Words in Red

Words in Red | John 17

March 27, 2026 By Lara Howard

This week’s suggested reading: John 17

This week’s question(s) to ponder: What are some “good works” God is calling you to do in this season of your life? Think of a relationship that (currently or previously) has been marked with division. What can you do to pursue unity in that relationship?

We glorify God by completing the good works he gave us to do.

In John 17:4, Jesus prays, “I glorified you (the Father) on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.” Jesus glorified – magnified, honored – the Father partly by completing the work he gave Jesus to do. And likewise, we do the same.

Paul says something similar in his letter to the Ephesians. After detailing the absolute grace of God to us in the work and gift of Jesus Christ, he says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

God has good works for his children to walk in. He has things for us to individually do while we’re here on this earth. He has people for us to specifically love and situations for us to specifically impact. Your list of good works is going to be different from mine. Your calling will be different than mine. And that’s a beautiful thing to celebrate! God isn’t a cookie-cutter God. He accounts for our individual, unique design in the things he has for us to do. But we have to be careful not to get it twisted.

We don’t do the good works in order to earn salvation from the Father. We’re set free from the condemnation of a holy God fully and completely by faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It’s faith in Christ’s work on the cross – where he died a brutal death for the sins of man, then defeated death 3 days later by rising from the grave – that we find our full forgiveness from the Father. That’s the grace gift.

But after we come to him by faith, he makes his home in us. God’s Spirit comes to dwell inside of us. And he then leads us to the “good works” he has for us to do while we’re still here on this planet. While we still have breath, we have good works to walk in.

The next question that naturally follows asks, “Well, what specific good works does God have for me to do?” The answer to that question takes much more space than what we have here. But to put it simply, knowing the specific good works God has for us to do on this earth flows out of a deepening relationship with him.

As we spend time with God – praying, reading his Word, confessing our sins, worshipping him, obeying what he says – we start to hear his voice more clearly. We start to know when the Spirit of God is prompting us to act. We may be inspired to do something, create something, give something, speak up about something – the list is endless. But the truth remains…

If we have breath in us, our Father still has good works for his children to do – things he has set apart specifically for our life, our relationships, our influence, and our situation.

Escaping the world isn't the answer.

In John 17:14-15 Jesus prays, “14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.” Jesus didn’t ask the Father to take his followers out of the world, even in the face of hate or persecution. He asked the Father to “keep them from the evil one.”

That word “keep” means “to guard from injury or loss, by keeping an eye upon.” (Strong’s, G5083) Jesus asks the Father to keep an eye on his followers in order to guard from loss or injury. And by Jesus asking the Father to keep us, we can trust that he will!

This reminds me of the time when Jesus taught his disciples how to pray in Matthew 6. “Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.'” (Matthew 6:10-13)

Jesus didn’t ask the Father to remove his people from the earth. He actually asked the opposite. He taught us to ask for God’s kingdom and will to come down to earth as it is in heaven. He taught us to ask the Father to deliver us from evil while we’re walking about on this planet.

I often hear people say things like, “I can’t wait for God to take us out of this evil world!” And though I totally understand the sentiment, that’s the opposite of what Christ taught us. We’re empowered in Jesus to be light on this dark planet. We’re called to show love to a world desperate for hope. We’re commissioned to share the forgiveness found in Jesus Christ. We have a Father who keeps an eye on his children, even in a place where evil exists. And we’re taught to pray for God’s kingdom to come to earth.

Escape – though that sounds lovely given the state of the world – actually isn’t the solution to the suffering found here. The answer to the pain of this world is the love of God displayed in the finished work of Christ, lived out through the lives of his people.

Unity reflects God.

In John 17:20-23 we see the theme of “oneness” emphasized. “20 I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”

A few things to note. First, though Jesus is praying for his disciples, we learn that he’s also praying for you and me. (v. 20) That means that the things he prays in this high priestly prayer (as it’s referred to), apply to us as well as to his first century disciples!

