God sent His Son to pay OUR penalties, not just for one nation or nationality but He paid for all of humanity’s sins.

John 3

Jesus and Nicodemus
(Genesis 22:1–10; Romans 5:6–11)

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were not with him.”

3 Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.a”

4 “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time to be born?”

5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I said, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, and yet you people do not accept our testimony.

12 If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven—the Son of Man.c 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.d

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

This is the Gospel and the main point of Jesus’ ministry that points all of us toward Him for our salvation. I pray that all who read this will take it to heart because our time is growing shorter by the day.

I’m not asking about disease testing or school testing, I am asking about spiritual testing! Today and every day our world, not just the church and the people who make up the church, is being tested. How? By Satan himself! He is testing the church and the people in it but he is also testing the rest of the world too. He is testing everyone to see just how real their faith is and Who their faith is focused on. If they are focused on Jesus Christ then their testing is not going to be over until they are taken home to be with Him. If they haven’t decided whether they believe in Jesus or not then their testing could be over soon.

Why such a difference?

Because, Satan doesn’t care about those who may be “on the fence” about their belief in the Savior, Jesus Christ! He is interested in causing those who claim to belong to Jesus to lose their witness to those around them. If he can make you say something or do something that will cause people to question your faith then your witness is damaged. If he can keep you off balance and keep your focus away from Jesus then he can damage your influence even further making you ineffective in telling others about Jesus.

Our entire world, believers and non-believers, is being tested in one way or another. There are so many problems and wars and famines and….the list goes on and on. My point is that we are on the edge of the book and the prophecies of Revelation. Whether you want to believe this or not makes no difference, God’s Word and His prophecies will come true. Will it happen this year? I don’t know. Will it happen in the next decade? I don’t know but in my Spirit it feels as if it is very close.

I urge you to make sure of your salvation. If you doubt it or you’re not sure, then I would seek out Jesus in the Bible and at a church that teaches the Bible. Seek Jesus, pray that you will learn of Him and give your heart to Him. Ask Him to come into your life and change your life while there is time.