Study
John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
The Scripture verse we are studying is actually the spoken words of Jesus Christ from a conversation He had with Nicodemus, a Pharisee and religious leader of Israel. Read the surrounding passage in John 3:1-21 to learn the context of the verse. As a Pharisee, Nicodemus held to the letter of the Law, conscientiously keeping its every requirement in order to obtain the favor of the Holy God of Israel. His concept of the Deity was as a supremely Righteous God who bestowed blessings on the obedient and exacted punishment on the wayward. And to his ears, the words of Christ must have had a stunniing effect. What were the Truths expressed in Jesus' Words that impacted Nicodemus and transformed him into a follower of Christ? Below are Three Principles taught in John 3:16:
Think!
"For God so loved the world..."
The words "For God so loved the world" would have been revolutionary to Nicodemus. God loves the Obedient? No problem. God loves the Israelites? I can accept that! But that God loves all the people in the world ... rich or poor, good or bad, Jew or Gentile? No way! In Nicodemus' world, God only favored the few who obeyed Him ... no more, no less. But Jesus stated it clearly: "For God so loved the world.."! Everyone ... without exception. No matter how good, no matter how bad, whether a believer in God or not ... all are objects of His unconditional and perfect love.
Think!
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Principle #2: God's Love is Expressed Through the Gift of Jesus Christ.
"that he gave his one and only Son,"
John 3:16 teaches that God has shown how much He loves us by giving us His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. However, His Gift can only be appreciated if we understand Man's present condition ... All people are born sinners who are dead to God and destined for eternal destruction and separation from God. Ephesians 2:1-3 Having turned against God, either through "active rebellion or passive indifference", we have lost all hope of entering His Heaven, a Perfect Place reserved for Perfect People. How can we, ... as imperfect and sinful people ... ever become acceptable to a Perfect God? It is for this reason Jesus came!
God gave His Son as a sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sin, in order that we might receive His Forgiveness, His Righteousness and His Life. Jesus' Life, Death and Resurrection is able to make us acceptable ... indeed Righteous and Perfect before the Holy God ... fit to enter into His Perfect Heaven! Jesus loves you so much, that He willingly gave His life in exchange for yours!
And because He died in our place, Jesus Christ is the Only Way God has provided for us to come to him. Apart from Christ, there is absolutely no hope for us ever coming to God and dwelling with Him in Heaven!
Think!
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Principle #3: Faith in Jesus Christ Saves Us From Destruction and Assures Us of Eternal Life
"that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
In John 3:16, Jesus makes an offer to the listener ... an offer that should not be refused! It is an offer to "whoever" would respond in faith. And the impact of that response will have eternal repercussions. Jesus' offer is a fork in the road to Eternity ... one way leading to Destruction and the other ... to Life.
In Jesus' offer is seen the guarantee of God ... the absolute assurance of Life to all who would trust in Christ as their Savior to save them from the penalty of sin! Christ did not say that those who trust in Him might have eternal life, but "shall ... have eternal life."
Think!
