Category Archives: Apologetics

HEAD OF THE CHURCH

Apologetics, ,

Colossians 1:18-20 NLT
[18] “Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. [19] For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, [20] and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.”

Head of creation, supreme in the universe, head of the church, first in everything. This is the position, office, and role of Jesus, earned through His obedience even to death and given to Him by the Father. There is no one higher than Jesus in the entire universe.

Paul has completed his resume of the supreme person of Jesus’ being and function in defense of the truth
against the false doctrines of the Gnostics. Their fanciful philosophy makes no sense compared with the very real person and work of Jesus.

Why is it so important that God’s people stay faithful to the truths of the gospel that they have been taught and believed? Our entire lives here on earth and our destiny in eternity rest on the solid foundation of fact and truth.

If Jesus is not God, the Son of God, if He did not live and die as history reports, if He did not rise from the dead, and if He does not reign as Lord of heaven and earth and head of the church, then everything we pin our hopes on is a myth and a mirage. The superstructure of our faith crumbles, and we have no reason for victory over sin and death and the hope of eternal life in the presemce of God.

Although doctrine does not save us…faith in Jesus does…our faith must rest on solid truth. We can not play fast and loose with what we believe. Believing the false teachings we are inclined to embrace does not make lies truth.

This principle applies not only to the broad truths of God’s Word but also to the small print and the finest details of what God has written. We add or change anything in the Bible to our peril.

We live in a time when many words are spoken or written in God’s name, which He has neither spoken nor authorised. People claim to function in offices not sanctioned in Scripture; prophecies are uttered in His name, and authority exercised, which has been wrenched from Jesus Himself.

We have Jesus’ example of the way to relate to God’s eternal Word. Under severe pressure, He verbalised His attitude, and His modus operandum for His entire personal life and public ministry…

Matthew 4:4 NIV
[4] “Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Matthew 4:7 NIV
[7] “Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Matthew 4:10 NIV
[10] Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

Jesus responded to Satan’s subtle attempts to break the union between Himself and the Father. He was resolute and determined to be in absolute submission and obedience to the pure Word of God.

So should we!

Only on the solid foundation of truth can we commit ourselves, now and in eternity, to the grace of the one who saves and secures us through our faith in Him.

A MATCHLESS CV

Apologetics, ,

Colossians 1:15-17 NLT
[15] “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, [16] for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. [17] He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.”

Why does Paul launch into a CV of Jesus so mindblowing that it’s difficult to comprehend a person so accomplished. Not all the Einsteins who ever lived can hold a candle to Jesus, the Son of God. How, then, can these foolish false teaches go around peddling the idea that Jesus is anything less than who He is?

The Colossian believers were being harassed by false teaching.

Gnostic philosophy was making its way into the Christian church. Jesus isn’t who He said He is. He’s just the highest of a series of “emanations”, levels of spirit beings between us and God. For people to “know” God means that we must go through these spirit beings to gain a superior kind of knowledge. Salvation, therefore, is about knowledge, not grace!

“What nonsense!” Paul exploded. “Who taught you such rubbish?”

Jesus is who He said He is. He is not a superior “spirit being,” as you say. He is God who came in person, a real person and a perfect replica of God! He created the universe in harmony with God, the Father, not some lesser “God” as you claim. He even made the powerful spirit beings who operate in the world. He is the absolute sovereign ruler of the universe, and He keeps it all going by His power.

Anything less than the real Jesus, who is both perfect God and perfect man, would mean doom for us humans. How could we ever be accepted by a holy God in our unholy state? No amount of “knowledge”, however great or superior, can ever do anything to rid us of our sin.

We need a real, perfect man to stand in for us. Jesus is the only real, perfect man who qualified.

Let’s examine His qualifications. How do we know He is God? First, He was a man, but He did what only God can do in partnership with God. He healed the sick, He calmed storms, He walked on water, He opened blind eyes and deaf ears, He raised the dead…He died and rose again!

He perfectly represented the Father on earth.

Exodus 34:6-7 NLT
[6] “The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. [7] I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin…”

Second, He fulfilled every prophecy about Himself. His prophesied His own death, and He died. He said He would rise again, and He rose again. He said He’s coming again, and He will come. He said He has the power to forgive sins and proved it by healing a paralysed man.

Third, He said we would be saved through faith in Him. We are saved, in our experience, and in the presence of His Spirit in us. Those who believe in Him have peace and freedom from guilt.

Who else could have done all this and not be God?

Like the Colossian believers, let us not be fooled by lying false prophets. The truth is that Jesus is God, and that He saves all who call on His name in faith.

