Is John 3:16 perhaps a good summary verse of the entire Bible?
It is no coincidence that John 3:16 is the most famous Bible verse. The essence of our salvation through Jesus Christ is wrapped up in this verse and can be seen when it is read and understood in its context. By God's Grace, the verses immediately before and after John 3:16 help us see this context and the truth of our salvation in Christ. But first, a quick background:
Christ taught from the Old Testament on the same day of His resurrection. Here's what He did as He walked with the two despondent disciples (Cleopas and his companion) on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:27-
“And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself."
That same evening, Jesus appeared to the disciples in Jerusalem (the same Luke 24;) check out what He did in verse 45 (MSG)-
“He went on to open their understanding of the Word of God, showing them how to read their Bibles this way.”
The New Testament hadn't been written at this time. Paul who wrote most of the NT was not saved yet. Christ expounded to Cleopas and his companion “in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." The Old Testament is filled with shadows, faith pictures or types/typologies that have as their substance our Saviour Jesus Christ and our life in Him. By God’s grace, when we study the Old Testament, we get to see these faith pictures/typologies; we get to see Christ — our love story with Him and how our salvation is entirely by Grace through faith. Christ Himself gives us one of these typologies in John 3:14-18:
"14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
These five verses - words of Christ to which John 3:16 is central - shows us what believing in Jesus entails. Remember the bronze serpent that God told Moses to make when snakes were biting the Israelites to death in the wilderness? Christ draws a parallel between the way that the Israelites got to escape death and the way that we get to “not perish but have eternal life.” Christ Himself gave this typology of Himself as the bronze serpent that Moses lifted up.
To believe in Jesus is to look utterly to Him for salvation from sin and death, this without an iota of dependence on human effort aka arm of flesh, just as the Israelites looked to the bronze serpent and lived.
The Israelites that had been bitten by snakes only had to look at the bronze serpent on the pole to be saved - for us, Christ lifted up to free us from the power, pleasure and penalty of sin, grant us everlasting righteousness apart from our puny attempts at obeying the Law and give us eternal life. Believing this way is seeing Christ lifted up. Imagine the Israelites trying to get the serpent's sting/venom out of their wounds, using band-aids, rushing off to do burnt offerings/give gifts to God or doing their best to allay their symptoms in order to be healed and escape death instead of looking at the bronze serpent on the pole. They would have been distracted from looking with all of these futile human/arm of flesh-efforts at being made whole and having life.
The effect of the serpent's sting/venom within isn't stalled by these futile activities. Rather, it gets worse. Death is the result. They would have perished as their focus needed to be on the bronze serpent 100% for them to have life. But this looking away from Jesus is exactly what many in the church today are doing today: attempting to “not perish but have everlasting life" by focusing on keeping the Ten Commandments and getting rid of sin by human effort aka arm of flesh that will fail with that false “Yes we are saved by grace but we still have to obey the Ten Commandments and do good things in order to be godly, made whole, escape God's wrath and make it to heaven”doctrine. This is akin to the Israelites saying:
“Yes, Moses. We will look at the bronze serpent that you have lifted up…. but we have to simultaneously treat our snakebite symptoms and promise God to obey the law better so that we won't die by snakebite.”
Christ is no longer utter Saviour from sins for such. They depend on their human strength at obeying the law for godliness and salvation from sins.1 Corinthians 15:56–57 says:
“56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The sting of death is sin. This “sin" refers to the sin nature that all of mankind inherited from Adam by default. See Romans 5:19-
““By one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.”
Sinners will produce sin just as lions will roar. Anyone who has this sting of death (sin nature) is bound to produce acts of sin that lead to death, just as the Israelites that were bitten by snakes produced snakebite symptoms that eventually led to the deaths of some of them. Trying to obey the law in order to get rid of symptoms of the sin nature (acts of sin that lead to death, including earthly ills) only gives sin power to wreak more havoc. In fact, this is what the law was designed to do: cause sin to increase. See Romans 5:20-
“The law was given so that sin would increase. But where sin increased, God’s grace increased even more.”
