Posted on 09/07/2019 12:03:36 PM PDT by pastorbillrandles
This is an excerpt from my book, “Born From Above: a commentary on John 3″- available at
The third chapter of John allows us to overhear a conversation between Nicodemus, the chief rabbi of Israel, and Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus was not trained in the rec- ognized rabbinic schools, but He was approved of God by signs and wonders as well as by the irrefutable doc- trine He taught. Nicodemus came to Him, and spoke for other leading rabbis when he acknowledged that Je- sus had come from God.
The topic? The New Birth, as the entry into the long-awaited Kingdom of God. Here at this point in the discussion, at John 3:16, Jesus is teaching Nicode- mus, (and us) how it is that God could righteously give we sinners a new birth.
God so loved the world that He gave His monogenes. His only unique Son, as a sin offering. God made a righteous way to grant new life to unrighteous men and women, Jesus paid the price for us.
John 3:16 is a much beloved verse of the Bible, perhaps the single most translated prose ever written. But its very familiarity sometimes has the effect on people that they assume that they already know it. But the Bible is alive and there is always more light, and helpful enrichment in every verse of scripture.
For example, consider the phrase “whosoever be- lieves in Him”. As in the story of the brass serpent lifted up on the pole, anyone who looks up in faith to the “only begotten Son” hanging on the tree will not perish but have everlasting life, (be born again).
Salvation is not just for a particular group, but Je- sus died for all. Anyone who hears the gospel and looks believingly unto Jesus shall receive the gift of the new birth, which is also called eternal life.
David Pawson, the man I mentioned earlier who wrote an insightful book about John 3:16 makes the point that the word believes is in the present continu- ous tense. The Greek language has more tenses than the English language. (I am no Greek scholar, mind you, but I can read the work of others).
The present continuous tense doesn’t often translate into the English, because we don’t have one. For exam- ple, in Jesus’ teaching on prayer, Luke 11:9-10 quotes Him as saying:
And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seekand ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (Luke 11:9-10)
Those verbs are also in the present continuous tense, they literally say, “Ask and keep on asking, seek and keep on finding, knock and keep on knocking, for everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives . . .” Knowing the Greek tense clears up a lot of misunderstandings in scripture. Another example is from 1 John 2:15, which says,
"Love not the World nor the things of the world, if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him . . .”
Because the word love (agape) is in the present continuous tense, it could just as easily read, “Don’t go on loving the world, nor go on loving the things of the world . . .” Going back to our text in John 3:16, we see that the word believes, is also in the present continuous tense. It could just as well be understood to say,
For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, so that whosoever goes on believing in Him, might not perish but have everlasting life.
Interestingly, Pawson points out that the love God loved the world with, is in the aorist tense, which means that He did it once–For God (once) thus loved the world.
When did God love the world? When Jesus died on the cross. The act of God in love for this fallen rebellious world is a once and for all event, it will never be repeated, nor would it ever have to. God loved the world once, and for all time, in the offering of the cross.
God doesn’t have a broad and ongoing relationship with the world, approving of this good aspect, but disap- proving of that bad one, yet ever hoping for improve- ment.
The Holy God has announced that as of the cross, the world is under judgment, the sentence is passed and His attitude towards it is utterly unrelenting, the world is doomed.
Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. (John 12:31-32)
But “once” and with perfect and ongoing effect, God loved the world . . . by giving sinful men a way out of their dilemma, through the cross of Jesus.
Back to the text again, Pawson pointed out that the word believes is present continuous tense. We are to go on believing in Jesus that we might ever have “eternal life”.
There are many who are so confused about this that they claim that a person could so backslide that they renounce Jesus entirely and die in their sins, but they suppose that they will be allowed into heaven, because at one point, somewhere along the line, they “believed in Jesus unto salvation”.
This false doctrine flies in the face of much of scripture however, for example;
And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister. (Colossians 1:21-23)
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:1-2)
True, all that Jesus requires of those of us who come to Him for salvation, is that we believe in Him, remain- ing in faith in His work on the cross and as our High Priest.
But faith isn’t static, it is an ongoing dependency, an abiding in Jesus, a constant feeding on His finished work, His person, eating and drinking His words. This is the only true personal relationship with God.
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away:and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. (John 15:1-4)
David Pawson, Is John 3:16 the Gospel? Terra Nova publications.
It would be great for those who believe very strongly and those who believe but have questions, like myself, to get a Q and A going without fear of being booted for sounding like one is questioning the existence of God.
I don’t.
There are many questions. As many know here and it’s almost like a running joke because I mention it so much :), I had a head injury about 12 years ago.
Thing is, some sinful things that I really enjoyed doing before the injury, I didn’t afterwards.
It seems like a loophole to have gotten out of some bad sinning.
I think some don’t understand how changes to the brain affect the soul.
Thanks for reading if you made it this far :)
And I KNOW some things we just WONT KNOW until we die.
And why do we have to die to see Heaven?
I agree concerning the absolute necessity of perseverence and sanctification, but eternal life is not really eternal if it can be forfeited is it?
John 10:26 “but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me,[a] is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand”.
Those who are Christ’s sheep have eternal life and shall never perish. We are born again or incorruptible or imperishable seed. That means the life that is in us will not die. We will persevere because He is able to keep us from falling. We have been given the Holy Spirit as a seal which guarantees our inheritance. If something is guaranteed, then I’d say it’s a sure thing. Does this mean we can sin to our hearts content? Of course not! And we won’t if we are truly born of God. We will desire to please God because He gave us a new nature.
John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
1)All those given to Jesus by the Father will come to believe in Him.
2)Those who believe will never be cast out.