HOW CAN WE BE SO SURE?

Apologetics, ,

Colossians 1:13 NLT
[13] “For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, [14] who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.”

It’s all very well to pray a grand prayer like the one we examined yesterday, but how can we be so sure that God will answer us? After all, He only does what is in line with His will.

God’s answers to many of our our prayers depend on what He has done to intervene on our behalf. What has He done to ensure that what we pray is according to His will?

Does He really want us to know Him, to experience His power, and to rejoice in His goodness? Of course He does! He made it all possible by rescuing us from Satan’s power and bringing us supernaturally under His own benevolent rule. We did nothing to contribute to what He has done.

How do we know that we have been forgiven and freed from our guilt and the fear of punishment?

Something powerful has happened inside; something has changed in our conscience and in our emotions. We no longer have that sense of impending doom. We have inner lightness and freedom from guilt that is different from the heaviness we once felt. We have a deep assurance that we are okay with God. We feel loved and secure. All these changes are real even if we cannot explain what has happened.

These new experiences can only point to one thing. God has done something to make these changes supernaturally possible.

How did He rescue us from Satan’s power? I didn’t really understand this truth until I took a long, hard look at what Jesus did at the cross. Let me jump the gun and explain what Paul has to say in the next chapter.

Colossians 2:14-15 NLT
[14] “He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. [15] In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.”

Satan held us captive in the following ways.

  1. He claims to be Lord over us because he has captured us by our sin. He has us in his power and under his influence. No matter what we do, we cannot get free of his control.
  2. He holds us captive by reminiding us of our fate. We are stuck with him and doomed with him to eternal judgment.
  3. He uses these lies to deceive us into thinking that we are still forced to serve him.
  4. He holds up our disobedience to God’s laws as proof that we are doomed.

But God did something unthinkable…

  1. He took all our guilt, placed it on Jesus, and had Him killed in our place. He took every law we broke, every sin we committed, every rebellious thought and act, and nailed it to the cross, writing over all the charges, PAID IN FULL.
  2. He showed the devil up to be a liar because we are no longer guilty of any sin. Satan tries to deceive us into believing that we are still guilty and in his clutches. We are not! We are free and under God’s rule and protection.
  3. He did all this before time. This means that He took care of our sin and guilt before they happened. Satan’s accusations are all false because our sin no longer exists. People who still follow and worship Satan have been caught in his lies.

Revelation 13:8 NLT
[8] “And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered before the world was made.”

The devil has been unmasked. He is NOT LORD, after all. JESUS IS LORD.

So, we have objective proof that we are safely in God’s hands and under His care and protection. God had Jesus killed for us! Satan’s most powerful weapon is useless. His lies have been exposed. Now we have God’s truth as the covering under which we can live in peace and freedom.

AUTHORITY, WHAT IS IT?

Apologetics, ,

Authority” has several meanings, and applications according to the dictionary definition.

“First, authority is the freedom to decide or a right to act without hindrance. All such authority begins with God, for there is no authority except from God ( Rom 13:1 ). God has the right to mold the clay as he wishes ( Rom 9:21 ) and to set times and dates ( Acts 1:7 ).”

In this article, since authority is a big subject, let’s look at Jesus’ authority and the way it impacts us as His followers.

Jesus said and did things that baffled and angered His religious opponents.

One of the big issues the Pharisees had with Jesus was authority. In their culture and religion, authority was everything. To them, Moses was the great authority. Whatever they believed and taught had to be in line with what Moses wrote (even if they failed to obey in the spirit of Moses). They constantly referred to Moses in their clashes with Jesus.

Matthew 21:23 NIV
[23] “Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”

The first five books of the Bible, the Torah, written by Moses, form the foundation of the Jewish faith. Every child learned the Torah from its earliest days. The Torah was the textbook of early childhood education. So, every Jew was thoroughly immersed in the teachings of Moses.

Jesus’ teaching shocked the Jewish leaders, not because He overturned the Torah but because He exposed its deeper meaning in both its revelation of God’s holiness and His mercy.

Their big question was, “Who gave you the authority to do this?” Jesus was generally recognised as a rabbi with “sh’mikah” (authority to interpret the Torah, and to create His own “yoke”, His way of doing life according to His interpretation). There were two other rabbis with “sh’mikah” at this time in Israel, Shammai and Hillel, Shammai a stricter interpreter of the Torah and Hillel more liberal.

The Pharisees often tested Jesus by trying to discover which rabbi’s teaching He supported.

Matthew 19:3-8 NIV
[3] “Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?” [4] “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ [5] and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? [6] So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” [7] “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?” [8] Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.”

