Let’s take a deep dive into a familiar passage to examine what salvation is. John 3:15-18 (NKJV) shares:
That whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting lift. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Often, people refer to and quote John 3:16 as the basis of Christian salvation, which is true. But, with a deeper dive into the surrounding verses, we can gain a more profound appreciation of the gift of salvation.
John 3:15 provides a synopsis of the passage: believing in Jesus’s sacrifice is the only way to guarantee eternal life. Nothing else can get us to heaven: no good works will ever be enough, only acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice is enough.
John 3:16 is one of the most widely known verses from the Bible. Many can quote it from memory, but have you slowed down and thought about what it is saying? God loved the world…pause and ponder this statement. God is not out to punish or destroy as many claim, but He loves us. So, He provided a means for salvation (His Son: Jesus). We can add nothing to this gift or take anything away from it. We must believe and accept the gift of salvation.
John 3:17 continues the message of salvation by giving us the reasoning for sending Jesus to the world: salvation, not condemnation. Many tout that the Bible is full of hate and rules. I counter this with the message from these verses: God provided a means of salvation for all, but we must believe to receive the gift.
John 3:18 shows the outcome of our choice: belief equals salvation, while disbelief results in condemnation. So, we all started off on the side of condemnation, but with belief in Jesus’s sacrifice, we moved into the realm of salvation and eternal life. Have you personally made the transition to the side of eternal life?
Challenge: How will you respond to the invitation of salvation? Who can you share this hopeful message with?
-Dr. Elissa Rogers (a contributing writer and member of the COBI community)
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