Why do people not believe? What is the nature of unbelief? What is it at its core? Where does it come from? And then in

verse 21 how about belief? Where does that come from and what's its nature? That's what he's doing. He's leaving behind the words

belief and unbelief, but he isn't leaving behind the issue.

When someone does not believe the gospel, why is that? What is the nature of unbelief?

John Piper addresses those questions from John 3, 16 to 21 in this episode of Light and Truth.

This sermon was originally preached at Bevland Baptist Church on May 17th, 2009.

Father, I pray now.

I pray that your word would have divine power to destroy

strongholds in people's hearts and minds of loving darkness and hating light. Come do your mighty work. This is your word and your word is powerful. Help me to be faithful to it. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen.

Our focus in this message is on verses 19 to 21 of John 3, Gospel of John, chapter 3.

I'll tell you the main point up front, there is a kind of judgment that came into the world when the Son of God, Jesus

Christ came into the world when the son of God Jesus Christ came into the world.

And this judgment reveals that the guilt of not coming to Jesus lies in the heart of man and the grace of coming from the heart of God.

That's the main point of this text.

Or to put it another way, the coming of Jesus

into the world clarifies that unbelief is our fault and belief is a gift of God.

Which means that if we do not come to Christ,

but eternally perish, we magnify God's justice in our damnation.

And if we do come to Christ and have eternal life, we magnify God's grace in our salvation.

That's the point of this text.

Now, my job is to show you that in this text,

so that you see it for yourself.

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