John 3:14-18
Why is faith important? Mankind has sinned and rebelled against his Creator. Therefore he has a great need. The sin and rebellion that separated him from his Creator must be taken out of the way. The Creator Himself has made it possible, it is by His grace through our faith. Again, why is faith important? Speaking of God the Bible says in Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. The only way to know that God is God and He is a rewarder of them who diligently seek Him is through faith. Paul wrote in 1 Cor 1:21 ...it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. The only way to be saved is by faith.
We will begin by looking at the meaning of the words "believe, believed, believeth, and faith" as they concern the salvation of the soul. Again, I challenge you not to take my word, but to study this for yourself. In the Old Testament there is only one Hebrew word translated "believe or believed". We will look at it in Gen 15:6 where the Bible says of Abram, "And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness." Believed means to build up or support, to foster, to render, to trust. Though there are two Hebrew words translated faith in the Old Testament they are not used concerning salvation so we will not look at them here. In the New Testament there are three words translated believe, believed, believeth, or faith that concern salvation. The first one we will look at is found in John 3:14-18 three times. The word "believeth" means to have faith in, upon, or with respect to, to trust in. The second word is found in Romans 4:4-5 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Faith there means persuasion, that is something believable that should be accepted as true. It also means conviction, that is an unshakable belief in something without the need for proof or evidence. The third word is in Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised). Faith there means to anticipate, expectation, or confidence. This word is used 54 times in the NT. In every place except Heb 10:23 it is translated "hope". If we now combine the meaning of the three words we would get the following definition: to have faith in, to trust in, to be persuaded, to have conviction, to anticipate, to expect, to have confidence in.
Faith is essential for salvation, but it must be placed correctly. We know from our text that the object of our faith is to be Jesus Christ. We must trust in Him to be saved, but why? Paul said in 1 Cor 15:3-4 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. We must trust in Christ to be saved because of what He has done for us. What does it mean that Jesus did this for us? Paul wrote in 2 Cor 5:21 For he (God the Father) hath made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Because Jesus took upon Himself our sin, through faith we can have His righteousness. It's the only way we can be saved. It's the only way we can enter heaven.
Remember that the words for believe and faith in the New Testament mean to have faith in, to trust in, to be persuaded, to have conviction, to anticipate, to expect, to have confidence in. In the seventeenth century a people described by Charles Spurgeon as the Old Puritans set forth in writing that faith was made up of three things: first knowledge, then assent (agreement or acceptance), and then affiance meaning a marriage (the laying hold of knowledge, making it our own by trusting in what it declares). We will briefly look at these three things. 1. Knowledge is important because as Spurgeon said, "A man cannot believe what he does not know". A man must know he has sinned against his Creator, that his Creator came into this world as a man and sacrificed Himself for the sin of mankind, giving up His life on the cross, shedding His blood, and rising from the dead, all so we could be forgiven. The importance of knowledge is declared by Paul in Romans 10:13-15 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 2. The agreement or acceptance of the knowledge of sin and of Christ as truth is also very important. Spurgeon said, "what we know we must also agree unto, as being most certainly the truth of God". Thankfully God did not leave us to ourselves to be persuaded solely of our own reasoning. Jesus said in John 16:7-11 I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. To agree with or accept something is to be convinced it is the truth. 3. Lastly is the affiance or marrying of knowledge by placing your trust in what it declares. Spurgeon said, "a man may have the first two, and yet not possess true faith; for the chief part of faith lies in taking hold of the truth as being ours, and in the resting on it for salvation". I can learn of the construction of a chair, that it is sound. I could be persuaded by its maker that it would hold me up should I sit in it, but my belief that it is sound would only be exercised and visible to others if I sat in it. New Testament saving faith is reliance upon Christ for salvation because of who He is and what He has done.
Now let's examine John 3:14-18.
3:14 as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness - In verses 14 and 15 we see the simplicity of saving faith. Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus a Jewish man who was one of the seventy rulers of Israel. Nicodemus is very familiar with the event to which Jesus refers. Numbers 21:5-8, Just as Israel was asked to look to the serpent and live, God now asks of us look to Jesus and live. You see it's not about what we have to do, it's about the promise of God in Christ. In Christ we have mercy, grace, and forgiveness of all our sin.
3:16 For God so loved the world - God is love! God's love for us did not permit Him to leave us in a helpless state. He did what needed to be done so we could be saved. What He did was perfect because He took the burden of our sin upon Himself and paid for it completely on the cross of Calvary. What He requires from us we shall see next.