Second, we see that unity with other believers reflects the oneness of the Father and the Son. In contrast, discord, division, and strife between believers does not reflect God. We see this concept of oneness and unity taught all throughout Scripture. But Paul warns us clearly in his letter to the church at Corinth, “10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Corinthians 1:10-13)

In a world that’s extremely divided, sadly we also see so much division even among Jesus followers. Yes, we as Christ followers need to humbly and boldly address false teaching when we hear it. (Galatians 1:6-9) Yes, we’re told to test the spirits (1 John 4:1-4). Yes, we’re warned to beware of false prophets. (Matthew 7:15-20) Those are all true things. But often it’s not the major theological issues that divide us; it’s the preferences and fleshly desires that strip away our oneness. And that’s not ok.

Disunity isn’t ok for one main reason: it doesn’t reflect God. And the ultimate reason we want to reflect God rightly on this earth is so that the world may believe in Jesus! (See John 17:21, 23)

If we find ourselves in a situation with another believer marked by discord and division, then I pray we see it as an invitation from God to pursue unity. Pursuing unity begins by getting alone with God, asking for wisdom in the divisive situation. If we’re willing to hear, he will show us our own role in the conflict – convicting us of our own sin – and lead us to forgive the other person for the role they’ve played in the conflict. After gaining clarity through prayer, he may lead us to communicate directly with the other person in humility and love in efforts to restore unity. (See Matthew 18:15-17)

Healing a divisive situation takes time and wisdom as relationships can be really messy. But we cannot deny, unity with others reflects the Father. “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” (Romans 12:18)

Disclaimer: Words in Red is a devotional blog series created for personal reflection and spiritual encouragement. All writing is original and created solely by the author, Lara Howard—AI was not used in the development of this content. All content in this series is copyrighted and may not be reproduced, distributed, or used without written permission. © Think True Things

Words in Red | John 16

March 19, 2026 By Lara Howard

This week’s suggested reading: John 16

This week’s question(s) to ponder: What is causing you fear or anxiety these days? What are some truths that Jesus taught that you could meditate upon to help combat the fear and anxiety that tempts you?

We have choice as to what we think about.

Jesus says in John 16:1-4, “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.”

I see two pretty big implications from Jesus’ words, spoken to his disciples, that apply to us today: (1) Jesus followers will be persecuted on this Earth, and (2) we desperately need to remember Jesus’ teachings, especially in the face of trial.

To expound a bit, first, we as Jesus followers literally follow a suffering Savior. We follow the one who lived a perfect life, yet was brutally killed by those who rejected him. We follow one who radically loved the outcast, the rejected, the least, and was crucified on a cross for seeming blasphemy. If the world responded to Jesus with violent rejection, why would we ever think we should receive anything different as we too radically love a hurting world?

Second, trials and pressures will come upon us – they will – but in those seasons, the truths and promises that Jesus taught us are meant to impact us. The truths and promises of Jesus transcend earthly trials and conflict. Nothing can negate Jesus’ promises. Nothing can override his plans and teachings. He is our secure foundation, no matter what this world throws at us. Yet often we live so distracted with things of this world, we forget to meditate on the things our Lord said.

There are a million distractions around us…many coming from the device in the palm of our hand much of the day. I’m preaching to myself. Yet throughout Scripture, God tells us to remember his teachings and remember his promises hundreds of times.

Remember what I said. Remember what I did. Remember what I’ve promised. Remember.

The calling to remember points to the premise of this website: Think True Things. God made our brain to be so amazing. We as his creation have the ability to steer our thoughts. We get choice as to what we think about. Yet so often we/I meditate on things that aren’t helpful, holy, or healing. And thoughts not rooted in the truth of God can slip in so quietly, through the pains we’ve experienced, the media we consume, and the disappointments that plague us. (Just to name a few.)

But Jesus reminds us: he spoke truths to us to keep us from falling away in the face of trouble, trials, and persecution. And if anything seems most pressing right now as I type this post, it’s the dire need for his followers to meditate on the truths that Jesus taught and displayed, every minute of the day.

People hate and murder because they do not know God the Father or Jesus His Son.

We read in verse 3 that people hate and kill Jesus followers because they do not know the one true God. Hate doesn’t come from our God. The God of the Bible is a God of love – the God of love. It was out of his great love for his creation that he sent his Son to save the world, beginning with the Jews and then spreading to the Gentiles. He loves with an everlasting love. Those who murder and hate followers of Jesus do so because they do not know God the Father or Jesus his Son.

