“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish,
but have everlasting life.
For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world,
But that the world should be saved through Him.
He who believes in Him is not judged;
he who does not believe has been judged already,
because he has not believed
in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
- John 3:16-18 -
“For God so loved....”
Rephrase that in your mind to read...“God loved the world so much....” God did not just say, “I love you so much,” however...He proved it! Jesus followed His Father’s example. On that hill outside Jerusalem, He said, “O Jerusalem, how much I have loved you!” And then He suffered the cross.
“That He gave His only begotten Son....”
God sent His only Son...to be born in a manger, not a fancy hotel...to die on a cross at an early age...to be buried in a borrowed tomb...and to overcome death and live again. God sent His Son to die for the sins of the whole world...past, present and future! You read that right...the entire world...everybody ever born. He died to win the victory over sin and the accompanying spiritual death...not people.
“That whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of every person...believers or not...but in order to be spared hell and blessed with eternal life, each person must believe. Not “get good”...”clean up your act”...Only Believe. That’s mind-boggling awesome...as are all things of God.
“God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world.”
That is one promise that is often overlooked by many...and exemplifies the nature of our God! In and of itself, the promise is a no-brainer. If condemnation had been the purpose, God could have just destroyed the world by fiat[1]... spoken it OUT of existence...because as Paul writes in Romans 3:23, “all have sinned.” God’s purpose was LOVE...beyond any definition or understanding of the word we humans can comprehend. “But that the world, through Him, might be saved.”
It was not Jesus who committed the Original Sin...nor, is it Jesus who sins daily...but us humans. Yet, instead of condemnation, God grants mercy...lovingly invites every human sinner to to be reconciled to Him...and even provides the Way! Too unbelieveable not to be believed!
“He who believes is not condemned.”
“One more time” Jesus affirms the promise. Note that in His words in the paragraph above, He says, “Might be saved.” Can be saved...allowed, invited to be saved...but it’s the choice of every individual. Belief is not a mandatory thing...no one is forced to believe. But make the choice to BELIEVE, and as Paul says in Romans 8:1, “There is therefore, now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (who have believed and accepted His gift of salvation). So then...if a person does not believe, God condemns that one, after all? Please.
“He who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
Condemnation is the human’s choice of unbelief.
[1] Medieval Latin, from Latin,
let it be done