John 3:17–21

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

This passage expands the point about Jesus being sent; He came on a rescue mission. He didn’t come to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. We were condemned already.

Then Jesus makes a deeper point—people inflict the punishment on themselves.

And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

The condemnation is their love of darkness.

For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

Remind you of something?

Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”

So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” —  Genesis 3:9–11

It’s not that God pushes people away because of their sin. They push God away because of their sin.

The pop culture vision of hell is that it’s torture because it’s hot. The true vision of hell is that separation from God is what makes it hell.

If someone chooses to separate from God—because they want to hide their sin from His eyes—then they literally make this life a living hell.

And so we find ourselves back at Matthew 7:21–23. What would Jesus say to someone who pushed Him away their entire life so they could stay out of the light.

“I never knew you.”

These Monday—Friday DEEPs are written by Mike Slay. To subscribe to all the DEEPs click here:

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV stands for the English Standard Version. © Copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NIV stands for The Holy Bible, New International Version®. © Copyright 1973 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved. KJV stands for the King James Version.