Nearly every Christian recites and holds onto John 3:16: “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that everyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
However, no scriptural passage should be interpreted solely based on a single isolated verse. The complete context is provided below:
| John 3:16-21 GNT 16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior.18 Those who believe in the Son are not judged; but those who do not believe have already been judged, because they have not believed in God’s only Son. 19 This is how the judgment works: the light has come into the world, but people love the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil. 20 Those who do evil things hate the light and will not come to the light, because they do not want their evil deeds to be shown up. 21 But those who do what is true come to the light in order that the light may show that what they did was in obedience to God. |
INTRODUCTION
John 3:16 is not limited to just that verse; its context expands into verses 19-21, pivoting on the keyword “Believe and judgment”. These critical emphasizing points are in verses 19-21:
- Do individuals who have not yet redeemed from darkness, and moved away from darkness have the power to live by the truth of the light (Verse 21)?
- Can non-Christians choose to perform godly righteous acts before coming to His faith (verses 19-21)?
- Do non-believers have the spiritual capacity and will to obey God without accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior?
Why is it necessary to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior if non-Christians can:
- Live in the light?
- Perform godly righteous acts?
- Obey God?
People often assert that humans have the free will to live morally upright lives. However, according to the Bible, this perspective is not aligned with its teachings.
ORIGINAL SIN
The Bible emphasizes that due to the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, the original sin is corrupting or tainting all human beings. This original sin affected all subsequent generations, leading to a state of spiritual darkness or separation from God. Thus, everyone is living in spiritual darkness.
The explicit truth is that no one can live in the light, perform righteous acts, and obey God without accepting Jesus as their Savior.
This reflects that the passage in John 3:16-21 is talking about Christians. It does not refer to pre-believers.
In essence, the scripture suggests that should Christians believe in Jesus but continue living in the darkness, continuing to perform evil acts is not completely believing in the Lord and shall be judged.
The reason the believers do not live in the light is because they fear their actions shall be revealed and exposed (Verse 20). Such Believers don’t fully accept Jesus. They are rejecting light in favor of darkness.
BELIEVE
Moreover, the word “Believe” in John 3:16 is in the present tense, indicating ongoing action or a habitual state of being. It signifies continuously believing in Him so that believers may not perish but have eternal life.
This belief isn’t merely a one-time recitation of a salvation prayer during an altar call to receive eternal life.
According to the AMPC Bible, “Believe” means to “Trust in, Cling to, and Rely on” Jesus. For Christians, this is not a one-time event but a continuous state of abiding in union with Jesus, which is crucial in Christian doctrine until death.
This understanding is often supported by passages in the Bible, such as John 15:4-5, where Jesus speaks of abiding in Him like branches in a vine, and the necessity of remaining connected to Him for spiritual fruitfulness.
Furthermore, the Gospel of John chapter 20, verses 30-31 states that the “30 In his DISCIPLES’ PRESENCE Jesus performed many other miracles which are not written down in this book. 31 But these have been written in order that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God and that through your faith in him you may have life. (GNT)”.
Yes, that’s right. The purpose of the Gospel of John is written for believers, and not for non-believers. It has a strong emphasis on reinforcing the faith of believers. Hence, this is how the Gospel of John portrays and differentiates itself from the rest of the Gospel Books that are known as Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke).
SUMMARY
In summary, John 3:16-21 underscores the importance of a continuous, active faith in Jesus Christ for Christians, rather than viewing salvation as a one-time event. Hence true salvation involves a lifelong journey of faith, relationship, and obedience with God through Jesus Christ shall then have eternal life.
It is about continuously abiding or union with Jesus. It is not about accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour but still living in the darkness, in wicked acts.
Ultimately, it underscores that believers cannot preach based on a single verse or fragment verses. Likewise, Christians cannot simply quote John 3:16 without considering its surrounding context. Genuine belief entails consistently living in the light, that is the biblical definition of “Believe”. The context is paramount. Amenbible.
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