John 3:16

I'm reading in the New Living Translation. John 3:16 is probably the first memory verse a child learns. I still remember this verse from my childhood. But quite often people don't look at the entire passage, which can't be ignored. Jesus is speaking to a man named Nicodemus, a well educated Jewish leader, about the topic of salvation. Nicodemus wanted answers. Like many people who doubt salvation, Nicodemus did not understand how a person could be "born again"? But he was talking about a physical birth. Jesus explained that being born again was a spiritual birth.

John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (17) God did not send his Son into this world to condemn it, but to save it. (18) There is no judgement awaiting those who trust him. But those who do not trust him have already been judged for not believing in the only Son of God. (19) Their judgement is based on this fact: The light from heaven come into the world, but they loved the darkness more than the light, for their action were evil. (20). They hate the light because they want to sin in the darkness. They stay away from the light for fear their sins will be exposed and they will be punished. But those who do what is right come to the light gladly, so everyone can see that they are doing what God wants."

If you look at this whole passage, it explains why Nicodemus was not understanding what Jesus was talking about. Jesus is light, he is the light of the world. When we go to heaven, we will not need the sun, because Jesus and God are so bright it is not necessary to have a sun. Note the sun will be replaced by the son. Interesting thought.

Notice how people who do wrong things do them at night. They are too afraid to do their wrong deeds in broad daylight. No, they rob, steal, destroy at night time, when no one is looking. I am not saying that good people stay in the light and never sin. Sometimes Christian stray into the darkness. In fact, we will all be accountable for our sins, but those who love the Lord are not afraid of the light, in fact, they embarrass the light. The light represents life. Those who love the Lord, but stray into the darkness, will return to him and will return to the light.

I like what verse 17 says, God did not come to condemn the world, but to save it. I believe many people who do not know Christ feel that God came to judge them, partly because a small group of Christians feel the need to point out the sins of other people. Although, God is the ultimate judge, Jesus did not come to judge, but to save us. Unfortunately, some Christians like to point their fingers at other people and they want to condemn them. How sad is that? I think of Christians who judge homosexuals and hold signs up and protest. Shame on them for judging them. Jesus came to save people and bring them into the light, not condemn. We should be on knees praying for them that God would reveal the light to them, not condemning them.