Taken a step further, we as Jesus followers must guard our own hearts from hate. As the saying goes, “hurt people hurt people.” We live in a world of hurting people. And humans react out of their hurt. People will do things that bring us pain – sometimes intentionally, sometimes unknowingly. But people will hurt us. In those moments, it’s vital to our own peace that we live in a state of forgiveness. Yes, there’s a place for loving confrontation and firm boundaries. But harboring hate will only end up harming our own souls. And an act of loving forgiveness can actually soften and help heal a hurting world.

Hurt people hurt people. But healed people help heal people.

We follow the God of love. May we be quick to release hate when it knocks on our heart’s door.

We have a Helper!

We’ve talked a few times in this series about the Holy Spirit, referred to as the Helper and the Spirit of truth in this section of John. Jesus himself says, “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” (16:7)

When we look at the whole counsel of the Bible, we know that the Spirit of God comes to make his home inside of believers. After we put our faith in Jesus, we become a temple of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor. 6:19) We learn in Scripture that he seals us; and that’s a permanent mark. (Eph. 1:13-14) He leads us into truth. He convicts us and guides us. As we walk with him and learn to submit to him, he grows his fruit in us – the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. (Gal. 5:22-23) We have a helper!

This world is dark. There is so much evil here. But we haven’t been left as an orphan on this planet. When we put our faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit of God comes to live within us, helping and strengthening us every step of the way. And that’s really great news.

There is trouble in the world. Even so, there is peace in Jesus.

As I write today, our country is in the midst of a terrible war. There’s so much trouble on this planet. There’s so much hate, greed, lust, and division. But even so, there’s still peace in Jesus.

When Jesus walked on this planet, even knowing he would be brutally murdered and separated from the Father, he didn’t live in fear. He didn’t live anxiously. He knew the joy set before him was greater than the trouble to be experienced on this planet. And in Christ, we can find rest for our soul in that same peace.

The challenge to myself, and one I’ll pass along to you, is seek him, day in and day out. Remember him when life takes a turn into chaotic waters. Remember his promises when fear comes knocking. Meditate on the peace that comes from our Savior – a peace we now have with the Father through faith in Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection.

Yes, there is trouble here. But there is peace to be experienced, even on this broken Earth, in Jesus.

Words in Red | John 15

March 3, 2026 By Lara Howard

This week’s suggested reading: John 15

This week’s question(s) to ponder: What distracts you most from abiding with Jesus? What are some practical things you can do to abide in him?

Abide in Jesus. Abide in Jesus. Abide in Jesus.

Jesus says the word “abide” ten times in six verses. (John 15:4-10) Abide. Whenever we read repetitive statements in the Bible, that’s a clue that what we’re being told holds great importance. Abide. In the Greek, that word means “stay, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, tarry.” (Strong’s Concordance, G3306) Abide. And Jesus teaches that fruit grows in our lives as a result of abiding in him. Abide.

Abide means we bring him into the moments of the day. Abide means his words fill our thoughts as the minutes and hours tick by. Abide means we keep our eyes stayed on Jesus, even when the world shouts confusion. He tells us that the result of abiding in him will be fruit growing in our lives – the fruit of God which equals love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. (See Galatians 5) In fact, he tells us we can’t bear fruit if we don’t abide. (John 15:4) It’s not possible.

Abide. Abide.

Yet so much pulls at our attention, demanding that we abide in a million other things. From the moment we open our eyes in the morning to the moment we close them in the evening, distractions invade our minutes. And a vast majority of the distractions that pull at us come from a form of technology.

Think about it. What distracts you most from abiding in Jesus? For me, social media and the news most often distracts me from abiding in Jesus. Even as I sat down to type this post, I responded to my phone’s dinging approximately 537 times…until I finally shouted at myself, “Ignore it, Lara!” I have to purposefully turn my heart and mind away from the things of this world and onto his words. I have to purposefully take my thoughts captive to the truths of God. Otherwise I’ll find myself abiding in things that only bring fear, frustration, angst, and worry.

