Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. John 3.16 is probably the
most well-known scripture verse in the Bible. While thousands
can quote this verse from memory, very few ever look at this verse
in the context in which it is given, and therefore miss the
glory that is found in a proper understanding of the truth that
it sets forth. Many believe that this verse
sets forth a proposition that God has made to men wherein he
will bless them if they respond to his overtures by believing
the gospel. They see salvation as something
which is offered for the benefit of men if they can be persuaded
to embrace it. God is pictured as desiring for
all men to take advantage of this offer, but he remains in
the shadows waiting to see how men will respond. This is a man-centered
idea of salvation. Others recognize that the faith
spoken of here is the gift of God and an evidence that God
has performed a work of grace in a man's heart to cause him
to believe that the record of God is true. They believe that
this verse sets forth the manifestation of God's purpose to bring forth
his elect from the four corners of the earth and that what Jesus
Christ did in the behalf of his elect is the basis of their salvation. They believe that He is calling
them out of every tribe and tongue, and is no respecter of persons.
He is the cause of this faith, which is an evidence that these
are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of
the will of man, but of God. As the Lord told Nicodemus, except
a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. This
view is God-centered, because it views the salvation of men
as a function of His sovereign purpose, carried out for all
the world to see. An examination of the context
of John 3.16 requires that we look at who it is that the Lord
spoke these words to. Nicodemus, a Jewish religious
leader, had come to the Lord by night so as not to be seen
by his peers. He was probably expecting to
ask the Lord some philosophical questions. However, the Lord
beat him to the punch and made a declaration concerning the
necessity of the new birth. No doubt this was a great shock
to one steeped in the religious traditions of the Jews, but the
Lord told him that this was the basic need that he and every
man stood in need of in order to have an understanding of the
Kingdom of God. Nicodemus, like the rest of the
Jews, thought that they had the inside track, so to speak, and
that the Messiah was meant primarily for them. The Lord dispelled
that notion when he told Nicodemus, for God so loved the world. He
literally intended to convey to Nicodemus that it was not
just Jews that he had come to redeem, but rather people from
all tribes and tongues of this world. So the world that he is
referring to is not every individual on planet Earth, but a group
of people that are not limited to one race who will believe
in him. Those who believe in a man-centered
salvation easily become perturbed at any thought which would suggest
that God is not obligated to His creation in any way. Had
it pleased God to create a world simply for the purpose of destroying
it and all of its inhabitants, He would still be as glorious
and perfect in all of His ways as He is now that He has revealed
that He does intend to save some of the inhabitants of this planet.
However, it is obviously clear that He has not loved every inhabitant
of it with the same love, since all men are not saved. Those
who believe in a man-centered view of salvation never blink
an eye at the thought that the eternal purpose of God to try
and save all men, according to them, is going to fail. They
seem to take some comfort in this thought, while those who
believe in a God-centered view of salvation glory in the fact
that God cannot and shall not fail in any of those things He
has purpose to do. A perusal of the scripture indicates
that the true and living God shall do all His pleasure and
shall not fail to accomplish anything that He intends to do.
The God who rules over all would never leave the salvation of
those whom He has declared that He has loved with an everlasting
love to any sort of chance, but shall bring them to Himself in
His appointed time. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise
cast out. For I came down from heaven not
to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And
this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which
he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it
up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that
sent me, that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on
him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the
last day. Have you heard the call of Christ
unto His sheep? And do you believe that He is
the Savior of sinners who cannot fail to accomplish His purpose? For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net.