John 3 : 16 is probably the best known verse in the Bible and has been committed to memory by millions.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
(As long-time readers of this blog will know, "eternal" is not a correct translation of the Greek in this verse, but we won't focus on that in this post.)
Clearly this verse states that belief is needed for anyone to attain life.
So this restricts life to those to whom God has given belief (faith).
Now let's look at the next verse (sentence).
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. [John 3 : 17]
This verse claims that God is going to save the world, for this is the reason Jesus came.
So let's put these two claims together.
Belief (faith) is needed to attain life AND God is going to save the world (everyone).
These two claims can only be consistent with each other IF God is going to give belief to the world, to everyone.
And if he hasn't done so by the time anyone dies and leaves this planet, he must be planning to do so in the ages still ahead of us.
One of our most-quoted verses shows this link ...
For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
[1 Timothy 4 : 10]
So to understand God's plan for everyone we can't afford to consider John 3 : 16 on its own. We need the next verse with it to complete the picture.
Blessings, Barry
I know we have discussed this before (about 5 years ago), but today I was prompted to post a fresh thought on this most interesting verse.
Here it is ...
Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. [Matthew 12 : 32 NIV]
Firstly, let's make the obvious comment.
There is no unpardonable or unforgivable sin. How can there be?
Regardless of what this verse might or might not say, Jesus died on the cross and paid the penalty for all our sins, as we have been assured many times through the Bible. For example 1 John 2:2; 2 Corinthians 5:19.
Secondly, by looking at our verse here, we can see that this is also true.
All sin against Jesus will be forgiven - a statement of assurance.
Sin against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven in this age (the age in which Jesus lived and spoke these words) or in the age to come (the church age in which we are currently living).
However, the age after that, which includes the judgement pictured by the Great White Throne and the purification and cleansing pictured by the Lake of Fire, will surely look after this sin.
Whatever speaking against the Holy Spirit means or includes, it must wait until a future age to be forgiven. This seems to indicate that people who have committed this sin will miss reigning with Jesus in his kingdom, will not be resurrected until the final age begins, so will be among the last to be prepared for eternal fellowship with God.
Blessings, Barry
One of the most interesting positions taken by many Christians is that Jesus Christ is their Saviour ONLY when they believe that he is.
To generalise this position ..... a fact is only true when we believe it is true .......
For example, centuries ago most of the world believed that the earth was flat. Although this belief had an important influence on the people of the time, especially on ocean-faring merchants and sailors, it had no bearing on the actual shape of the earth, on the facts.
In other words, beliefs can never determine facts. Rather, facts must already be true (in existence) before they can be the subject of belief.
Now let's consider the facts about Jesus and salvation.
For God was pleased to have all his fulness dwell in him (Christ), and through him (Christ) to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
[ Col 1 : 19 - 20 ]
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them.
[ 2 Cor 5 : 19 ]
These are the facts. Whether they are believed or not will not alter them.
As Jesus himself said, " I will draw all people to myself." [ John 12 : 32 ]
He is the Saviour of the world, of all people. That is a fact.
So what role does belief play?
Firstly, there is the obvious one .....
Those who believe in the Son of God (Jesus Christ) accept this testimony (of the facts about Jesus). Those who do not believe God have made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.
[ 1 John 5 : 10 ]
Secondly, the one where people have been led astray by poor English translations .....
And this is the testimony: God has given us life in the ages (NOT eternal life), and this life is in his Son.
Those who have the Son have this life; those who do not have the Son of God (Jesus Christ) do not have this life.
[ 1 John 5 : 11 -12 ]
And that is another fact. Believers have life in the ages (the current age and those ages still to come), while unbelievers wait until the ages are completed for their "drawing to Jesus" to occur.
All will be reconciled to God eventually, but there is something special for believers - they will rule (govern) with Christ in the ages.
The Apostle Paul hints at this in his encouragement to Timothy .....
That is why we labour and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Saviour of all people, and especially of those who believe.
[ 1 Tim 4 : 10 ]
Believing doesn't alter the facts; but believing the facts about Jesus and salvation has special (first-fruit) benefits.
Blessings, Barry.
