ÐÓ°ÉÐÔ°É

Dear Pastor,

I am a Bible school student, and recently, during a class discussion with one of our lecturers, we focused on John 3:16:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Some of us were surprised when the lecturer said that he did not believe Jesus died for every person in the world. His reasoning was that if Jesus died for everyone, then everyone should go to Heaven and inherit eternal life.

I would like to hear your understanding of John 3:16. Does God love every person in the world? I know you do not usually answer many Bible-related questions, but I would appreciate your perspective. I am in my second year of college, and I want to ensure that when I graduate and become a pastor, I do not preach anything contrary to Scripture.

Sincerely,

Student

Dear Student,

John 3:16 is a powerful verse of scripture and your lecturer stirred up the minds of his students. Therefore, you should do your own research to determine whether your teacher was interpreting the verse correctly.

When the verse says, "God so loved the world," is it teaching that God loves every single human being, or is it referring specifically to the world of His elect? That is an important theological question worth examining.

Many years ago, I had a conversation with a man. I asked if he was saved, and he replied, "You all say I must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. I have done so -- what more do you want me to do?" His words gave me something to ponder, and I left him alone.

Your lecturer should have explained that no one who rejects Christ can claim salvation, because salvation is conditional upon belief in Jesus as Saviour. What sends a person to Hell? Is it stealing, adultery, fornication, and other sins? As I understand the Bible, what causes a man to go to Hell and to be eternally lost is to reject Jesus Christ as his Saviour and Lord. If a person refuses to believe in Jesus Christ as his Saviour and Lord, there is no hope for him or her. Jesus taught that.

The Pharisees did not believe in Jesus. Therefore, they could not be saved. Even if a person observes the Ten Commandments and he is a Sabbath keeper, he will be eternally lost unless he repents of his sins and embraces Jesus Christ as his Saviour and Lord.

Jesus told Nicodemus that a person has to be born again, and throughout the Bible we see that Jesus came into the world to save sinners. So John 3:16 stands as a very powerful verse that every man should learn to love, it's the gospel in one verse.

Anyone who believes in Jesus, and believes with his whole heart and soul and mind, is saved forever.

Pastor