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish - Believeth in means to trust in or rely upon. Those who rely upon Christ for their salvation will never perish because they have everlasting life.
3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned - Those who relay upon Christ for salvation are not condemned now, neither will they be in the future. John 5:24 ...He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
There are things said from the pulpit about faith in Christ that have no foundation in scripture. One is concerning what Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:3, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." It is said that a memorable experience involving realization of sin and seeing Jesus as the only hope must take place if a person is to be saved, after all birth is a dramatic experience. Is that what Jesus really meant in John 3:3? What Jesus meant in John 3:3 is explained in John 3:14-16. It is also illustrated in Acts 8:26-38. Some have and continue to say that unless you can remember the time and/or place of your salvation it is doubtful you have ever been saved. I ask a simple question, where in the Bible does God say that? Answer: He does not. If He does not, why do men continue to say it? I believe the answer is that men love to focus on them selves. Men love to proclaim their own experience rather than the finished work of Christ. Dr. Adrian Rogers once asked a question to illustrate the fallacy of such a belief. He said, "I got on a plane in Memphis, TN and got off in Birmingham AL, How do I know I crossed the state line?". Answer: "Because I am standing in Birmingham, AL". You see, as he stood in Birmingham he knew where he came from and he knew where he was at that time. Many such as myself can not pinpoint the day or the hour they came to saving faith, but they can tell you they are a sinner that deserves hell, but are relying upon Jesus Christ and Him alone for their salvation. According to what the Bible declares they have been born into the family of God. Thankfully one who is born cannot be unborn.
In modern times the Romans road ending with the sinners prayer and alter calls with preachers appealing to the emotions of people have become the methods of men for salvation. I have often asked myself why this has come about. I believe it's because at some point men became dissatisfied with leaving the results in God's hands. I loved to hear my first pastor tell about how he got saved because it is a picture of how it should be. He sat one day listening to the preacher tell about what Christ had done for him. As he listened the Holy Spirit convinced him of his need for Christ and there seated in his pew he believed on Christ as his Savior. When the invitation was given he stepped forward, took the preacher by the hand and said, "I have trusted Christ as my Savior". That is the way Christ should be preached and that is the way people should get saved.
Why is faith important? Mankind has sinned and rebelled against his Creator. Therefore he has a great need. The sin and rebellion that separated him from his Creator must be taken out of the way. The Creator Himself has made it possible, it is by His grace through our faith. Again, why is faith important? Speaking of God the Bible says in Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. The only way to know that God is God and He is a rewarder of them who diligently seek Him is through faith. Paul wrote in 1 Cor 1:21 ...it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. The only way to be saved is by faith.
We will begin by looking at the meaning of the words "believe, believed, believeth, and faith" as they concern the salvation of the soul. Again, I challenge you not to take my word, but to study this for yourself. In the Old Testament there is only one Hebrew word translated "believe or believed". We will look at it in Gen 15:6 where the Bible says of Abram, "And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness." Believed means to build up or support, to foster, to render, to trust. Though there are two Hebrew words translated faith in the Old Testament they are not used concerning salvation so we will not look at them here. In the New Testament there are three words translated believe, believed, believeth, or faith that concern salvation. The first one we will look at is found in John 3:14-18 three times. The word "believeth" means to have faith in, upon, or with respect to, to trust in. The second word is found in Romans 4:4-5 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Faith there means persuasion, that is something believable that should be accepted as true. It also means conviction, that is an unshakable belief in something without the need for proof or evidence. The third word is in Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised). Faith there means to anticipate, expectation, or confidence. This word is used 54 times in the NT. In every place except Heb 10:23 it is translated "hope". If we now combine the meaning of the three words we would get the following definition: to have faith in, to trust in, to be persuaded, to have conviction, to anticipate, to expect, to have confidence in.
Faith is essential for salvation, but it must be placed correctly. We know from our text that the object of our faith is to be Jesus Christ. We must trust in Him to be saved, but why? Paul said in 1 Cor 15:3-4 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. We must trust in Christ to be saved because of what He has done for us. What does it mean that Jesus did this for us? Paul wrote in 2 Cor 5:21 For he (God the Father) hath made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Because Jesus took upon Himself our sin, through faith we can have His righteousness. It's the only way we can be saved. It's the only way we can enter heaven.
