John 3:16-18 The Gospel of Love & Faith

16"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. ESV

Notice these important comments from Rick Phillips in Chapter 7 of Jesus the Evangelist. Love and Faith are two of the most used words in our culture. For this reason it is important to understand the meaning of these words as God intended. Phillips provides this help in this chapter.

"John 3:16 is a verse beloved by evangelists because it answers an essential question, namely, “What is the gospel?” This is not a trivial matter. The fact is that the witness of many Christians is greatly hampered by confusion over the content of the Christian gospel. To some, the gospel is simply an invitation for a person to allow God to come into his or her heart. But what does this mean? Is this what God offers the world? Given this kind of confusion, it is essential for those who witness the gospel to know what the gospel is.…

John 3:16 presents us with the Bible’s greatest theme: God’s love for us through Jesus Christ. This is a message that the world needs to hear and that our witness must proclaim. …What can Christians say about God’s love?

· The apostle Paul writes that God’s love is great … (Eph. 2:4-5a) …
· Paul elsewhere describes God’s love as unfathomable (Eph. 3:18-19a) …

· Moreover, as God is sovereign, so is His love … This was God’s explanation to the Israelites for the love He showed them in the exodus: “It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you” (Deut. 7:7-8a). …
· The greatness of God’s love for the world is seen most clearly in the gift that He gave: “his only Son.” …

If God loved us by giving us His son, we ought to love Him with all that we have in return … And we should express that devotion by loving others with the same kind of love God has shown to us. We are to show a love the world does not know—a love not based on getting, but a love that says, “God has given to me, so I want to love Him by giving to others.” This giving love should beautify our marriages, enliven our friendships, glorify God in the church, and inspire in us a loving fervor in evangelism. This was John’s own application in his first epistle, having spoken first of God’s love for us in the giving of His Son”: “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11).

John 3:16 … is also very instructive about this greatest of all possessions—faith. The Christian witness is an appeal for faith, both in the loving God who gave His Son and in Jesus Christ, the Savior who gives eternal life. Because of this, Christians need to be able to explain just what faith is. This is an important question that is bound to come up in conversations about the gospel. What, then, is saving faith? …

Until we are born again, we cannot and do not believe, because our sinful nature is opposed to faith. Therefore, to realize that you believe in Christ—that you accept what the Bible teaches, trust it as saving truth, and have personally committed yourself to Jesus—is to receive wonderfully good news. It means that you have been born again, since Jesus says that without the new birth you cannot even see, much less enter, God’s kingdom." (Phillips, 83-98)

Faith and love are words you hear your unsaved friends, co-workers and family use constantly. Use Phillips’ definition of these terms to consider the differences between how others use these terms and how God uses them. Plan now how to engage these folks with whom you are close when they use these words. You could say something like – “I really agree with you that we need faith more than ever these days. But the object of our faith is what really matters. I would really enjoy talking about it over a cup of coffee.” Ask God to help you use common, everyday words to bring the gospel to those around you.

John 3:9-10, 14-21 The Answer

9 Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" 10 Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?

14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God." ESV

Nicodemus was not born again and therefore was not able to understand. But his questions were sincere and, starting in verse 14, Jesus gave him a series of glorious answers. These answers should be included in our witness to unbelievers.

How can one be born again? Jesus’ first answer was that the new birth is possible because of the sacrifice of the Son of Man. This is the cause of the new birth … Because Jesus died for us, the Holy Spirit comes to make us born again. Through faith in the Son of Man lifted up, sinners gain eternal life.
Jesus’ next answer to Nicodemus comes in John 3:16. Having named the Son’s sacrifice as the cause of the new birth, Jesus gave the love of the Father as the reason for the new birth: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” How simple, profound, and wonderful this is. The reason we can be born again, receiving eternal life, is that God loves the world …

Jesus’ first answer to Nicodemus was the sacrifice of the son and His second was the love of the father, so we would expect His third answer to deal with the Holy Spirit. This is right …How is it that you can be born again? Because the light of Christ is shining today through the illuminating work of God’s Spirit. This is the means of the new birth; this is how people are born again today …