Jesus refused to be drawn into their debate. His authority to interpret and teach the Torah was superior to any rabbi, even if they had “sh’mikah”. Instead, He took His opponents back to the beginning, where God’s Word exposed the root of His intention.

“But it was not this way from the beginning.”

Matthew 7:28-29 NIV
[28] “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, [29] because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.”

This way of teaching the Torah angered the religious leaders since Jesus` interpretation exposed a side of God’s nature they didn’t like…His mercy and compassion.

The Pharisees once tested Him by setting a trap. They brought a woman caught in adultery (where was the guilty man… possibly one of their own?) to Him for His judgment, knowing that He leant towards mercy in the face of the Torah’s instruction to stone her.

Jesus’ action, by writing (probably their names) in the dust, revealed both His judgment on them and that He knew both the Scriptures and their names.

Jeremiah 17:13 NIV
[13]”Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water.”

They slunk away, guilty, leaving Jesus, without witnesses, to forgive and free the woman.

So, what was this conflict over authority all about?

First, Jesus insisted and acknowledged, on numerous occasions, that His authority came from God and was given to Him by God.

John 3:34-35 NIV
[34] “For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. [35] The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.”

He established His authority by His words and actions on different occasions.

For example, He proved His authority to forgive sins by healing a paralysed man. Who, but God alone has the authority to forgive sin?

Matthew 9:2-7 NIV
[2] “Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” [3] At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” [4] Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? [5] Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? [6] But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” [7] Then the man got up and went home.”

Jesus demonstrated His authority over nature to His disciples by calming a violent storm and walking on water.

Mark 4:36-41 NIV
[36]”Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. [37] A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. [38] Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” [39] He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. [40] He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” [41] They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Even disease and powerful demonic spirit obeyed His word.

Mark 1:32-34 NIV
[32] “That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. [33] The whole town gathered at the door, [34] and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.”

Jesus showed His authority over Satan’s most powerful weapon…death.

John 11:41-44 NIV
[41]”So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. [42] I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” [43] When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” [44] The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

First, then, Jesus’ authority on earth came from God. God is the source of all authority. He alone has the right to delegate His authority to whom He chooses.

Since no one, not even the Jewish leaders, though they refused to believe, could deny Jesus’ authority, we must ask, next, “How did Jesus exercise His authority?”

From Scripture, the answer is clear. Jesus’ authority lay in His spoken word. Probably the person who showed the clearest understanding of Jesus’ authority was the Roman officer…

Matthew 8:5-9 NIV
[5] “When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. [6] “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” [7] Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” [8] The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But JUST SAY THE WORD, and my servant will be healed. [9] For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

Jesus Himself explained to His opponents that His authority to judge lay in His word.

John 12:47-50 NIV
[47] “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. [48] There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. [49] For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. [50] I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”

The Apostle John acknowledged Jesus’ powerful role on earth, the Word of God.

John 1:1 NIV
[1] “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

God’s eternal Word, the one through whom God speaks on earth, became human, the spoken Word of God clothed in a human body, not only to speak God’s Word but to BE God’s Word to the whole world.

The implications for the world and the church are huge!

God has spoken His final Word through Jesus. He has nothing more to say!

Hebrews 1:1-3 NIV
[1] “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, [2] but in these last days HE HAS SPOKEN TO US BY HIS SON, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. [3] The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things BY HIS POWERFUL WORD . After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

God has invested all authority in Jesus. To Him has been given the power to direct all the affairs on earth…for the sake of His church.

Ephesians 1:22-23 NLT
[22]” God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. [23] And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.”

Jesus authorised His disciples to go in His name with His message to all the nations on earth.

Matthew 28:18-20 NLT
[18] Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. [19] Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. [20] Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

God the Father authorised Jesus, the Son, to wrap up history by His Word.

Revelation 19:11-16 NLT
[11] “Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. [12] His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. [13] He wore a robe dipped in blood, and HIS TITLE WAS THE WORD OF GOD . [14] The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. [15] FROM HIS MOUTH CAME A SHARP SWORD TO STRIKE DOWN THE NATIONS . He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. [16] On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.”

The implications for those who believe in Him are also huge.

Obedience to Jesus’ teachings has the power to set us free from everything that keeps us in bondage, both the lies we believe and our sinful ways. Embracing, knowing, believing and obeying Jesus’ yoke guarantees His rest from every burden we carry.

Matthew 11:28 NLT
[28] “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

John 8:31-32 NLT
[31] Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. [32] And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Since all authority has been given to Jesus, and He exercises His authority by His spoken word, if we do not obey His word, first, we do not believe Him…

Luke 6:46 NLT
[46] “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?