Remember that the words for believe and faith in the New Testament mean to have faith in, to trust in, to be persuaded, to have conviction, to anticipate, to expect, to have confidence in. In the seventeenth century a people described by Charles Spurgeon as the Old Puritans set forth in writing that faith was made up of three things: first knowledge, then assent (agreement or acceptance), and then affiance meaning a marriage (the laying hold of knowledge, making it our own by trusting in what it declares). We will briefly look at these three things. 1. Knowledge is important because as Spurgeon said, "A man cannot believe what he does not know". A man must know he has sinned against his Creator, that his Creator came into this world as a man and sacrificed Himself for the sin of mankind, giving up His life on the cross, shedding His blood, and rising from the dead, all so we could be forgiven. The importance of knowledge is declared by Paul in Romans 10:13-15 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 2. The agreement or acceptance of the knowledge of sin and of Christ as truth is also very important. Spurgeon said, "what we know we must also agree unto, as being most certainly the truth of God". Thankfully God did not leave us to ourselves to be persuaded solely of our own reasoning. Jesus said in John 16:7-11 I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. To agree with or accept something is to be convinced it is the truth. 3. Lastly is the affiance or marrying of knowledge by placing your trust in what it declares. Spurgeon said, "a man may have the first two, and yet not possess true faith; for the chief part of faith lies in taking hold of the truth as being ours, and in the resting on it for salvation". I can learn of the construction of a chair, that it is sound. I could be persuaded by its maker that it would hold me up should I sit in it, but my belief that it is sound would only be exercised and visible to others if I sat in it. New Testament saving faith is reliance upon Christ for salvation because of who He is and what He has done.
Now let's examine John 3:14-18.
3:14 as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness - In verses 14 and 15 we see the simplicity of saving faith. Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus a Jewish man who was one of the seventy rulers of Israel. Nicodemus is very familiar with the event to which Jesus refers. Numbers 21:5-8, Just as Israel was asked to look to the serpent and live, God now asks of us look to Jesus and live. You see it's not about what we have to do, it's about the promise of God in Christ. In Christ we have mercy, grace, and forgiveness of all our sin.
3:16 For God so loved the world - God is love! God's love for us did not permit Him to leave us in a helpless state. He did what needed to be done so we could be saved. What He did was perfect because He took the burden of our sin upon Himself and paid for it completely on the cross of Calvary. What He requires from us we shall see next.
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish - Believeth in means to trust in or rely upon. Those who rely upon Christ for their salvation will never perish because they have everlasting life.
3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned - Those who relay upon Christ for salvation are not condemned now, neither will they be in the future. John 5:24 ...He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
There are things said from the pulpit about faith in Christ that have no foundation in scripture. One is concerning what Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:3, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." It is said that a memorable experience involving realization of sin and seeing Jesus as the only hope must take place if a person is to be saved, after all birth is a dramatic experience. Is that what Jesus really meant in John 3:3? What Jesus meant in John 3:3 is explained in John 3:14-16. It is also illustrated in Acts 8:26-38. Some have and continue to say that unless you can remember the time and/or place of your salvation it is doubtful you have ever been saved. I ask a simple question, where in the Bible does God say that? Answer: He does not. If He does not, why do men continue to say it? I believe the answer is that men love to focus on them selves. Men love to proclaim their own experience rather than the finished work of Christ. Dr. Adrian Rogers once asked a question to illustrate the fallacy of such a belief. He said, "I got on a plane in Memphis, TN and got off in Birmingham AL, How do I know I crossed the state line?". Answer: "Because I am standing in Birmingham, AL". You see, as he stood in Birmingham he knew where he came from and he knew where he was at that time. Many such as myself can not pinpoint the day or the hour they came to saving faith, but they can tell you they are a sinner that deserves hell, but are relying upon Jesus Christ and Him alone for their salvation. According to what the Bible declares they have been born into the family of God. Thankfully one who is born cannot be unborn.
In modern times the Romans road ending with the sinners prayer and alter calls with preachers appealing to the emotions of people have become the methods of men for salvation. I have often asked myself why this has come about. I believe it's because at some point men became dissatisfied with leaving the results in God's hands. I loved to hear my first pastor tell about how he got saved because it is a picture of how it should be. He sat one day listening to the preacher tell about what Christ had done for him. As he listened the Holy Spirit convinced him of his need for Christ and there seated in his pew he believed on Christ as his Savior. When the invitation was given he stepped forward, took the preacher by the hand and said, "I have trusted Christ as my Savior". That is the way Christ should be preached and that is the way people should get saved.
