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“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 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.” (John 3:16-21 NASB1995)
For as long as I can remember, and I am nearly 76 years old (in December), John 3:16 in combination with Romans 6:23 and a few other verses (such as Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 1:12; and John 14:6) have been used to present the gospel of Christ and of our salvation from sin, but out of context of their original contexts, and thus interpreted usually outside of the intended message, if taught in the correct context, which is not just the localized context but the context of the whole New Testament.
For they often use the word “believe” loosely without really defining what biblical faith in Jesus Christ looks like. But the faith to believe in Jesus is not of our own doing, and so we do not get to decide what it looks like. The word “believe,” which comes from God, means to be persuaded, in this case to be persuaded of God as to his righteousness and holiness, and of our sinfulness, and of God’s requirement that we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and that we walk (in conduct) in obedience to God’s commands.
But the gospel we were taught to share with the people early on in our lives did not mention that faith in Jesus Christ, which is of God, requires that we deny self, die to sin, and follow Jesus in obedience. It was just a list of disconnected Bible verses taught out of context and intended to give the message that all we have to do is to acknowledge that we have sinned, that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins, and to “pray the prayer to receive Christ,” and now all our sins are forgiven and we are now saved by grace.
But now let’s look at John 3:16 in its correct biblical context. After it mentions belief versus non-belief, and judgment versus non-judgment, it speaks of “the Light” (Jesus Christ, obedience to God, the righteousness of God, holiness) versus “the darkness” (sin, wickedness, evil, disobedience). And then it tells us that, even though “the Light” had come into the world, that there were people who loved (preferred) the darkness (sin) rather than the light (Christ, moral purity, honesty, obedience), for their deeds were evil.
And then it goes on to tell us that everyone who does (practices) evil hates the Light (Christ Jesus, obedience to God, holiness, moral purity, etc.), and does not come into the Light (into genuine relationship with Christ Jesus) for fear their evil deeds will be exposed. They do not want to die to sin and now obey God in living holy lives, pleasing to God, but they want to continue living in their sinful practices, but while claiming Jesus Christ as Lord, and salvation from sin, and eternal life with God, in our present generation.
And then it goes on to say that those who come into the Light are those who make truth their practice and whose deeds are those which are manifested (demonstrated, displayed, revealed) as having been wrought (accomplished, achieved, realized) in God. And those deeds would not be those of human flesh, but which are only achieved in God, which would be obedience to God, self-denial, death to sin (continuous), and holy living, living morally pure, upright, and godly lives in the power of God, in obedience to our Lord.
So, now read John 3:16 in that context, and you will see that belief in Jesus, which is biblical, will result in us denying self, dying to sin, by the Spirit, and us walking in obedience to our Lord’s commands, in the power of God, or it is not biblical faith which is of God and which is persuaded of God and which is gifted to us by God. For if sin remains our practice, and not obedience to our Lord, then we do not have salvation from sin, we are not born of God, and we do not have eternal life with God, regardless of what we profess.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
Seek the Lord
Based off Isaiah 55
An Original Work / July 20, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Musical Instrumentation by Mark Bradley
“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.
Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,
And your soul will delight in richest of fare.
Give ear to Me, and you will live.
I have made an eternal covenant with you.
Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”
Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him.
Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.
Freely, God pardons him.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,”
declares the Lord, our God.
“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.
It will not return to Me unfulfilled.
My word will accomplish all that I desire,
And achieve the goal I intend.
You will go in joy and be led forth in peace.
The mountains will burst into song… before you,
And all of the trees clap their hands.”
They Prefer the Darkness Over the Light
An Original Work / September 29, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