I’m not advocating for crawling into a hole with your family, disengaged from the pain and injustices of our day. Though that’s very tempting, that’s not our mission from Jesus. That’s not what Jesus meant when he said to abide in him. Our mission as followers of Jesus is to go into the world and love our neighbors, addressing both spiritual and physical needs. We’re called to be salt and light in this dark world. We’re instructed to go and make disciples, telling others of the good news of Jesus Christ. But we can’t do any of that effectively if we’re not abiding in him.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Abide in Jesus.

One command: love others like Jesus loved.

In John 15:12-13, Jesus repeats the commandment he gave to his followers in John 13. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (15:12-13) Love like Jesus loved. So how did Jesus love?

Jesus loved completely and sacrificially. He gave himself. He entered into the pain of this world. He served the people around him, even those who would betray him. His love held him on a cross in order that he would die in the place of sinners. Jesus loved fully, and he commands us to do the same.

So how could Jesus love be expressed in your own life? Who might he be calling you to love like he loves – fully, sacrificially, and even when they can’t love you in return? (Questions I’m asking myself.)

Jesus left us with one command: love. Love others as an overflow of his love in us.

Expect hatred from the world.

Jesus tells us to expect hatred from the world. He says, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.” (15:18) But let’s be really clear. The world hated Jesus without cause. Without cause. Without cause. Without cause. (I’m using repetition to emphasize my point.)

Too often I hear “Christians” use this expected hatred as an excuse for very unloving behavior. Here’s what I mean. Someone claiming to be a Christian says some hateful, mean, accusatory things, then says, “Well, people hate me just like they hated Jesus.” That’s NOT what Jesus is talking about.

Jesus was hated without cause. He came to give. He came to serve. He came with the message of hope and eternal life. He came with forgiveness from the Father. People (the religious people) hated him because to accept forgiveness meant acknowledging their sin of hypocrisy and idolatry. And that offended them because they no longer “had an excuse for their sin.” (15:22)

As we go into the world on a mission to love like Jesus loved, people (possibly the most “religious” people) will hate us just like they hated Jesus. His love radically crushes fake religiosity. His love destroys works-based righteousness. His love requires we die to self and live radically loving the world around us. People, often religious people, hate that.

Words in Red | John 14

February 26, 2026 By Lara Howard

This week’s suggested reading: John 14

This week’s question(s) to ponder: Spend some time in prayer asking God to reveal any area of your life that’s marked with disobedience. Confess that sin to him (and possibly to a trusted friend for accountability). Ask him to forgive you and empower you to obey him in that area of your life. We all have blind spots. We all have sin we cling to. But God is good and kind. His commands are good and kind. And obedience to him truly brings life to us. (I’m preaching to myself.)

Jesus is the only way to the Father.

Years ago, after I completed my Masters in Divinity, I taught World Religions at a local community college. And one thing I realized in studying the religions of the world, Christianity has one distinct difference: a risen Savior.

Every religion has teachers. Every religion has instructions to followers. But no other religion on the planet has a risen Savior. No other religion on the planet has a Savior who came to Earth to die for the sins of man, and defeat death as Lord of all. Not one.

In John 14, Jesus explicitly says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) Jesus is the only way to the Father. Muhammad can’t get us to the Father. Siddhartha Gautama can’t get us to the Father. Confucius can’t get us to the Father. Laozi can’t get us to the Father. They all have some true teachings. There are some universal truths that God has revealed to mankind in “things that have been made.” (See Romans 1) But none of these religious founders can get you or me to the Creator God because they’re missing one key component: forgiveness of sins.

God teaches us from the very beginning that without the shedding of blood there cannot be forgiveness of sins. (See Leviticus 17 and Hebrews 9) That’s why he set up the animal sacrificial system in the Old Testament. This system foreshadowed the ultimate sacrifice that would one day come from God Himself – the final sacrifice of the Son of God for the sins of man.

You and I can never do enough good things to reach the Father. We can’t say enough words, read enough texts, or perform enough good deeds. We’re incapable of personally bridging the chasm between us and our perfect, holy, creator God. We need a savior. We need a rescuer. And Jesus taught us that that’s exactly why he came.

