believe many leave the faith: because they place their faith in a system, or they place their faith in a church or in a church leader, and then they have unmet expectations. What happens is this—they leave the faith because they see that the leaders are not perfect. The church is not perfect, and they end up leaving the faith completely.
Believe in Jesus Christ
This is a very Gospel-centered verse calling us to believe in a Person. Whoever believes in Him—who's the Person? Jesus Christ. Our faith is in Jesus because He's perfect. He will not fail us. My family can fail me. My friends can fail me. My church can fail me. But if I place my faith in Jesus Christ, He will never, ever fail me.
God Is So Good
The good news of the Gospel is this: God is so good that He looked at this world and He didn't just say, well, they need to figure it out. Remember, the wages of sin are death. We're born in sin. We're born sinners. We sin by choice as well. God says, I love them so much. I'm going to send my one and only Son. For what? To die on the cross and to absorb the wrath that you and I deserved.
When we place our faith in Him, Jesus Christ—that's the object of our faith—we will have eternal life.
Where Have You Placed Your Faith?
My question to each and every person listening is: where have you placed your faith? I think these days we have misplaced hope. We place our faith in the church. We place our faith in our works and our abilities. God's not against good works. No, those are all a part of our faith. But He is against us trying to earn our salvation.
See, salvation is a free gift. It's not something that's achieved. It's something that's received. I pray that when you read John chapter 3, verse 16, as familiar as it can be, remind yourself: your hope is in a Person. It is not in a system.
