Yes, this is true! When th...
Articles Community blogs John 3:16 | John 3:16 |
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| Written by Khimani A. Williams | ||||||||
| Wednesday, 16 January 2008 | ||||||||
Ever since primary school I was able to recite the Crown Verse of the Bible, St. John 3:16. Almost everyone knows it, children and the elderly, sinners and saints. And everyone should know it, for this verse tells of God’s great love for an undeserving and rebellious race. We are reminded that God gave us His only begotten Son as a gift, so that anyone can find salvation whenever they accept this gracious gift. Much emphasis is placed on John 3:16, and rightly so, but this is just a verse in a chapter, and to understand the claims it puts forth we have to examine the before and after verses in John 3. The assertion by John 3:16 is that men are wretched sinners who are hopelessly lost, and because of God’s love for us He provided a ‘ram in the thicket’, making it possible for us to be reconciled with Him. On what grounds does John 3:16 make this claim? Well, let’s take a look at the big picture, John 3. John 3: 1–21 records a dialogue between Nicodemus the Pharisee and Jesus the Christ. Nicodemus initiated the conversation with flattery, proclaiming that Jesus was a “…Teacher from God.” But Jesus sidestepped all that and got right to the heart of the matter. He stressed, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again.” [John 3: 3]. ‘No one’ includes everyone; so therefore, no one has a chance at eternal life unless he is born again? God’s John 3:16’s gift’s necessity quickly becomes abundantly clear, for if by our ‘good selves’ we are not good enough then we need something different and greater which could make us acceptable to God. In verse 6 Jesus noted that “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit”. Man, being sinful, will always give birth sinful offspring, but the Spirit, being holy, gives birth to renewed men. All we have to do if we doubt that we are utterly sinful is to do an honest analysis of our very lives and quickly we will see that we need the Saviour. But many don’t have that kind of time to spare, for there are more ‘pressing’ issues to consider, like our relationships and career. How sad! We need to look to Jesus in order to be rescued from the deeds of our own hands. [John 3:14]. God’s judgment is just and we need to wash the blood of our souls off our hands. The verses following verse 16 tells us that: we are saved if we accept Jesus Christ, but are standing in condemnation even while we live if we refuse to believe and accept God’s gift [Verses 17, 36]; men prefer to do evil rather that good [verse 19]; men will not accept Jesus Christ because they fear their evil deeds being exposed by His pure light; and those who have accepted God’s gift can openly testify about John 3: 16’s promise of eternal life. I can testify! It is obvious that we are guilty, so what’s the remedy? Faith! “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life…” [John 3: 36]. For us it is currently our annual season of giving and merriment, but God has given Jesus Christ His Son as a sacrifice for all men. You have one lifetime to accept this offer. What will you do? The Word of God calls you a guilty sinner who deserves God’s sore condemnation. John 3: 16, the verse you probably know, says that we will perish if we fail to accept Jesus Christ, so again what are you going to do? God has done His part in giving His Son who died for our sins, all you have to do is repent of your sins and believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ. [Romans 10: 9 – 10]. God has given His life for you, this Christmas season you could be made new if you give your life to Him. St. John 3:16 not only shows that we are sinners in desperate need for a Saviour, it also illustrates God’s great love for us. John 3:16’s ‘whomsoever’ includes you, all you have to do is believe.
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