If you would like to get into contact with us directly, email us at
exec@trentcu.com, sign up to the mail list by entering your
email address below or text Marcus on 07983643330.
This website is primarily for Nottingham Trent City Campus, but
if you would like to get into contact or find out about the
Christian Union in Clifton, contact Rebecca Wilding on email at
N0140218@ntu.ac.uk.
“For Go so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life” – (John 3:16)
But what does that actually mean?
You may have heard Christians talk like this before, and you indeed may be left thinking, “well, that sounds good, but what does it mean? Who is God’s Son, what do they mean by ‘perish’, and what really is ‘eternal life’?
Well, hopefully, we’ll make this clear by focusing on four issues surrounding the ‘Good News’:
• God’s initial purpose for us
• The problem with us (mankind)
• God’s answer (Jesus)
• Our Response
Christianity is not just a religion. Neither is it a belief in a creed, or a set of rules. No, Christianity is about having a true, meaningful and loving relationship with God. It is knowing God personally and experiencing His divine love in our lives. It is accepting His fair and loving rule over us, His creation.
We first realise that God loves us and indeed does not want us to dull our lives, but the contrary; He wants us “to have life, and have it to the full” - (John 10:10)
[Note: the text in “quotations” followed by the brackets eg, (John 10:10) is a quote from the bible, with the highlighted text being the reference in the bible]
God created the world perfect, and when He had finished, was pleased with His work (Genesis 1:31). However, it is our wrongdoing (or sin) that results in disharmony in His created world. It disrupts His purpose for us, and creates a barrier between Him and us to the extent that we are even His enemies.
But wait! Have we really done something so horrendously bad that warrants enmity with the Creator of the Universe? I mean, most of us haven’t done anything wrong to warrant enmity from the government, or even our friends, let alone God.
But “We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” – (Romans 3:23)
Plainly, yes we have. To the completely sinless God even the smallest wrong (even a ‘little white lie’) demands complete and total separation from Him. He cannot stand to have any sin in or around His presence. This separation from God is meant by ‘to perish’, and is realised in what the bible terms as hell.
Because of our separation from God, we are left with a ‘God shaped’ vacuum in our lives. The multitude of religions show’s man’s struggle to fill this void, to bring about inner peace, to find God and oneself. Perhaps even the reason you are reading this. God knew the only way to bring man back into the purpose He had set out is for all of man’s wrongdoing and sin to be ‘paid for’, cancelled out.
Indeed, someone had to ‘perish’ in place of us. The only sinless being that could possibly do this is God himself, in the form of his Son, Jesus Christ. And so Jesus, in love and mercy, came to live among us as an example and to ultimately die the death that we should have suffered.
“For even the Son of Man (Jesus) came not to be served, but to serve, and give his life as a ransom for many (us)” – (Mark 10:45)
Jesus not only died, but rose to life again, announcing his defeat over the death we should have endured, and now beckons us to follow Him. This is the good news of Jesus Christ!
Say yes to Jesus? Say no to Jesus?
Because we have sinned, or done wrong, we all deserve to perish, to die spiritually. However, Jesus now offers us a free pardon, leading to eternal life. What is eternal life? It is God’s original purpose for us, which begins when we accept Jesus, and continues after death, in Heaven. All we need to do is accept that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that through Him (not through our or anything else’s means) we are saved from the consequence of our sin, and can have the life God intended for us (Christians also call this ‘salvation’ or ‘being saved’). Indeed without Jesus we still deserve to perish.
“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” – (Acts 4:12)
How do you go about ‘accepting’ Jesus?
The Bible assures us that if we confess that we are sinful, turning away from the things we do wrong, and believe and receive Jesus, He is more than willing and able to forgive us, and welcome us into His eternal life (Romans 10:9). If you have decided to accept Jesus, you can do this by praying this prayer, either out loud or in your heart:
‘God, I'm sorry for my sin. I confess that I have done wrong in your eyes. But Jesus, I thank you for dying for me, instead of me, on the cross. I believe that through this, you saved me from perishing. With your help, I turn from my sin, and give my life to you, as my Lord and my Saviour. I thank you for gift of salvation, and for accepting me into your eternal life.’
If you truly and meaningfully said this prayer, you now indeed have eternal life as a Christian, and child of God. Jesus has set you free from the grasp of sin and death, and He assures us, that “if the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed” – (John 8:36)
As a Christian, it is important to continue to receive God's message through going to church and through reading the bible. If you are lost on how to get started on either of these, then the CU will be more than willing to help you. Contact us on exec@trentcu.com. Otherwise grab a hold of one of your small group leaders, or one of your Christian friends. Please do feel free to contact us if you have any questions whatsoever - the CU is here to support Christians at any stage of their walk with Christ.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” – ( John 3:16)