Ok, so were back with another in the ultimate top ten ever made, and this time I am playing it safe with one of the most well known bible verses ever. Or am I?
08. 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. John 3:16 NLT
I think we have maybe all seen this verse spray painted on a wall at some point in our lives, but it has been used so many times in so many places. Sportsman have run around with it on T shirts, and even eye patches. It been written at different events shown on TV for millions to see but it still hasn’t lost any of it’s importance and impact for me.
The verse comes from a conversation Jesus is having with a religious guy called Nicodemus (who’s journey was just amazing and well worth looking at). Nicodemus doesn’t appear much in the Bible, I think only 3 times.
He questions Jesus in the dead of night about being born again, a secret meeting with Jesus so Nico’s mates don’t find out perhaps! The we see him defending Jesus amongst his peers, a bit of public stand. The last time we see him is after Jesus has died and Nicodemus is part of the team retrieving the body of Jesus.
The thing is with John 3:16 and these words of Jesus, it is in layers and each one has incredible relevance for not just who we are but whose we are.
God loved the world – Love is the foundation
He gave his only son – the biggest rescue mission ever to save a world He loved
Whoever believes in Him (Jesus) – A choice, it is yours and mine to make
Eternal life – This isn’t the end, a hope and promise in the life to come
I don’t know about you but I wrestle with the bible at times, I struggle with my understanding of who God is and what He has done. Sometimes I question my faith, and the doubts can sneak in. I struggle when I see the pain in the world and see God’s heart and response at times. I have all this going on, perhaps like lots of you do, but I am choosing to believe that this is the truth. God loves what he made and decided to save it from eternal separation from Him. We get to choose him now, while He can still be found we have that choice to make.
Many say no to Jesus because it is a choice, and it cannot be made for you by someone else.
I have decided to make my choice to follow Jesus, his promises and his word, I guess I’m staking my life on it.
Image Credit: Aaron Burden
