Verse of the Day - John 3:16

"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."
~ John 3:16 (NIV)

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If you spent time in Sunday School as a kid, you surely heard this verse taught to you. If the gospel message was told to you through of a specified method, someone probably quoted this verse. If you ever watch football on TV in the '80s, you would've seen signs in the end zone that say "John 3:16", and check out the bottom of an "In -n- Out Burger" cup!...





This verse seems to encapsulate God's big picture in one small package. If you read nothing more of the Bible than this verse, you'd have alot to think about...

For God loved the world so much...

First of all, He's God -- what's He doing caring about this world, full of hateful people and drug users and maniacal dictators and pedophiles and on and on it goes? What could possibly possess Him to love us?...

He gave His one and only Son, Jesus...

To willingly give His Son up as a sacrifice for the sins of the world? Why? We don't deserve it! I wouldn't give my son for a bunch of good-for-nothins' -- I love my son! I just don't get it...

So that whoever believes in Him...

This whole belief thing is weird. Don't I have to do something? Pay money, wear a cross, travel to the Holy Land -- something?!? Just believe...how does that make a difference?

Would not die...

C'mon, now -- everybody dies! What's that supposed to mean? The cemeteries are full of the dead that tell a different story!...

But have eternal life.

Eternal life? You mean after I die -- so there is an afterlife after all? God loves enough to do all that for me, so I can live forever? Hmm...I didn't know...

See, it's all there in a nutshell. And then the choice is theirs -- believe what Jesus did for them on the cross and trust Him for it's sufficiency. All of the rest of the details can get sorted out later, really.

This past Sunday in church, I saw the look on the face of a man who just recently came to know Jesus and was in church for the first time since. What JOY! You can tell that he now knows what Jesus was telling Nicodemus in this passage about being spiritually born and knowing eternal life through faith in Jesus. You can see it all over his face and hear it in his story! PRAISE THE LORD! And I thank God for the person who was willing to share Jesus with him, because it changed His life forever. He has eternal life!

If you don't know much about the Bible and haven't been to evangelism training, that's okay, you can at least know John 3:16. Know it...not just the words...really know and understand the concept behind the words. That's easy enough to share with anyone...old and young alike!

Love,
Joelene