…and second we do not love Him.

John 14:21 NLT
[21] “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

The outcome for all who reject His authority and refuse to obey His Word is….

Matthew 7:21-23 NLT
[21] “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. [22] On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ [23] But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’ “

1 Corinthians 16:22 NLT
[22] “If anyone does not love the Lord, that person is cursed…”

We must be sure that loving and obeying Jesus is the e centre and source of our lives if we want to spend eternity with Him.

GOD, WHY ARE DOING NOTHING?

Apologetics, ,

Habakkuk 1:2 NLT
[2] “How long, O Lord, must I call for help? But you do not listen! “Violence is everywhere!” I cry, but you do not come to save… “

The world, and our own country, is in such a mess that we think God has lost control. We cry out to Him but nothing changes. Sin is rife everywhere. Evil doers are becoming bolder and more blatant in their pursuit of ways to get what they want at the expense of others.

Like Habakkuk, we accuse God of inactivity, even indifference as His own people suffer along with the rest. We beg Him to do something and wait in vain for some kind of supernatural intervention that will magically straighten things out.

Let’s examine the situation from the Bible’s perspective.

Is God still in charge? The Bible assures us that He never changes and that He is always in charge in human affairs. For example, Daniel recorded event after event where God revealed His sovereignty even in Babylon where His people were in captivity. He drove history towards their restoration and repatriation for His one purpose…to bring His Son into the world.

God’s timing and ours don’t match. Only when we look back do we see how He was moving in the world to prepare for the coming of His Messiah.

Paul writes…

Romans 5:6 NLT
[6] “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME and died for us sinners.*

Galatians 4:4 NLT
[4] “But when THE RIGHT TIME came God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.”

History reveals that God was putting all the structures in place to prepare for Jesus’ coming.

We can be sure, then, that God will intervene at the right time.

God’s response to Habakkuk’s complaint is a startling reminder that God works in ways we least anticipate. His people were on a downward spiral of idolatry and wickedness. God’s way to intervene was by sending them into captivity at the hands of ruthless and cruel conquerors, the Babylonians. The outcome for the people of Judah was an abrupt end to their passion for idolatry.

“You want to worship idols! You can have them all you like, in Bsbylon!” They felt the heat of a ruler, Nebuchadnezzar, who enforced idolatry on pain of death.

As He did to Egypt, so God showed Babylon and His own people His power over those who tried to destroy them. He rendered Babylon’s dumb idols useless to stand against those who revealed a steadfast faith in the one true God. He put an arrogant world ruler in his place by sending him into insanity for a season. He brought Babylon down through more powerful nations, the Medes and Persians. He moved Israel towards conquest, occupation and oppression by the Romans.

Then Jesus came…

Is God working now?

We are assured, both by history and by God’s Word, that we can safely trust God to work in the world to fulfill His will. We need not be concerned about what is going on around us. God has not abandoned His plan to set up His kingdom on earth under the command of His Son.

Psalms 2:1-6 NLT
[1] “Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? [2] The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against his anointed one. [3] “Let us break their chains,” they cry, “and free ourselves from slavery to God.” [4] But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them. [5] Then in anger he rebukes them, terrifying them with his fierce fury. [6] For the Lord declares, “I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain.”

Psalms 2:7-8 NLT
[7] “The king proclaims the Lord’s decree: “The Lord said to me, ‘You are my son. Today I have become your Father. [8] Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession.”

Jesus assures us…

John 5:17 NLT
[17] But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.”

Jesus said it and He doesn’t lie.

What is God doing?

We don’t know but we can be sure that..

Ephesians 1:11 NIV
[11] “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything IN CONFORMITY WITH THE PURPOSE OF HIS WILL… “

We may not see or understand what God is doing in the world, nor is it important that we do, but we can be sure that…

God is still in charge;

God is working behind the scenes to move history towards and to prepare His people for Jesus’ return;

Jesus is in charge of and working in everything in the world for the good of the church;

Ephesians 1:22 NLT
[22] “God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.”

Gid is working in everything for our good;

Romans 8:28-29 NLT
[28]”And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. [29] For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

God’s purpose, “in all things”, everything that is going on around us and in our Iives, is to restore the image of Jesus in us.

Jesus didn’t fuss about what Rome was doing in the world or what the religious rulers were doing in Israel. His focus was on what people were doing in their response to Him. “Reject me and my teaching and you are doomed. Receive me and my teaching and you will have eternal life.”

The rest is in God’s hands.

It’s as simple as that!

John 3:16-18 NLT
[16] “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. [17] God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. [18] “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.”