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Belief, not condemned--Believeth not, condemned.
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Darkness--Light.
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Hating the light, evil deeds--Doeth truth (lives out
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their faith in Christ), cometh to light.
The story of Israel and God's rewards and chastisement of His people is a witness that
God means what He says and we need to re-examine the message of salvation in all its
aspects.
The story of Abraham and Sarah, their long years waiting for a son to bring fulfillment
to their lives is recorded in Gen. 21: Can we imagine the joy this couple must have
experienced when God overruled the weakness of old age to give them renewed life to
have their son Isaac. And now God tests the faith of Abraham:
"Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, . . . . . and offer him there
for a burnt offering" (Gen. 22: 2).
Abraham obeyed God:
"Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son" (Gen. 22: 10).
Abraham did not have to slay his only beloved son:
"Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him; for now I know
that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from Me"
(Gen. 21: 12).
"God so (like this) loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3: 16).
May this well used text lose nothing of its depth of meaning when we remember that
our heavenly Father caused the story of Abraham and Isaac to portray only something of
the full sorrow that the Father had to bear to righteously give us His erring children the
opportunity of forgiveness and eternal life with Him.