Jesus came to save us from our inevitable condemnation. He came to be the perfect sacrifice for my sin and yours. He came to make us alive in him, instead of dead in our sins! And here’s what’s crazy. We don’t receive forgiveness by doing a bunch of external things. We receive forgiveness by simply believing in Jesus! (That’s the good news termed “the gospel.”) After we’ve put our faith in Jesus, he then empowers us by God’s Spirit to do the works of love he has created us to do.

Paul explains it clearly in his letter to the Ephesians, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

We are saved by faith in Jesus Christ. He is the only way to the Father. And this is the grace gift of God himself.

Obedience is evidence of our love for Jesus.

We receive forgiveness of our sins by faith in Jesus Christ. But our relationship with him doesn’t stop there. Love for Jesus and the gift of God’s grace propels us to reflect him in this dark world through obedience to his commands. In fact, obedience to his commands is directly linked to loving Jesus. You cannot separate the two.

Jesus says it twice in John 14.

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)
“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” (John 14:21)

Our obedience doesn’t make us righteous. Faith in Jesus’ blood sacrifice for our sins makes us righteous before a holy God. But if we love Jesus, we will long to keep his commands. It’s what love does.

Though on a much smaller scale, as a child I wanted to obey my parents because I loved them. And when I disobeyed, I felt sorrow because of that love. My love for them created in me a desire to obey.

Any gospel teaching being preached that doesn’t include our obedience to God’s commands, isn’t the full gospel. Putting our faith in Jesus is more than insurance against going to hell. Putting our faith in Jesus is a heart posture, rooted in love and gratitude, that propels us to be light and love here on Earth…just as he commanded.

We’re all in process of working out our own salvation. We won’t be perfect, and God is tender to our human struggle. But it’s vital that we take the time to prayerfully ask God to reveal things in us things that steal the life Jesus died to give us. Because ultimately, his commands to us are good. They’re for our good, not for our harm. And obeying them truly is life for us.

The Spirit of God abides in those who believe in Jesus.

Mo blessing. Mo blessing. Mo blessing! Seriously. If forgiveness of sins and a forever relationship with Jesus isn’t enough, God also sends his Spirit to dwell WITHIN those who believe. That’s an unbelievable gift!

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17)

The Bible teaches that the Spirit of God himself comes to make his home within those who put their faith in Jesus. His Spirit seals us.* He guides us. He empowers us. He protects us. He ministers to us. He comforts us. He teaches us. (And sidenote, the Spirit of God is a “he” not an “it”.)

But just because we’re sealed with his Spirit, doesn’t mean we’re always filled. We as Jesus followers can grieve his Spirit within us. We can get so focused on this world – our pains, our wants, our plans, our pleasures – that we ignore his voice and follow after our selfish agenda. Paul discusses this in Ephesians 4:

“25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:25-32)

The good news is, even if we’ve grieved him, by the absolute grace of God we can also “fan into flame” the Spirit of God within us. Paul uses this phrase in his letter to Timothy:

“I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:6-7)

How do we fan him into flame? We spend time worshipping God, reading his Word, testifying of his goodness, confessing our sins, praying continually, and fellowshipping with other believers (just to name a few ways). And when we do, his fruit grows in our lives – the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, and self-control. (See Galatians 5)

Jesus didn’t leave us orphans on earth to figure life out on our own. The Father comes to make his home in us once we’ve put our faith in Jesus Christ. And that’s a priceless gift.

*The word “seal” is a permanent marking. And as a sidenote, I’ve often joked that Jesus followers may glow or something in the spirit realm once we have this seal. I’m not so sure it’s a joke anymore. I’m thinking there may be some truth to that. But I guess we’ll find out one day.

Satan rules this world, but his time is limited.

In John 14:30-31, Jesus says, “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.”

We live in a spiritual world. We’re taught throughout Scripture that there are spiritual beings – good and evil – all around us. And this John 14 text isn’t the only time we learn that Satan rules this world. 2 Corinthians 4:4 describes him as the god of this world, “4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

Then in Ephesians 2 we read, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” (Ephesians 2:1-3)

Satan currently rules this world. He is a deceiver, oppressor, liar, stealer, and hater. His influence upon the heart of man is pure evil. But his time is limited. Jesus will come again to judge. And Satan will be eternally damned. He knows his time is short. And he knows that Jesus wins.