The ultimate decision that keeps us from eternal life with God is unbelief. Jesus allowed Himself to be beaten and crucified for our sins. He rose again through the power of Holy Spirit and He will be King over kings and Lord over all. Only God’s mercy extends the period of time we have to accept Him.
A great portion of the New Testament dealt with the Jews and their acceptance of Jesus as their Messiah and King.
John 1:4–5 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shined in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
Believers in Christ Jesus were being persecuted by both the Jews and the Roman rule. They begged their fellow Jews to recognize Jesus as their Messiah and King.
After the Jews rejected their Messiah King the Gentiles entered. Romans-Philemon was directed mostly to the Gentile believers in Christ Jesus. By revelations to Paul it was made known that there was no difference between Jew or Gentiles, slave or free, male or female through faith in Jesus Christ.
All the other books of Scripture were directed to the Jews, who were to be priest of Jehovah, and were to reach out to the rest of the world by their testimony.
Acts 3:19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.
Peter implored the men of Israel to repent and then God would send Jesus their King to rule. His return would come with the restitution, when God cleanses the earth of sin, making it ready for His Kingdom. All the prophets in the Old Testament prophesied of these days. Israel was the children of the prophets. In the seed of Abraham all the nations will be blessed.
Acts 7:51 “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, 53 who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.” Stephen the Martyr 54 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
Stephen speaking through the Holy Spirit warned them that they who have received the law did not keep it. Their reaction was to stop their ears and not hear him and so they stoned Stephen. Even then Stephen ask God to have mercy on them.
Acts 7:57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
John 3:18–21
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” The New King James Version
Rejection of Jesus results in condemnation. The new testament ultimately roots all salvation in faith in Christ. There is no other way to achieve right standing with God.
The dualism between light and dark is a common theme in John’s Gospel and 1 John. In this context, “evil” refers to deeds that flow from unbelief. Anything done apart from faith in Christ is no better than the worst evil. Faithlife Study Bible
To believe is to receive life and avoid judgment. A person who does not believe not only misses life, but is condemned already.
Condemnation refers to the reason for judgment. The light referred to here is Jesus, the light of the world.
People offer many excuses for not accepting Christ. Some cite the presence of hypocrites in the church. Others claim inability to believe some of the truths about Christ or the gospel. These are merely attempts to conceal a heart in rebellion against God. The ultimate reason people do not come to Christ is that they do not want to.
The one who does the truth is obviously already a believer because his or her deeds are done in God. Therefore, “coming to the light” is more than exercising faith. A person who comes to the light not only believes, but also openly identifies with the light so that his or her works can be seen as things done in union with God. The NKJV Study Bible
Ephesians 5:13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.
John 5:24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
Mark 16:16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
Proverbs 30:4 (ESV) "Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name? Surely you know!"
Even wise people don't know everything, but our Creator does.
Only the Almighty could gather the wind, wrap up the waters, and establish the ends of the earth (Proverbs 30:4). Only God could lay the foundation of the earth (Job 38:4) and "comman[d] the morning" (Job 38:12). The Lord created the world, is in control of all things, and possesses perfect wisdom to work out all things for good even when we don't understand (Romans 8:28).
Today we know God has also given us the gift of His Son as part of His perfect plan to redeem the world. We know the name of God's Son, we do: It is Jesus Christ! He came down from heaven to earth (John 3:13), and "being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" for our sake (Philippians 2:8).
God can use each of us to accomplish His work if we are humbly willing to follow Him. First5
A Familiar Stranger
I saw a stranger today.
I put food for him
in the eating-place
And drink
in the drinking-place
And music
in the listening-place.
In the Holy name
of the Trinity
He blessed myself
and my family.
And the lark said in her warble
Often, often, often
Goes Christ
in the stranger's guise.
O, oft and oft and oft,
Goes Christ
in the stranger's guise.
Celtic Rune of Hospitality
Excerpt Sabbath Moments
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