[[Joh 3:14-21/KJV]]
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 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.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
John 3: 16 is one of the most popular verses from the scriptures. The reason is it gives people hope; now we must know the difference between a hope and a wish. A wish is something desired but with no reason to expect to receive what is desired; hope on the other hand is a desire for what we expect to receive.
When one reads “whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” without the context of why it was said or separates it from the entire conversation it was said in it develops a false hope of eternal life without change of how we currently live. This thing being true let us find the truth of what is being said.
The conversation is between Jesus and Nicodemas. Nicodemas though holding the position of a ruler of the Jews has just had his mind blown by Jesus statement that the only way to receive the Kingdom of God is to be born again. In Nicodemus mind being born into the Jewish nation should have assured him as being in the kingdom of God. Had not God himself called this nation and made both covenant and promises to his forefathers that his nation would one day be the head of all nations.
The term born again is common to us, so common it has lost its meaning in many ways. We have used it to say we except Jesus, we believe in him, and we will now try to live accordingly. Truth is that is only a life change; being born again means a whole new life nothing resembling the one you have known. God does not reform men from what is old, new wine needs a new wineskin…the old cannot hold it but will burst; God makes a new creation in Christ Jesus.
Nicodemus had never even heard such a concept…though in truth the writings of Moses and the prophets did speak of the breath of God and that His works where not accomplished by anything other than His breath (Spirit). Hence Jesus question “Art thou a master of Israel and don’t know these things”
Jesus explains that the flesh of his forefathers was still only flesh received from the fallen state of Adam, and anyone born of flesh is flesh(which would include all men, even the elect). To be born of the Spirit one must as Adam did have God place his breath and life in them.
Nicodemus was no fool. He might have missed the necessity of the birth of the Spirit but he had not missed that no flesh is able to share in the glory of God. So he ask the most reasonable question “How can these things be?”
Jesus points to the brazen serpent in the wilderness. The children of Israel where being destroyed by serpents (a representation of iniquity and rebellion towards God since the garden); Moses was instructed to place a brass (the hardness of mans uncircumcised flesh) serpent on a staff (cursed is any man that is hung on a tree). All of Israel who looked to this image was saved, notice it does not say all were saved.
In the same way Jesus was our cursed man on a tree, but it was our deserved curse and hardness He carried there. Those who looked to YHWH’s salvation in the wilderness were saved in like manner all who by faith look to YHWH’s salvation in Jesus are saved.
If we continue to read we see that we are being killed by the iniquity within us but those who have truly believed bring their ways to his light that He will take them and give him new life.
Those who love their old life and sin will not give it to Him to be taken and so they continue in death and reap its final harvest.
The end of these things is Jesus saves us from our sin, not to continue in sin. All who would believe the4y can continue in sin and receive the kingdom do not believe in Him and shall not have the kingdom of heaven. Those who give themselves to Him will find he takes the old, carries it to the death of the cross and gives them life through the breath of God sharing His life in them.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 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.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
John 3: 16 is one of the most popular verses from the scriptures. The reason is it gives people hope; now we must know the difference between a hope and a wish. A wish is something desired but with no reason to expect to receive what is desired; hope on the other hand is a desire for what we expect to receive.
When one reads “whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” without the context of why it was said or separates it from the entire conversation it was said in it develops a false hope of eternal life without change of how we currently live. This thing being true let us find the truth of what is being said.
The conversation is between Jesus and Nicodemas. Nicodemas though holding the position of a ruler of the Jews has just had his mind blown by Jesus statement that the only way to receive the Kingdom of God is to be born again. In Nicodemus mind being born into the Jewish nation should have assured him as being in the kingdom of God. Had not God himself called this nation and made both covenant and promises to his forefathers that his nation would one day be the head of all nations.
The term born again is common to us, so common it has lost its meaning in many ways. We have used it to say we except Jesus, we believe in him, and we will now try to live accordingly. Truth is that is only a life change; being born again means a whole new life nothing resembling the one you have known. God does not reform men from what is old, new wine needs a new wineskin…the old cannot hold it but will burst; God makes a new creation in Christ Jesus.
Nicodemus had never even heard such a concept…though in truth the writings of Moses and the prophets did speak of the breath of God and that His works where not accomplished by anything other than His breath (Spirit). Hence Jesus question “Art thou a master of Israel and don’t know these things”
Jesus explains that the flesh of his forefathers was still only flesh received from the fallen state of Adam, and anyone born of flesh is flesh(which would include all men, even the elect). To be born of the Spirit one must as Adam did have God place his breath and life in them.
Nicodemus was no fool. He might have missed the necessity of the birth of the Spirit but he had not missed that no flesh is able to share in the glory of God. So he ask the most reasonable question “How can these things be?”
Jesus points to the brazen serpent in the wilderness. The children of Israel where being destroyed by serpents (a representation of iniquity and rebellion towards God since the garden); Moses was instructed to place a brass (the hardness of mans uncircumcised flesh) serpent on a staff (cursed is any man that is hung on a tree). All of Israel who looked to this image was saved, notice it does not say all were saved.
In the same way Jesus was our cursed man on a tree, but it was our deserved curse and hardness He carried there. Those who looked to YHWH’s salvation in the wilderness were saved in like manner all who by faith look to YHWH’s salvation in Jesus are saved.
If we continue to read we see that we are being killed by the iniquity within us but those who have truly believed bring their ways to his light that He will take them and give him new life.
Those who love their old life and sin will not give it to Him to be taken and so they continue in death and reap its final harvest.
The end of these things is Jesus saves us from our sin, not to continue in sin. All who would believe the4y can continue in sin and receive the kingdom do not believe in Him and shall not have the kingdom of heaven. Those who give themselves to Him will find he takes the old, carries it to the death of the cross and gives them life through the breath of God sharing His life in them.