3)Jesus came to earth to do or accomplish the Fathers will, not to try to do it.
4)The Father’s will is that of all those given, none will be lost, but they shall all be kept safe until the resurrection.
This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”
Those who Father gives to the Son, comes to the Son and Christ will not cast them out once given to Him. (John 6:37) They are own by the Son and Christ keeps them. They practice the truth (believe in His name) and the results are that they bears good works so that God may be glorified.
Believers are a testimony to a world who wants nothing to do with Christ.
There are no stupid questions, We would welcome them without reproach.
Eternal life is eternal, because it is “in Jesus”. Eternal life will never cease, but those who will not abide in the vine, cut themselves off from their share of eternal life. The gift is not independent, it is dependent and ongoing John 15
If someone has “eternal” life and then quits believing and ends up in hell then the life that person received and had for a season will not be eternal for them. The seed was not imperishable in their case. The Holy Spirit was not a guarantee of their inheritance, there was no guarantee in fact. They were saved for a season until God reversed His decision to save them. God was not able (or willing) to keep them from falling.
I understand your concern about Christians believing in easy grace and saying a sinners prayer but not truly repenting. I agree that we must persevere until the end, and that without holiness, no one will see the Lord. We must work out our salvation with fear and trembling. We must make out calling and election sure. If someone walks away from Christianity and never returns, then I would say that person was never saved. What does Jesus say to the goats on judgement day? Does He say “I used to know you until you walked away”? Or does He say “I never knew you”?
The warnings against apostasy are there for a reason. They encourage us to persevere and to fear God. However, I believe that we can be confident that the same God who drew us to Christ and removed our hostility towards Him, will be faithful to complete that which He started. I believe He is both able (and willing) to keep us from falling. I believe that nothing can separate us from His love (nothing includes our own tendency to grow cold in the faith). Whoever is born or God does not go on sinning (we all sin, but we do not remain in a lifestyle of unrepentant sinning). If a believer sins they will be disciplined and if a believer commits a serious sin the discipline will be severe. God will not cast us out though once we are brought into His family.
Are you arguing against the requirement to “go on believing...?” There are two problems I intend to address, the one problem is false conversion, which you just referenced, “Easy believes”... but the other problem is apostasy. What is apostasy? Removal from a previous position. Are you telling me that believing is not an ongoing and lifelong requirement?
Eternal life is in the Son...He that hath the Son hath the life...
“Whoever Goes On Believing, Goes On Having Eternal Life”
Sooo, even God’s love is not unconditional?
Your false assumption is that God does not love those who do not get Eternal Life with Him.
The word “eternal” has scared me since I was a child.
thanks pastor, excellent study including the Greek tenses.
God’s leaving us all a continuous road of unfettered moral choice and responsibility is as apparent to me in my life (and others) as in the stories and teaching shot through the new and old Testament Scripture from Adam onwards. for me, that’s the essence of “race” that Paul talks about having finished after having “kept the Faith.” it’s also the essence of the growth i experience everyday as a christian under trial and training in this world.
i sometimes have concern for christians who profess “one and done, unconditional salvation” especially when i see how they continue to live their lives as if God isn’t looking, but i hope that as Bob Cooke’s dad once said to him after a disagreement about God, “Boy, we’ll both find out in heaven who was right.”
Thank God that He is always ready and waiting to forgive.
There are a few scriptures that appear to support “once saved always saved,” but I think there are far more scriptures that make clear that one can fall away from the faith. There are also scriptures that talk about restoring believers to the faith.
WIthout getting into all the various scriptures here, I think one can back slide to the point where they die in their sins, but they can also repent and be restored so long as they are still alive. I am open to changing this interpretation so long as it’s supported by scripture read in context and not by verses taken out of context.
I think you’re right that God is always ready to forgive so long as we continue to repent and look to Christ. I think Christ has total and complete authority in regards to salvation. The key question is whether or not one can back slide so much as to lose salvation and yet also still repent and be restored before they die in their sins.
agreed. the meaning of “backslid” or apostate has to be clear for me though. i currently read Scripture as defining apostates as those who having known the goodness of God, “willfully” decide to walk away from God’s (and their original repentance and acceptance) of salvation—if you like me think of it as God granting it as a gift, but with the necessity of you freely and continually accepting it through faith in Jesus.
the mystery for me is the nature of God and His foreknowledge of all (of which he reveals only part) and our ongoing, real, and personal relationship with Him in the present—the way he really hears our prayers and petitions everyday.
“John 3:14–17 (WUESTNT): For in such a manner did God love the world, insomuch that His Son, the uniquely-begotten One, He gave, in order that everyone who places his trust in Him may not perish but may be having life eternal. For God did not send off His Son into the world in order that He might be judging the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.
I think it’s clear that one can willfully toss away their gift from God. Scripture is quite clear on this particular point, and only a few verses support once saved always saved. Many more talk about the need to continually run the race. It’s a life long process.
That said, back sliding is also not an unforgivable sin, right? One cannot crucify Christ twice, but one can repent of their sins while they wandered away and be forgiven. To say otherwise, one is saying back sliding is itself an unforgivable sin.
I think of the prodigal son. He was a member of the family. He had an inheritance. Yet, he decided to walk away and squandered it all. Then he repented and returned, and what did his father do? All was forgiven, and the prodigal son was fully restored, right?
James 5:19My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20consider this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
Until one dies, it’s never too late to repent and make things right with God through Christ.
Ah, it’s the old “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing” story.
knowing how hormones and chemicals work in the body and how brain damage changes a person’s personality drastically sometimes, it gets confusing figuring how the soul comes into play.
I’d rather just believe and find out the answers when I die
but thank you
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