There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. John 1:6-8

The Most Inclusive Of All Religions

John the Apostle wrote those words about John the Baptist. God sent John the Baptist so all might believe through him. All–everyone–every single human being. That’s what God wants. And He went to extreme lengths to make that possible. He sent the Light, His own Son, to die on your behalf. Unlike other religions, it doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve done. It’s not dependent on the works you do or the depth of your meditative state. Christianity is the most inclusive of all religions. Anyone, anyone at all, can receive the Light who is Jesus Christ. “This is the work of God,” Jesus said, “that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

“…that all might believe,” that is God’s heart.

But as you read the scripture at the top of this post you might be saying to yourself, “Yes but what about that word ‘might’? He said, ‘…that all might believe…'” That might be the most important question you could ask. That word might has to be there because of God’s respect for your free will. That word has to be there because God won’t force you. No one can force another person to love them. Love requires a choice. So God won’t make you. The more I study God the more amazed I am at how ardent He is about our free will. God is serious about your free will, deadly serious. He says, yes you can reject My Son, yes you can walk a path that ends in outer darkness, but it will have to be over my dead body, the dead body of my son. (See George Wilson Refuses Pardon from Death Penalty)

What John Was Not

John the Baptist “was not the light, but he came to bear witness about the light…” That’s what Paul says when he writes, “For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” (2 Corinthians 4:5) It wasn’t their purpose to promote themselves. It wasn’t their purpose to increase their own following. They recognized that they are not the light.

John the Baptist was not the light. Paul was not the light. John the Apostle was not the light. You’re not the light. I’m not the light. It’s Jesus. Jesus is the light.

John’s Purpose

You know, sometimes I’m accused of being over the top when it comes to sharing about Jesus. Posting scriptures on Twitter, Google+, and Facebook. Blogging about Jesus. Writing books about Jesus. But I can’t help it. That’s just how impressed I am with the Light. That’s just how amazed I am with Jesus.

Later in this same book, later in the gospel of John, the author, John the Apostle tells us plainly his purpose in writing the book of John. He says, “…these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

That’s what John the Apostle was all about. That’s what John the Baptist was all about. They want you to give yourself to the Light.

And that’s what I want too. I so want you to believe that Jesus is the Light, that he is the Christ, the Son of God. I so want you to have life in his name. If you ever want to give yourself to Jesus Christ, if you ever want to become a disciple of Jesus Christ, email me at kurt@kurtbennettbooks.com. And if you ever become annoyed with me, or if you ever feel like what I put out there is just too much, I hope and pray you’ll at least recognize why I write what I write and why I do what I do. You might be annoyed, but at least you’ll know where I’m coming from. I do what I do,

“…so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 30:31

References:

Bible Gateway

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Contact Kurt at kurt@kurtbennettbooks.com