Perishing – The Presidential Prayer Team

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

Death comes to every created thing. Most people see death as an ending. However, if you explore the Bible you may begin to view death as merely a doorway.

Humans were created by an Eternal Being to enjoy eternal life along with Him! However, people chose to invite evil/sin into the picture so, along with eternal life, perishing, or eternal death, also became an option. Scripture states that when you accept life in Jesus Christ eternal life is what you will experience on the other side of death’s doorway. However, for those who refuse God’s offer of salvation, death will bring perishing – separation from God.

The Creator and King of the universe loves humanity so much, He made a way to redeem His sinful creation so that death “has no sting” (1 Corinthians 15:55). The Father and Son were willing to experience separation from perfect union to make a way for you to never be separated again! It is hard to imagine the depth of love that satisfied God’s holy justice so humankind could escape perishing.

Those who accept Christ learn to die to themselves so He may live through them. Believers in Jesus learn to “perish” to earthly, fleshly desires in order to live the amazing new life He died to give them. This separation from the sinful nature, a “death” that causes some pain, is a small thing compared to the life the Lord offers!

Pray that believers in these difficult days would be courageous to spread the good news of God’s love to a hurting world. Ask the Lord to draw the hearts of those in public office to Himself.

Today’s Verse: John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Recommended for further reading: 1 Corinthians 1:20-31

²⁰Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. ²²For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, ²³but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, ²⁴but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

²⁶For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. ²⁷But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; ²⁸God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, ²⁹so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. ³⁰And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, ³¹so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”