Jesus has just finished telling Nicodemus that all those who do not believe in Him are already condemned. Jesus now explains why men are condemned and how men escape the condemnation through Him.
Men are condemned because they reject light and love darkness
Jesus comes as the Light of the world. Jesus is light in that He exposes sin and reveals the true nature of men. Men are condemned because they reject the truth and run from Jesus. Men are condemned because they love darkness and would rather have darkness than light.
Men love darkness because their deeds are evil
Jesus then says that men love darkness because it hides their true nature and evil deeds. They do not want to be exposed. Remember that Nicodemus came to Jesus by night; Jesus is here telling Nicodemus that his reason for coming at night was because he did not want to be exposed. Nicodemus does not want people to know that he is trying to be a Pharisee and a follower of Jesus at the same time. His coming to Jesus in the dark is showing that he is living an evil life of hypocrisy.
Men are condemned because they hate the light
Jesus does not leave any wiggle room. Either you love the light or you hate it. Jesus is here telling Nicodemus that he either hates Jesus or loves Him. There is no middle ground. You cannot live a life of sin and love Jesus. It is impossible. You cannot love Jesus and walk in darkness. If you do not want your life to be exposed by the truth, you hate Jesus. The reason men hate the light is because it exposes the truth concerning who they truly are.
The New Birth is brought about by coming to Jesus Who is the Light
A person is born again by acknowledging the truth and freely exposing their sin through confession and repentance. They come openly seeking Jesus Christ through faith. Jesus then transforms them, and their life is changed by the power of God. The life the person now lives and the good they do is a manifestation of God’s work in their lives. Their good deeds are brought about by God’s grace in their lives not their own goodness. This is what it means to be born again.
Application
Have you openly confessed your sins and come to Christ for a changed life? Is their evidence that you are born again? Are you walking in light or are you walking in darkness?
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