“16 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. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.” (John 3:16-17 (Amplified Bible)
Let’s talk about how all of us belong to God. That’s one of the overarching themes in these verses. God has already done everything. Whether or not we believe in or understand it. Salvation has happened. We can’t behave right enough to get it. There’s no special prayer to get you in the door.
“For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world…”
Sit with that for a few seconds. If you live in the United States like I do, it can be hard to remember that love is at the core of Christianity. Usually, all we can see is hatred, legalism, and grasping for political power.
“…so that whosoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish…”
Whosoever believes. That means any of us.
Without condition and the demand that we “clean up” beforehand.
Even people I want nothing to do with are dear to Jesus. Abusers, liars, bigots, and hatemongers. Preaching Christ means letting Christ handle the souls of people.
Time to go further into the verse. One of the reasons I enjoy using the Amplified Bible is because it adds alternate words in parentheses. This expands possibilities for study. Some of them give us ideas about how belief can grow.
“…whosoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him…”
Believing in God
Belief might come first. It may mostly be a head action.
It could be a decision you make at an event, or a creed/prayer you’ve recited in church with your family since you were a kid. What does it take to add trust to your belief? It takes hope. Hope and confidence. They are the foundation of trust. (See 2nd Corinthians 3:12, Hebrews 11:1, and 2 Corinthians 3:4).
Clinging To God
What does it mean to cling to someone or something? Do we cling to an earthly faith, a paper Bible, or a living Christ?
The only way faith can grow is to cling to something alive. Plants don’t grow without being fed. Our pets don’t stay alive without food and water. We need life to nourish life. (See John 15:3-5) Faith that often turns out to be rooted in flesh will be disappointing. Our Bibles are just books. The only thing that will truly feed us is the living Christ.
Relying On God
So let’s rely on God, the living Christ, and the rushing, changing wind of the Holy Spirit! Nothing else will unite our belief and feed it so it’s able to withstand being shaken, broken and turned upside down. Let us pray:
Holy, magnificent and wild God in heaven and on earth. Help us learn to rely on and trust in you. Help us see ourselves through your eyes, and desire the radical growth that builds flexible, changeable faith. Help us be comfortable with questions, knowing we can cling to and trust in you. Amen.
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