John 3:16-21

“For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him. The one who believes in him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. Now this is the basis for judging: that the light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed. But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God.”

— ‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭21‬‬ 

There’s debate over where Jesus stops talking and John or the author begins explaining. I think v 16 is as good a guess as any but Jesus could go all the way through v 21. Or v 18…now this is the basis. Most of these verses certainly sound like something Jesus would say, but I’m sure scholars would nitpick exact wording here and there.

“In this way” is a huge translation issue in the verse, and this is correct. Versions that have “so loved” confuse people that this is about magnitude or quantity of love. God wasn’t filled with so much emotion that He had no choice…at least that’s not what John 3:16 is saying. It says God loved the world in this way: He gave His son. Similar to Romans 5:8. God demonstrates His love in that Christ died for us.

One and only.  Begotten is also mistranslation based on misunderstanding of Greek words and spelling. One and only is better but since believers are also children, I prefer the emphasis on Jesus as unique son. One of a kind. 

So that is purpose or result. Everyone who believes. Not the time for a predestination debate, and it wouldn’t really matter. Even in the most strict Calvinist belief system belief is necessary. So this is still true. Everyone who believes will gain life. (See more about the phrases that John equates with “believing” in my paper on John 6, 13, 15. Belief is definitely not a one time thing for John.)

Debate over the word perish. Annihilationists do have good arguments. I’m just not there, and I can’t base a belief system on what a word might mean. I would need to do more synchronic word studies for it and then look at how it’s used contextually. 

The real emphasis here is the good not the bad. Believers gain life and won’t perish. They won’t be condemned. It’s as if the assumption is these are what’s to be expected as standard. But believers are exempt and gain something else entirely.

World is also an odd word for John. The world should be saved. I can’t buy universalism either. Is this only the people on the earth or this more of the cosmos than we give John credit for? Maybe not since his other uses focus on people, and the chapter talks about belief, but the relationship between Jesus death being “for” all/the world and at the same time “applied” to believers has always been fuzzy to me.

What makes this more difficult is John’s apparent two uses of “world” even in this passage. God loved the world. But then the light came to the “world,” but “people” did not receive it. So world is not people here, just like “his own places” is not “his own people” in John 1:12. We have to be very careful and nuanced as we work through John because he loves double meanings, and he loves to use pronouns/adjectives where a noun would be helpful.

And since most people love to debate predestination and limited atonement and stuff like that (I’ve grown away from such passions), perhaps the best conclusion (if there is such a thing) is to take the author for what he says. So John emphasizes believing and personal choice throughout his gospel. People stand condemned (here) because they are not believing Jesus is God. But absolutely, once you dig into John, you find verses like “No one comes to the Father unless the Spirit draws him.” This is why I find no thrill in the debates anymore. Sovereignty wins the day for me, but people must still believe. Does that make it absolutely free will? Sure.

John consistently says the only criteria for judgment or life is belief in Jesus as son of God. Even his epistles will echo statements like this.

Good and evil deeds also sound like 1 John 3 or even 3 John where John is talking about supporting traveling teachers. I don’t think that example applies here but it’s similar language. The weird thing is that all we see in Jesus’ ministry is “sinners” coming to Jesus. I thought they hated the light. They got exposed time and time again.

John is known for that phrase “practicing good” and “practicing evil” from 1 John 3. Once confronted with truth, we have the choice to repent/confess and turn to “light” or we can continue to practice evil and hide. I’m guessing John’s themes are that those sinners in the gospels came to Jesus because they sought true healing.

But it’s deeper than that, perhaps because for John (again) he’s usually focused on one of two things: loving one another, or as we have already see in this passage, confessing Jesus as God. And both of these things lead to seeking “holiness.”

So doing good is probably related to understanding the truth about Jesus first. Then we can live in the community He has called us to.

Ephesians 2:1-10

“And although you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you formerly lived according to this world’s present path, according to the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the ruler of the spirit that is now energizing the sons of disobedience, among whom all of us also formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest… But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you are saved! – and he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, to demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭10‬ ‭NET‬‬

I was a lifeguard for seven years. It was a fantastic job, one of the best you can have as a teenager. I want you to imagine you all are sitting on separate stands around the pool with me. It’s super crowded, maybe a Spring Break party. And we see two people that need our help. One is about eighteen years old, but he’s floundering on top of the water, he can’t really swim. Maybe his floaties came off. He’s flopping and flailing, taking in mouthfuls of water, “Help! Help!” And his head’s is going under, but he’s struggling to stay above. Finally, he sort of dips under, and you stand up to go get him.

When you go, you see somebody else. You see a big guy, passed out, just lifeless on the bottom of the deep end. No movement, but he couldn’t have been there that long, because (1) you’re better at your job than that, and (2) there’s a million people in the pool and surely someone would have screamed for aid. Now I know I said we’re all lifeguards, but that’s really not realistic. Usually, there’s 1 guard for 25 people. So a max of 4. What do you do? Who needs you most? 

Now, do you remember around the time that you first understood the gospel and believed that Jesus was God, that you were a sinner, that needed forgiveness, that He loved you? That you placed faith in Him? That you accepted Him as Savior and Lord? Maybe not the exact time and place, but you know the general time. What were you like? How difficult was it for you to understand concepts like sin and forgiveness? 

Compare that to someone that you think is just despicable. Maybe you hear about all these mass murders around our country, and you think, Man, those are wicked, wicked people. Or those who abuse others physically or emotionally. Bullies who stuff middle schoolers in lockers, right? Or robbers. Those willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want. Those people are the ones who really need Jesus. But is it ever going to happen? Or those who are so against Christianity. Maybe they hate us. Or those who are so committed to another religion. You think, Man, their thinking is so far in right field, or they don’t even believe in God or that there is a God. Would you be terrified to talk to someone like them about God? A full blown pagan? Someone who really needs God? 

