“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:18)

If you were standing in a full-on burning building and the fireman who had intimate knowledge of the property and situation was directing you to the one, single way out, my hope is that you would be willing to follow the one who has come to rescue you and bring you to safety.

Whether you want to believe it or not, this world is on fire… but there is a way out.

By default, a sin-stained world already stands in condemnation of a righteous and holy God. Romans 3:23 reveals that we’re in the burning building (we ALL have sinned and fall short of God’s glory), Isaiah 59:2 identifies that we’re currently stranded from safety (our sin has caused separation from God), and Romans 6:23 reminds us of the outcome if we choose to stay there in the flames (for the wages of sin is death).

But Jesus is the one, single way out that God has provided (John 14:6), and we must understand that God did not send his Son to condemn an already condemned world, but rather that the world might be saved through Him (John 3:17)!

We often recite John 3:16 (“For God so loved the world…”) as the hopeful and amazing gift of God’s grace, but we fail to read the rest of the passage that gives us context of why that grace is so desperately needed. Life is not a secure and indestructible building where we can haphazardly go any direction we choose and find safety. In stark contrast, we’re in a defective building that is already violently burning and collapsing on all sides, but God has provided us the way out!

The choice is up to us though. We can choose to either stand in the fire because we would rather do our own thing, or we can follow the fireman who knows the path to safety. We can choose to either remain in our sin, or be rescued from it (Heb. 10:26). We can choose to either love the darkness, or love the light of God (John 3:19).

If you are wrestling with unbelief today, then pray to God that He would open your heart and eyes to His truth. While we find ourselves standing amongst the flames, be encouraged, because He has sent us a Mighty Redeemer and Rescuer!

1 John 1:9 says that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Trust in Jesus. He gave Himself on the cross and was resurrected from the dead, in order that we would be forgiven of our sins and raised to eternal life with Him.

He has provided the way out!