Salvation, Redemption, Purification, Wholeness, Glorification

In today’s Gospel, John 3: 16-21, John reminds us that God sent His Son into the world, not to condemn it, but “that the world might be saved through him.”

From the very moment that Adam and Eve walked their own ways, disobeying God, God put a plan of salvation into place.  No way, would God leave humankind to its own devices, to its disobedience and to being subject to rejecting God forever. No!  He would send a Savior to redeem us from Satan.  We belong to God. We are His. His plans that we live with Him eternally would not be thwarted by Satan. Satan has no more power over us, as Jesus took him on by His obedience to the Father unto death.  Jesus destroyed both Satan and the power of death, physical and spiritual by His death and resurrection. In Christ Jesus, we, too, will triumph over death and Satan. Alleluia!

Jesus comes into your life and mine, not to condemn us, but to save us, to glorify us as He was glorified in His resurrection from the dead.  That same privilege is ours, if we believe in the Lord, if we seek God above all else, if we follow good spirits and not evil ones, if we rely upon the Lord in our struggles against Satan, who seeks to devour us, to catch us in his lies. What lies? That when we listen to the Tempter, that is, when we give into temptations to "have some fun," to cheat, lie, steal, engage in sex outside of marriage, to act unjustly, to get whatever we want at the expense of others, by experimenting with illegal drugs, in short, by following our own will and rejecting the will of God,  our "eyes will be opened and [we] will be like gods, knowing good from evil" (Gen 3:5),  as Satan told Adam and Eve in the Garden.

God approaches you and me at those times, not to condemn but to save us from the Evil One. Am I ready to surrender to the One who can save me from death, cradle me in His arms and whisk me away from the Tempter?