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John 3:16 - Whosoever Believes in Christ.John 3:16 (KJV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.John 3:16 (AMP) For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. INTRODUCTION The message of the Good News comes to a focus in this verse. God's love is not static or self-centered; it reaches out and draws others in. Here God sets the pattern of true love, the basis for all love relationships - when you love someone dearly, you are willing to give to them freely, to the point of self-sacrifice. God paid dearly with the life of his Son, the highest price he could pay. Jesus accepted our punishment, paid the price for our sins, and then offered us the new life that he had bought for us. When we share the Good News with others, our love must be like Jesus' - willing to give up our own comfort and security so that others might join us in receiving God's love. To believe is more than to give intellectual agreement that Jesus is God. It means to put our trust and confidence in him that he alone can save us. It is to put Jesus in charge of our present plans and eternal destiny. Believing is both trusting his words as reliable and relying on him for the power to change. If you have never trusted Jesus with your whole life, let this promise of everlasting life be yours - believe. [Life Application SB 2019] COMMENTARY PEARL Knowing Is Not Believing Though it is clear to Bible-believing Christians that the universe had a beginning, the idea, proposed by such luminaries as Albert Einstein and Edwin Hubble, took the secular and scientific world by storm in the early twentieth century. Today, the Big Bang Theory, that the universe began by a type of accidental explosion, is accepted the world over. A read through of the first chapter of the Bible plainly shows that the Big Bang couldn't be further from the truth - and yet so many believe in the model's veracity. Let's be sure we fully understand what today's famous promise is stating about belief: What does it mean to believe in Christ? A cursory reading might interpret the verse as promising everlasting life to anyone who believes in the existence of Jesus Christ. But James 2:19 says, "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe - and tremble!" In other words, just believing that the one omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent God of the Bible exists does not guarantee salvation. The devil know that this Creator God exists, yet he is "reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day" (Jude 6) and will "[suffer] the vengeance of eternal fire" (v. 7). Today's promise is for those who choose to accept the merits of the risen Savior. They not only know that Christ has the power to save them from perishing and is able to give them everlasting life, but they also desire those gifts; they take the offer and retain it. They live every day in cooperation with this covenant promise. Creator and Redeemer, help me to live my life knowing, wanting, and acting upon Your promise of eternal life. [The Most Amazing Bible Promises by Amazing Facts] CLOSING PEARL When we speak of faith, there is a distinction that should be borne in mind. There is a kind of belief that is wholly distinct from faith. The existence and power of God, the truth of His word, are facts that even Satan and his hosts cannot at heart deny. The Bible says that "the devils also believe, and tremble;" but this is not faith. James 2:19. Where there is not only a belief in God's word, but a submission of the will to Him; where the heart is yielded to Him, the affections fixed upon Him, there is faith - faith that works by love and purifies the soul. Through this faith the heart is renewed in the image of God. And the heart that in its unrenewed state is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, now delights in its holy precepts, exclaiming with the psalmist, "O how love I Thy law! it is my meditation all the day." Psalm 119:97. And the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us, "who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:1. SC 63, 4 LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY John 3:16 - How God Loved the World. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20231221-0733.html John 3:16 - LOVE SUPREME! http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20211206-0816.html http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210328-1057.html John 15:12 - It's More About Love. http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20221128-0854.html John 13:34, 35 - The Distinguishing Mark of a Christian. http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200831-1501.html Hebrews 11:6 - Faith is a Relationship with God. (part 1) https://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20211010-1057.html Hebrews 11:6 - Faith is a Relationship with God. (part 2) https://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20211019-1025.html John 1:12 - Growing Your Relationship With God. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2025/20250709-0458.html 1 John 5:13 - How To Know You Have Eternal Life. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230907-0843.html LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT https://abible.com/links/ |