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John 3:17-18 WHY MEN GO TO HELL

Introduction:

John 3:16 tells that God so loved the world that He

sent His Only Begotten Son so that all the world could be

saved. Yet in spite of the fact that God has provided

salvation for all men, a lot of people go to hell. Our text

tells why.

I. The basic cause of men going to hell

Adam's sin against God is the basic cause of men going

to hell. Adam's sin brought condemnation to all men, Rom.

5:8. Adam's sin also brought the sin nature to all men,

Eph. 2:3. Because of Adam's sin and the sin nature from

him, we have all sinned and come short of God's standard of

perfection, Rom. 3:23. The wages of sin is death, Rom.

6:23. It brings both physical death and the second death.

II. Jesus not sent to condemn the world

V. 17, "For God sent not his Son into the world to

condemn the world..." Jesus was not sent into the world to

find out who the sinners are. He already knew who the

sinners were. He already knew about every sinner who would

ever live. He knew about every person who would live and He

knew that all would be sinners.

Jesus was not sent to find out what sins or how many

sins a sinner has committed. He could know all that without

having to be born into human flesh and living physically in

the world.

Jesus was not sent into the world to call men to appear

before the throne of God in judgment. The time for judgment

will come and every human being will appear at one time of

the other before God in judgment.

Jesus was not sent into the world to administer

punishment upon sinners. He was not sent to put men in the

Lake of Fire and Brimstone. If that had been His mission

into the world He would never have been crucified.

III. Jesus sent to save the world

(V. 17), "...but that the world through him might be

saved." God sent His Son to do the very opposite of

condemning the world. He sent His Son to save the world.

That is, He was sent to provide salvation for the world to

be saved.

Jesus did just that. He provided salvation so that all

the world could be saved. He provided salvation for all

nations, all races, all classes and all people. He provided

salvation for every person who would ever live.

IV. The opportunity of salvation through faith in Jesus

V. 18, "He that believeth on him is not condemned..."

One who believed (trusts) in Jesus Christ is not condemned.

Every man is called upon to trust in Jesus for salvation.

Every man is given opportunity to trust Jesus and be saved.

Every man who trusts in Jesus is not condemned. He is

saved.

He is no longer condemned because of Adam's sin. The

blood of Jesus Christ took care of the Adamic sin for every

man. Therefore, the sin of Adam no longer condemns any man.

The sin nature no longer condemns him. He still has

the sin nature in his flesh. He does not still have the sin

nature in his inner spirit, because that part of him was

born again when he trusted Jesus Christ for salvation. But

the sin nature which still dwells in his flesh no longer

condemns him.

The sin that he commits no longer condemns him. He no

longer commits sin in his inward spirit because he has been

born again. He does still commit sin in his flesh nature.

He commits many sins even though he is saved. But the sins

which he commits no longer condemn him.

V. The one thing that does condemn a man to hell

Adam's sin no longer condemns him: the blood of Jesus

Christ takes care of the sin of Adam for all men. The sin

nature no longer condemns him even though he still has the

sin nature. The believer still has the sin nature and he is

not condemned. Likewise the unbeliever still has the sin

nature and he is not condemned by that sin nature.

His personal guilt of sin no longer condemns him. It

would if freedom from guilt had not been provided and

offered to him. But he is offered forgiveness of all sin.

The blood of Jesus Christ could cleanse him from all sin.

Therefore, the sins which he commits is not what condemns

him.

The deciding factor in sending a man to hell is his

failure to trust Jesus Christ to save his soul. (V. 18),

"...but he that believeth not is condemned already, because

he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of

God."

He has opportunity to trust in Jesus Christ and to be

uncondemned, but he is free to refuse to trust Jesus and be

saved. He can rebel against the whole idea.

Or, he may simply neglect to trust Jesus and be saved.

He may intend to trust Jesus some day. But for whatever the

reason, if he does not trust Jesus to save his soul he will

remain unsaved and he will remain condemned to hell. It is

his failure to trust in Jesus Christ that condemns him to

the fires of hell.

It is not that God gets angry at the man for not

trusting in His Son Jesus. It is not that God send the man

to hell because God got angry because he did not trust in

Jesus. It is because he was already condemned and there is

but one Person who can save sinners. That Person is God's

Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Anyone who neglects to

trust in Jesus Christ is condemned already. He has rejected

the only hope there is for him to be saved. Therefore, his

rejection of Jesus Christ is the deciding factor in him

going to hell.

Conclusion:

Every person falls into one category or the other. One

is either a believer or an unbeliever. One is either

uncondemned or he is condemned. One is either saved or he

is lost. One is either headed for heaven or he is headed

for hell. In which category do you fall? If you are lost,

why not turn to Jesus now and call upon Him and ask Him to

save your soul?