“God's grace increased even more” not so that we who are under Grace should continue to wallow in sins as antichrist pastors like to imply. This is as ridiculous as thinking that an Israelite that has been saved from the snake sting (sin nature) and its symptoms (acts of sin) by looking at the bronze serpent (Christ lifted up for our salvation from sin and death) will continue to present symptoms of snakebite (acts of sin.) No matter the degree of the symptoms of sin (acts of sin) that a sinner who believe exhibits, God's Grace is sufficient to utterly free him from every kind of sin, no matter how many and no matter how vile. Beloved of God, Grace is a Person. His name is Jesus Christ. Titus 2:11 says of Him:
"God’s marvelous grace has manifested in person, bringing salvation for everyone."
Verse 14 of the same Titus 2 says of Him: "He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."
Many churchgoers are experiencing the symptoms/effects of sin (like the snake sting that killed some of the Israelites) in the form of proliferation of acts of sin, depression, sickness, lack, oppression, stress, everything that is as a result of the sin nature (sting of death) inherited from Adam because they are not looking to Christ alone for salvation, even salvation from sins and addictions. Just as rushing off to do things in order to be healed would have given the serpent's sting more power to wreak more havoc, the Law that many churchgoers are trying to keep in order to be godly/saved gives sin power over them. Romans 6:14 says:
"For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace."
The more one tries to do things by human strength (keep the Law) in order to be godly and saved, the more sins will multiply — same way the Israelites would have died if they had opted to run around looking for how to be free from the snake sting (sin nature) and its symptoms that kill (acts of sin that lead to death,) giving the sting time to spread and wreak havoc. Paul makes reference to this scenario in Romans 7:5—
“When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death.”
The old nature is the sin nature inherited from Adam by all of his descendants. See this in Romans 5:19-
“By one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.”
The one with the old nature is not a new creation in Christ. He might profess Christ but he struggles to keep the Law and do good things in order to be righteous/godly aka “be like God.” He does not believe that Christ's obedience has made him righteous/godly/like God. He does not believe what Isaiah prophesied of Christ's suffering for us in Isaiah 53. See the result of His decease which He accomplished at Jerusalem in Isaiah 53:11-
"After He has suffered, He will see the light of life. And He will be satisfied. My godly servant will make many people godly because of what He will accomplish. He will be punished for their sins."
The one with the old nature does not believe Romans 5:9— "And there is still much more to say of His unfailing love for us! For through the blood of Jesus we have heard the powerful declaration, “You are now righteous in My sight.” And because of the sacrifice of Jesus, you will never experience the wrath of God."
The one with the old nature thinks his righteousness before God is a function of how well he can keep the Law and be nice to other people. He expects God's wrath to fall on Him for his sins that Christ died to take away. The Law that he tries so hard to keep has this effect: Romans 7:5—
“When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death.”
Try to obey the law (depend on human effort) in order to be anything before God and sins that lead to death will multiply, the same way that the Israelites would have perished in the wilderness had they focused on getting rid of their symptoms that lead to death by their own human strength.
Thought to clarify that law-keeping is anything at all that a person is doing by his own strength aka arm of flesh in order to be godly aka “be like God” or in a bid to“not perish but have everlasting life.”
“The letter (law) kills but the Spirit gives life" is a very popular Bible verse. With the Spirit of the Lord, it is neither by (human) might nor by power. It is impossible for doers of works of the Law to deceive themselves in this matter:- if you knew and believed that it is Christ in you doing the works and not your own might and power, it would be difficult for you to point accusing fingers at others who are still struggling with sin and threaten them with judgment if they don't change. Rather, as it was with the helpless Israelites in the wilderness, you would see how helpless man is to overcome sins and produce good works by his human strength (arm of flesh) and point such to Christ who saves from sins and transforms the sinner who truly believes to wholeness and right living as you say He is doing for you.
Some “pastors" and churchgoers take pride in their will-power aka arm of flesh or their ability to obey the law as Peter did before he fell foul of “You shall not bear false witness…” three times. Such try to compartmentalize the law into moral law/oral law/ceremonial law and teach that we who believe are still subject to some of these compartments of the law. What a horrid antichrist teaching!
The law is a whole and just like the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (a type of the law which many are eating of in a bid to be godly/be like God - see Romans 7:8-12 The Message) which has many parts- bark, root, leaves, etc, - eating of any part of the law (letter) kills, whether moral, oral, ceremonial or the one with which man privately judges himself in his heart (see Romans 2:12-15)
Such false teachings go along the lines of- “yes you are saved by Grace but at least you have to try to do your best to obey the Law in order to be really saved.”
