English
Português
Español
Français
Answer
John 3:16 provides Bible readers with perhaps the purest, most direct summary of the good news of God’s redeeming love that Jesus Christ brings to the world: “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.” Jesus, in conversation with the Jewish Pharisee Nicodemus, further explained, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” «For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. », (John 3:17).
The fact that Jesus came not to condemn but to save the world was a significant revelation that Jewish believers would need to grasp. While the Jews readily accepted the concept of God’s special love for Israel, the idea that “God so loved the world” was revolutionary theological content for the Jewish mindset. Through this declaration, Jesus unveiled the inclusive nature of God’s love within the New Covenant.
God’s agape love does not show partiality between Jew and Gentile, slave or free, male or female (Galatians 3:28;Colossians 3:11). The Father sent His Son to eliminate prejudices and dismantle barriers of division in order to extend God’s immense love and salvation to every individual in the world «Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: », (Matthew 28:19). This plan of salvation has always been a universal strategy John 3:18).
Jesus did not come to condemn the world because it was already condemned. The Greek word (krinō) translated as “condemn” in John 3:17 means “to declare guilty; to pronounce guilt and a punitive sentence on someone in a legal sense; to judge.” The Bible states that all people are born in sin inherited from Adam (Romans 5:12; Psalm 51:5). We enter this world already pronounced guilty and condemned to die (Romans 5:17-19; 6:23).
In Romans 3:21–31, the apostle Paul teaches that Jesus Christ bore the punishment for our sin when He sacrificed His life on the cross. He died so that we could be “made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are” (verse 22, NLT). Anyone who puts their faith in Jesus Christ is restored to fellowship with God (verse 26). Those who belong to Christ Jesus are no longer condemned because “the power of the life-giving Spirit” frees them “from the power of sin that leads to death” (Romans 8:1-2; NLT).
Faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to avoid a guilty sentence: “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” «He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. », John 3:18. Rejecting Jesus leads to condemnation and death «He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth notThe Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”, (John 3:36). Ultimately, salvation for everyone in the world, from the beginning of history until the end of time, is rooted in faith in Jesus Christ (see Romans 4:1-24; Hebrews 11:6, 13, 26; John 1:12). There is no other way to be saved (John 3:14-15; 11:25; 14:6; Acts 4:12).
God sent His one-and-only Son to die, not just for the people of Israel, but as a loving Savior for everyone. He is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”, (John 1:29). Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to save those who believe in Him. Our Savior’s mission was not to sentence people to death: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”, (Romans 6:23). Christ laid down His life to take away the curse of sin that separates sinners from God (Romans 8:33-34). Jesus came to bring His Father’s gift of salvation so that all who believe in Him might enjoy fellowship in His presence for all eternity.
