18 “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. 19 “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. 20 “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”
Application
John 3:18 Jesus tells us that whoever believes in Him will not be judged. The Greek word for ‘believes’ is pisteuo which means to think something is true, to be persuaded, to place confidence in. Jesus is saying that if you are persuaded that Jesus is who He claims, that He is the Son of God, that His death on the cross paid for your sin, then you will not be judged. His sacrifice, His blood, pays the debt that all of us owe.
God has provided a single way for us to be saved. If you reject Jesus as the Savior, then there is simply no other way for you to be with the Father. God the Father has decided how you must come. God didn’t have to save us at all. It is a cosmic pardon that the Father offers to us. This is a quite sobering judgement. It is horrifying that we incur God’s judgement by rejecting the Son. In verse 19, Jesus equates judgement with the Light (Jesus) that came into the world. If we are offered Light (the Son) and we reject Him, we remain in darkness. Judgement is brought upon yourself when you reject the only way that God has provided to be saved. If there is only one cure for cancer and you reject it because you do not like the taste of the medicine, the result is still death.
Our desires for freedom – political, personal or sexual, can become idols and we begin to worship ourselves. There cannot be two kings on the throne. When we elevate personal pleasure and freedom above God’s will and His desires for our life, slavery to sin is the result. Therefore, dying to ourselves is perhaps the biggest challenge in pursuing a relationship with God. Dying to ourselves may be difficult but it is the door that leads to abundant life. God and self cannot be masters at the same time. One will ultimately reign.
Verse 19-21 Men love the darkness rather than the Light and prefer evil rather than than good. The word used for ‘exposed’ is elegcho, which means to be chastened, admonished or convicted, with possible punishment. Most of use know inherently when something is right or wrong, good or bad. We tend to hide or keep secret the things we are not proud of. The things we know are good or moral, we share unhesitatingly. Our consciences are our moral barometer. But if one ignores the conscience, it becomes less and less of a barometer, until it no longer functions. A non-functioning conscience has disastrous implications morally, spiritually and physically.
Verse 20 describes the person that seeks the truth, that seeks God and what pleases Him. This person comes into the light not fearing, but instead confident that all of his deeds have their focus and root in God. A free conscience leads to peace with God. When you practice truth, you are in agreement with God. Your behavior reveals who your master is.
What do you spend your money on?
How do you spend the majority of your time?
What do you daydream about?
What do you talk about at work or with friends?
What kind of movies do you watch?
What books do you read?
What songs do you listen to?
Every action reveals something about what we love or who our master is. Therefore be aware and on guard because we are in a spiritual battle. The Lord beckons us to leave the darkness behind, flee from sin, and step into the light. More peace is found in the Light than in any earthly pleasure.