Choose Eternal Life or Condemnation

John 3:16–18 (NIV 2011)

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

I. The Roles of God and Humans in Salvation (16)

See v16.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

‘God so loved’ and ‘he gave’ show that God was the initiator and principal actor in salvation [1]. This fact is supported by other verses in the Bible such as

1 John 4:10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

 Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Therefore salvation never originated with us [1].

Sin entered ‘the world’ through one man Adam, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned – (Romans 5:12). We are helpless without God’s salvation (Romans 3:23, Romans 3:20, James 2:10).

‘Whoever’ indicates everyone or all people. See 1 Timothy 2:1–6.

1 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people.

God wants all people to be saved (16, 17, 1 Timothy 2:4).

However, ‘believes’ shows that we have God-given freedom and are required to make a choice [1].

 II. God of Care and Loving-Kindness (17)

See v17.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

‘God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world’ shows God is not angry and self-centred [1].

‘but to save the world through him’ shows God is caring, and His characteristic of loving-kindness [1].

 III. Present Condemnation for the Unbelievers (18)

See v18.

 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

‘whoever does not believe stands condemned already’ shows that condemnation for the unbelievers is not left to some remote future but has already taken place for them so that they would need to escape an already existing condemnation [1]. At present, the unbelievers stand condemned already (18) and in future, they will rise to be condemned (John 5:29). That is, they will be judged and go to eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46) on that day of resurrection.

References

[1] Borchert, Gerald L. The New American Commentary: John 1-11.