In contemporary North America, it is common to see people at sporting events with a sign with “John 3. 16” written in large letters. While this may not be the most effective evangelization strategy, it is an important truth. No passage in the Bible more firmly supports the biblical imperative to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to all sinners. Even if the Risen Christ had never given to the Church. The Great Commission, John 3:16, would be enough for believers to tell the world the great love of God that he showed by giving his only Son, by inviting men and women from all over the world to believe in Jesus Christ to be saved from death.
John 3:16’s implications for the biblical imperative to preach the gospel to all can be expressed in three themes: the gospel message, the proclamation of the gospel, and the offering of the gospel.
- First.
- The message of the gospel.
- From one point of view.
- It may seem strange to say that John 3:16 is a powerful incentive to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth.
- Nothing is expressly said in this verse about the need to go and tell others what he is.
- John 3:16 does not require his readers to do anything.
- At least not with so many words.
What John 3:16 does, however, is remind us that the gospel does not consist of “divine counsel. “The first and fourth main word we are told in the gospel is not that we must do something to be saved. As a story that speaks of what someone has done, the gospel tells what the living and true God has done for a fallen world God’s love is so great and his mercy so rich that He came to save us through the work of His own Son, the Word made flesh, and did so for the express purpose of not perishing , but eternal life.
Second, the proclamation of the gospel. In Luke’s account of the birth of Christ, we are told that the shepherds, after going to see the child who was born, revealed what they had been told about this child (Luke 2. 17). These shepherds couldn’t contain themselves. Once they confirmed the truthfulness of what had been said, they went to warn all who knew, the same must be true for all those who hear the good news so beautifully announced in John 3:16. Without sn shutting up? This is the kind of news that must be transmitted to the whole world, announced at the top of the mountains, published to all peoples.
In fact, the New Testament is full of imperatives that call on all believers to announce this good news. At the end of the Gospel of Matthew, the evangelist recounts the words of the risen Christ: “Go and make disciples of all nations? (Matthew Similarly, Luke closes his Gospel with the words of the Lord:” Let the Lord be preached in his name. repentance for the forgiveness of all the nations of Jerusalem Are you witnessing these things? (24: 47-48) In Acts 17:30 we read that God “notifies men that everyone, everywhere, repents. “
Third, the well-meaning offering of the gospel. When believers witness the good news that God loved the world so much that He gave his own Son, they must declare without hesitation to all, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. “The language of John 3:16, “that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life,” demands the proclamation of the gospel to each and every one. Urgently and sincerely, all believers should invite sinners to believe in this gospel. And they can do so, with the confidence that anyone who comes unto Christ in faith will not be expelled (John 6:37).
In the history of the Church, some believers have been reluctant to affirm the truthfulness of this well-meaning evangelical offering, which indiscriminately extends to all sinners, some are troubled by questions such as: How do I know that God has decided to save?How can I be sure that Christ died for this person’s sins?
But why should I know the answer to these questions before I gracefully extend the gospel invitation to a sinner?Certainly, John 3:16 provides us with a sure basis for a free and well-meaning offering of the gospel to all sinners. It tells us everything we need to know to invite sinners to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation. He speaks of a love so great that it led God to give nothing less than his Son. And it reminds us that the world that God loved, and for which He gave his own Son, was a lost world, which he did not deserve. With unmistakable clarity, he declares that “does anyone believe in him?” will be backed up. What else do I need to know so I can sincerely say to any sinner, “Believe in Christ and you will be saved?After all, we have the Word of God about it.
By: Cornelis Venema. © 2016 Ligonier. Original: the one who believes in it.
This article is part of the May 2016 edition of Tabletalk magazine
Translation: Joel Paulo Aragono da Guia Oliveira. Critic: Yago Martins. © 2016 Faithful Ministérium. All rights reserved. Website: MinisterioFiel. com. br. Original: The good news contained in John 3. 16
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