Nicodemus was right that Jesus’ teaching on the new birth was stupendous. He asked, “How can this be?” It was a very good question. Jesus answered with very good news. There is life through His death, there is love from the heart of God, and there is light shining in God’s Word through the Holy Spirit. This is why we can be born again. (Phillips, 75-79)

Phillips identifies three answers from John 3 in Jesus’ response to Nicodemus’ question. Since John was written that people would come to believe, these answers are significant! There must be a satisfying response to the evil of men. Despite all of man’s attempts to dodge responsibility for sin and shift blame to others, people know deep in their hearts that there must be an accounting for the wrongs they have done. As Christians, we can address that deep reality – Jesus made that accounting right on the cross. Jesus sacrificed himself for others. He made this sacrifice because of the love of his Father and thus made his Father’s love effective for those for whom he died. The Holy Spirit completes the mission by bringing illumination to those who have been given this sacrificial gift of divine love.

Brothers, this is Phillips’ point: You have the answers that those around you who are lost so desperately need! What then will you do with these precious answers? Here are three suggestions:

First, pray earnestly for those you know who are lost. Make a specific list of people with whom you have regular contact. Pray for them by name. Pray that God would give the opportunity to give these answers to the questions they secretly ask themselves.

Second, plan your conversations with these folks so that you could 1) address the seeming hopelessness of the shallow answers of this world, and 2) speak of the love of God where there is no hope.

Third, believe that God’s Spirit will provide you with opportunities to provide these answers. Ask God for an attitude of optimism and eagerness to give these powerful answers to others.
· Tell your group about this list of folks.
· Pray for them as a group.

You have the answers!

Week 5 Acts 4:29 Religiously Correct

And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness. esv

Here is another excerpt from Ken Priddy’s book, The Silent Church. It fits well with the emphasis that Richard Phillips makes regarding being born again. Our culture is accepting of a politically correct Jesus. This Jesus is the one that shows up around Christmas and Easter and hides out the rest of the year. This Jesus doesn’t offend anyone. This Jesus is a product of what Priddy says is the religiously correct, or RC. Listen to what Ken has to say about this:

Twenty-first century USA has greeted the American church with numerous point-counterpoint realities that might be summarized as, “I’ve got some good news and some bad news.” Let’s start with the bad news. Christianity has been marginalized by current culture, losing much of its mainstream influence. Out with prayer in schools. Out with displays of the Ten Commandments in public places. Out with creationism in the classroom. The current culture’s concept of “tolerance” on steroids means no morals, no rules, no restraints, no limits, no boundaries, no authority and no absolute truth. And to think it wasn’t all that long ago that planned parenthood meant that if you’re planning to have sex, you’d better plan on being a parent.

So what’s the good news? The good news is that pushing Christianity to the margins has made our faith counter-cultural. The once prevalent Cultural Christianity is on the wane, with its replacement becoming potentially more intense, more real and more authentic.

Here’s another scenario, starting with the good news. The good news is that twenty-first century USA is more spiritually minded than its predecessor. The emerging generation having seen the bankruptcy of external achievement and egocentricity, is turning more and more toward the mystical, the invisible, and the spiritual. In this renewed interest in things spiritual there is opportunity for the American church.

However, the bad news is that the draw toward the spiritual has not necessarily been a draw toward Christ. There are many spiritual options to be pursued these days that don’t lead to truth, don’t lead to repentance, and don’t lead to eternal life.
So what is the church to do? It seems to me that we have the advantage. For starters, we have the truth, the real thing. Every other faith, worldview or belief system is standing on a faulty foundation and is sure to fall eventually. We have the Holy Spirit going before us as He wills to regenerate those who will receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We have the promise of God that He will build His church. We have the biblical and historical record of the New Testament that compels us to share our faith and that gives us examples such as the Apostle Paul who becomes all things to all men that he might save some.

