Anchor My Faith

Perish

Scripture: John 3:16

Today our lesson will cover the next word in our collection of eight words, the word “perish”. We are looking at the words from, “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 ESV). Those who believe in Jesus and surrender to him, will not perish. So, what does it mean to perish?

In John 3:16 we understand that those who believe have eternal life and those who don’t believe will perish. The lack of eternal life in a person leaves that person in a state of perishing. John 3:18 provides a link between perish and condemned: “The one who believes in him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God” (ESV). We begin physical life already condemned and unless God intervenes in our life we will perish.

John 3:36 links another word with perish: “The one who believes in the Son has eternal life. The one who rejects the Son will not see life, but God’s wrath remains on him” (NET). To not believe is to reject the Son and the one who rejects the Son will not see life, but God’s wrath remains on him. In addition to being already condemned at physical birth, we are born with God’s wrath on us. Therefore, to perish means one is condemned guilty of sin and is under the wrath of God. Without belief in the Son, who was given to provide for our need, that person will perish under the righteous eternal wrath of God.

Prayer

Father, thank you for sending your Son to provide the way of salvation. Lord, thank you for coming and drinking from the cup of wrath and then dying in our place for our sin. Lord, thank you for taking upon you our sin and clothing us with your righteousness. Thank you for the gift of eternal life.