Crooked Finger (crookedfingers) wrote,
Crooked Finger
crookedfingers
  • Mood: contemplative

whoever believes is not condemned

It is now in the Flow 11:20 AM late Sunday morning. I cleaned the kitchen and then I wrote in my paper diary. I should be coming to page 700 in my paper diary soon. I usually write around 1000 pages a year in my paper diary. It is amazing how I can write pages about nothing! One could write pages though about the goodness of God shown to us. So the morning keeps decaying. Louisa is still sleeping so Beth and Andy have not left for Grand Rapids yet. They are packed and ready to go when Lou is up from her morning nap. I am once again down here in the lower level of our home writing on my old lap top. Our main computer is still broken. I am thinking of buying a new computer soon. I will wait and see what Carol decides about our main computer. I have my old lap top computer and my new lap top computer I can use if worse comes to worse.

Yesterday while I was volunteering at the Herrick Public Library used books store one of the two books I read was titled, "John 1-12" New Testament IV [Reformation Commentary On Scripture] Edited By Craig S. Farmer. I have been reading in this commentary on the Gospel of John the comments on John 3:1-21. I found these comments on John 3:18 a blessing "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" John 3:18.

"3:18 Whoever Believes Is Not Condemned

THE GOSPEL OF SALVATION BY FAITH ALONE.
Johannes Brenz: This is the sum of all preaching: Those who believe in Christ are not condemned. Nothing saves but faith. Works do not save, and merits do not save. Nothing condemns but lack of faith. This indeed is the glory of the gospel, that sins do not condemn, but disbelief alone is that which brings condemnation. Moreover, when it is said that works do not save, you are not to think that good actions are not to be performed. And when it is said that sins do not condemn, you are not to think that you are now permitted to sin with impunity. For faith saves because it welcomes all good things from Christ and works all good things in the believer. As it welcomes righteousness from Christ so it dispenses that righteousness in turn through works of love. Disbelief, however, condemns because it rejects and condemns all the good things of Christ and is the author of all evils. For as it welcomes every unrighteous thing from Satan, who is falsehood, so it pours out every evil against God and against human beings. It does nothing uprightly, it always sins, always violates the law of God. So the statement is most just: "Whoever does not believe is condemned already." Why? "Because that person has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God." What is that name? the name of Christ is God, the righteous, king, the good, salvation, life, light, redemption. Therefore whoever believes in the name of Christ receives through faith God, righteousness, kingship, goodness, salvation, life, light and redemption. Commentary On John 3:18." pg. 106
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