Yet, despite all these advantages, the Christian church in many cases remains strangely silent. Why? In several instances the answer that has surfaced when this question was asked is something akin to political correctness. Our P.C. culture has found resonance in the church with what might be called R.C., Religious Correctness. Many Christian churches, surrounded by communities embracing spiritual diversity, are afraid to press the Christian faith because it might appear prideful or it might offend someone of another faith. It’s not the “loving” thing to do. We must be accepting of other faiths or we appear arrogant and exclusive.

So, apparently, the loving, accepting and humble thing to do, in some Christian circles, is to allow our neighbors of other spiritual persuasions to go to hell without a fight. Though they might be eternally damned, we will be religiously correct as we keep the Good News to ourselves.

Excerpted from The Silent Church: 39 Reasons We Keep the Good News to Ourselves, by Kenneth E. Priddy (unpublished manuscript, 2007) 39. Used by permission.

Here are some challenging questions to consider and discuss:
· Which Jesus do your family, friends and coworkers think that you love – the biblical Jesus or the RC Jesus?
· Do you have family, friends and coworkers who are a part of the RC establishment? Are you:
a. Glad that they at least acknowledge something is spiritual in life?
b. Concerned that they may be misguided but not concerned enough to warn them of hell?
c. Glad that they are not offended that you go to church?
d. Worried that you will be viewed as judgmental, backwards, or a Bible thumper if you present the biblical Jesus to them?
e. Committed to bring the biblical Jesus to them even though they may think less of you?

· Concerning this same group of people, consider the following questions, especially in light of this Scripture verse: And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness. Acts 4:29 esv
a. Are you praying that they will know the biblical Jesus?
b. What specific plans could you make to help them see the dangers of believing in the RC Jesus?


c. How could you get to know their areas of personal struggle? What difference could it make to them if you could explain how the biblical Jesus differs from the RC Jesus?


d. Are you bothered that their belief in the RC Jesus will lead them to hell itself?

Week 4 John 3:1-3 Born Again

1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him." 3Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." ESV

…Nicodemus may have come to Jesus with good will, but his approach was that of an equal or a patronizer, not that of a believer in his Savior or a worshiper before his God
It is significant that Jesus did not welcome Nicodemus’s advance. Had Jesus been a mere teacher, a mere man, these words would have been music to His ears. He was being recognized, accorded access, and promised support! But Jesus bluntly stated that Nicodemus did not know what he was talking about. Indeed, he could not know. “Truly, truly, I say to you,” Jesus replied, “unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

A comparison of others’ encounters with Jesus helps us to see this as the reproof it was. To the rich young ruler, so devoted to his money, Jesus commanded, “Sell what you possess and give to the poor” (Matt. 19:21). To the woman at the well, He offered “living water” (John 4:10). Jesus always directs us away from our worldly sources of confidence to the spiritual realities of heaven. So to the confident Pharisee, who was so proud of his lineage, He said, “You must be born again” (John 3:7). Leon Morris observes, “In one sentence he sweeps away all that Nicodemus stood for, and demands that he be remade by the power of God.” We can learn from this reproof to think about what false sources of confidence people we know are relying upon. These are pressure points where we should prayerfully apply the challenges of God’s Word. (Phillips, 61)

Consider where your confidence lies.

To illustrate – if your favorite football team is leading its conference or is in the top 10 in the polls, is there an extra spring in your step? Do you feel just a little superior to others around you? Then what happens when the wins turn into losses? You get the point. If your confidence is rooted in the wrong place, then even as a Christian, your confidence is uncertain and shaky.

Here are some questions that may help to identify misplaced confidence:
· When things don’t go well at home or at work or with your team, are you less confident?
· Are you anxious about the outcome of the presidential election?
· How much confidence does being born again bring to your everyday life?

What about the unbeliever? As a Christian, you know that the unbeliever has a false source of confidence. Only Christ provides true and genuine confidence.
· How might you use this insight in talking to an unbelieving friend?