7 The Mystery Revealed

John 3:1-16 Jesus reveals to Nicodemus the “mystery” of the Gospel.

All Religions Have Salvation Plans: Near Eastern Judaism - Obedience to Law - Cultural Identity Zoroastrianism - Doing Good & Rituals Islam - Completing 5 “Pillars” 1. Confession 2. Alms 3. Prayer 4. Fasting 5. Pilgrimage Christianity - Salvation by Faith

All Religions Have Salvation Plans: Eastern Hinduism - Self Improvement Jainism - Self Denial Sikhism - Love God/Doing Good

All Religions Have Salvation Plans: Far Eastern Confucianism - Social Improvement Shinto - Keep Japanese Nation Supreme Buddhism - Self Denial Taoism - Balance Ying & Yang

All Religions Have Salvation Plans: Misc. Religions Animism - Appeasing The Spirits Naturalism - Self Actualization

World Religions Offer Only Three Ways to Salvation: Religious Exercises (Ritual) Good Works Asceticism

Two Types of “Heaven” Physical Paradise Absorption

14 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. - John 3:14-15

Then they set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the people became impatient because of the journey. - Numbers 21:4

The people spoke against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food.” - Numbers 21:5

The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. - Numbers 21:6

So the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and you; intercede with the Lord, that He may remove the serpents from us.” And Moses interceded for the people. - Numbers 21:7

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live.” - Numbers 21:8

And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived. - Numbers 21:9

Spiritual Principles Disobedience is sin Penalty for sin is suffering and death Salvation is based on a system of faith

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. - John 3:16

Faith in Jesus is expressed through repentance, baptism, and sincere Christian living.

God’s Justice. → Punishment for sin God’s Love God’s Justice → Punishment for sin God’s Love → Payment for sin (Jesus)

The Plan = Christ dies for the sins of man The Response = Faith expressed in obedience The Reason = God’s love for us

For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. - John 3:17

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. - John 3:18

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. - John 3:19

For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. - John 3:20

But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” - John 3:21

The Gospel guarantees an eternity of joy experienced personally and provides a resurrected Savior to bolster our faith and hope.