I mean I was just a little kid, and yea, I told a couple lies. I pulled my sister’s hair. I knew I was a sinner, but those are the people that it’s absolutely spectacular when they get saved. It’s like time stops. It’s like no wonder the angels rejoice, right? It’s a true miracle.

Is this how we think? 

Who needs Jesus more? The guy waving on top of the water, still drowning but not really as bad as the guy clear sunk on the bottom? Both thankful for being rescued, but he probably has the better story.

Ephesians 2 tells us who needs Jesus more, and it’s right on the heels of chapter 1 where we learn of all the blessings we have “in Christ.” Why? Because the Father chose us and adopted us His sons and daughters. He saw value in us, not because of how strong we are or smart we are. But because He wanted to love us. It’s that simple. And He gave us the Holy Spirit not only to enable us to live holy lives but also to guarantee that we will receive the promised inheritance, whatever that includes. So Paul is so thankful for God’s grace and blessings. And he’s also thankful for these believers and their pursuit of more knowledge of God and the gospel.

Now look at Ephesians 2:1. READ 1-3.

Wow, that’s encouraging! So I want to insert this here. Nerd moment in v. 2. See that phrase “spirit that is working in the sons of disobedience.” You might read that and think that it’s referring to what? (Satan) But that’s not true. The grammar here does not allow for “the spirit” and “the prince or ruler” to be referring to the same thing. 

        So let’s back up. What does “the prince of the power of the air” mean? It means that there’s a prince, and he’s doing what? Ruling over all that reigns in the world. And who is this? Satan. So Satan rules in the world. He manipulates the culture, the philosophies, the perspectives and worldviews to be against God, to oppose God. He deceives. 

And that “spirit” which now works in the sons of disobedience. That’s referring to mankind’s spirit. Our ability to reason. Our desire to obey. And guess what? Satan rules over that, too. He has terminally ruined and blinded us, 2 Cor 4:4 says. Now go back to v. 1. 

You were dead in trespasses and sins. You know what our problem is sometimes? We think, “Oh, yea I know I sinned a little bit. And Jesus came and died, and it was sad, but I wasn’t that bad. A little bit of forgiveness, and sure I repented of everything I had done, but it wasn’t that much. So just a sprinkle of grace, and I was good to go. 

No! No! No! No!

We were dead. What we picture I think is, Yea, my sin was weighing me down, but I could wave to Jesus, and when the rescue boat came by, I was waving and screaming, and He came and got me. No, it was a much more dire situation than that. Hands tied, weights dragging us to the bottom of the ocean, knocked out cold. And the only hope was for God to rescue us. 

We were dead. Flip on over to Romans 5. V 12. There is heavy debate on how to take that last phrase. Adam and Even disobeyed God, resulting in spiritual death for the rest of mankind? We are all eternally separated. And what do eternally separated people do? Live holy lives? Seek God? No, we sin. Sin is a symptom.

        Original sin is a concept that gets thrown around in conversation, and the term is debated. Sometimes “original guilt” is implied, as in Adam’s guilt was passed down as well as a sin nature. These are things the theologians enjoy arguing about. What I know is that all people sin. This disease affects everyone of all time, and it comes naturally. Nobody teaches children how to disobey or be stubborn. We’re very good at it.

        There are many people today uncomfortable with these concepts. And I still have a balanced approach. We can’t talk out of both sides of our mouth about how God “hates” people and then tack on a huge amount of “love and grace.” Do all people have value and inherent worth? Absolutely. But it’s not because of anything they’ve done. It’s because they’re made in the image of God. Naturally, they are sinners, and they are broken and long for healing.

So who needs Jesus more? The flailing drowning person, or the sunk passed out guy at the bottom? We are all passed out and sunk and hopeless on the bottom until we get to v. 4. Let’s look at it. READ 4-9.

What can a drowned dead man do for me? Or what can a spiritually dead man do for God? What could he possibly contribute to this situation? Nothing. 

This is why we say, and this is why Paul says, Gaining salvation cannot be by works. How silly to think that you can please God or receive eternal life by doing anything on your own merit or on your own power or with your own money or by any status you have in this world. That’s dumb. Because you’re dead. The only way that you’re getting an inheritance and the Holy Spirit and all these blessings is in v. 5—Jesus makes you alive. He offers you immeasurable grace and unthinkable mercy. Your sins are wiped clean! And all that you’ve ever done is forgiven.

        But once again, Paul offers the goal of these things. God didn’t dive to the bottom of the ocean, pull us to the top, set us on dry ground, and then say, “See you later.” 

        v. 10 — He has a plan for you. Rephrase, He has some things planned for you. Called good works. He’s working in your life, shaping, molding, cutting off sharp edges, and making you juuuust right. And as a response to the life that we received, the forgiveness we have received, the grace, and mercy, we were once children of disobedience, slaves to the prince of this world, with no other option than to rebel against God. Now what? We are adopted as children of God and given good works to perform. 

How do you view your testimony now in light of Ephesians 2? 

Do you appreciate God’s grace in  your life, when you realize how hopeless you really were?

Many scholars now also see Ephesians 2 not so much discussing individual salvation but more corporate, especially in light of vv. 11-22. Gentiles were dead, but Jesus raised them to life and gave them all spiritual blessings. Now they have access to God the same as the Jewish believers. 

My current thoughts are not to divorce the individual from the corporate. After all, individuals make up people groups. Paul’s original intention is always primary, so it’s worth continuing the discussion, but it may be slicing the pie too thin to separate the individual from the national. God loves people. Period.