Open Letter to John Piper #0.025
Chapter 1: The Supernatural Creation of Spiritual Life
Page 25
+ “Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:3, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” He was speaking to all of us when he said that. Nicodemus was not a special case.”
This is vital to our understanding. It is so easy for some to think, “Well, I go to church, I put money in the plate each week, and I’m nice to my neighbor, so I’ll go to Heaven.”
+ “You and I must be born again, or we will not see the kingdom of God. That means we will not be saved; we will not be part of God’s family, and we will not go to heaven. Instead, we will go to hell if we are not born again. That’s what Jesus says later in this chapter about the person who does not believe on Christ: “The wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36).”
Clear condemnation here for anyone outside of the saving grace of God. Very early on, you draw the lines in the sand…just as Jesus did. Oh, that more pastors and Christian teachers would do the same!
+ “This is no joking matter. Jesus uses hard words for hard realities. That is what love does. The opposite is called pandering.”
From the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (4th ed.):
“pander: To cater to the lower tastes and desires of others or exploit their weaknesses: “He refused to pander to nostalgia and escapism” (New York Times).”
So, you’re saying those who speak to people about salvation but fall short of using the “hard words” for this hard reality are pandering to folks. Couldn’t agree more.
+ “Nicodemus was one of the Pharisees, the most religious Jewish leaders. Jesus said to them in Matthew 23:15 and 33, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.…You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?” So the topic of the new birth is not marginal. It is central.”
“So not even the most religious leaders of the day were saved from going to Hell? Where is that in –“
Funny how pandering pastors never preach on this verse or the verses following John 3:16. Funny, but not funny-ha-ha.
Here are Jesus’ own words from John 3:17-21, just in case somebody still lacks understanding:
“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” (NASB)