This false teaching promotes dependence on human strength for the attainment of wholeness/godliness - the antithesis of what it means to believe/look unto Jesus. Christ's typology in John 3 shows us that following this false teaching is as pointless as telling the snakebite victims to “at least try” to wipe off the pus from their oozing wounds and get some medication for their serpent sting-induced fever in order to be more eligible for the life that the bronze serpent (a picture of Christ) provided. Any such effort would have removed their focus from the bronze serpent thus making it of no effect to them. For such who try today, Galatians 5:4 says:
“Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”
See the New Living Translation: “For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's Grace.”
But this is what those who are trying to keep any part of the law in order to maintain their salvation are doing - seeking to get into God's good graces through obeying the law..
Depending on how strong of a hold the snake sting had over them and not because they were more obedient, some of the Israelites might have shown less off the symptoms of the serpent's sting, maybe even had the strength to wipe off the pus from their sting-induced wounds: many churchgoers are yet to realise that the reason why they seem to be doing a good job of obeying the law and are not wallowing in the serpent sting's symptoms of acts of sin is for this same reason. There is no good in man of himself (Romans 7:18.)
In order to do anything to be rid of the effects of the serpent's sting (acts of sin) and the death that should follow, the focus of the affected Israelites would have had to shift from the bronze serpent (Christ lifted up) to getting rid of their symptoms (for us today, our sins/imperfections.) So no salvation from the sting of death (sin nature) and its deathly effects (acts of sin that lead to death.) They would have perished as will all who focus on doing things with their arm of flesh (human strength) in order to rid themselves of their snake sting (sin nature) symptoms of acts of sins instead of looking utterly to Christ for salvation, even salvation from sin and death.
Satan knows this so he and his agents that are manning pulpits are subtly and actively trying to lead churchgoers to try to do the seemingly good thing of obeying the law in order to be godly (be like God the Righteous,) just as Eve was deceived into doing. In order to do this, one's eyes have to be off Christ - Grace Himself - who was lifted up for our salvation from sin and death. This Satan's deceit is the way that seems right to man but its end is the way of death (Proverbs 14:16.) Just as the serpent's sting would have finished off those who took their eyes off the bronze serpent to focus on what they could do by their own strength to be rid of their snake-bite symptoms aka acts of sin that lead to death, Sin has dominion over all who follow this false teaching-
“For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under Law but under Grace.”Romans 6:14.
But this verse is taught in reverse in some quarters. Romans 5:6 says of our Saviour Jesus Christ-
"For when the time was right, the Anointed One came and died to demonstrate His love for sinners who were entirely helpless, weak, and powerless to save themselves.”
Beloved of God, notice that Christ came to save those who are "ENTIRELY entirely helpless, weak, and powerless to save themselves."
Those who (like the Pharisees who depended on their will-power at obeying the law in order to be godly,) think they are good, not that bad and need less saving than "core sinners" cannot enjoy Christ's salvation. He is Saviour to the uttermost. He came for the ENTIRELY helpless. In reality, that covers everyone descended from Adam. Of ourselves, there is no good in anyone of us. The reason why we are not committing particular sins is because God did not allow us to get tempted beyond what we can bear. The snake sting is laying low in many who think they are good by their own power. It takes the vagaries of Time and Chance and Satan's sifting (which is activated by putting confidence in one's strength to obey the law as Peter did) to show many what God's word says in Romans 7:18:
“For I know that nothing good lives within the flesh of my fallen humanity. The longings to do what is right are within me, but will-power is not enough to accomplish it."
God's word says human effort (the arm of flesh) will fail, is powerless and cannot. But Pride in the arm of flesh (human effort at obedience) that will fail says:
"No, I can. God must be wrong. I still have some good in me. I can keep the law and resist temptation to commit sin by my will-power. Faith without works is dead so I must and I can do works to prove that I have faith. Since I can do it, others must too. They are just lazy and love to sin.”
God's mercy - the skeleton that keeps many self-righteous churchgoers from crumpling into the useless and helpless heap of flesh that man is of himself - is why such churchgoers and even pastors can levy the flock with the yoke of the Ten Commandments as well as condemn and threaten people that they have classified as "core sinners" with hell fire, all without considering that these poor sheep are trying so hard to be rid of their snake sting symptoms of acts of sin and are failing because the arm of flesh will fail. Only in Christ do we have true salvation from sin.
Peter learned this after his denial of Christ which he knew 100% that he could never do. We all are all entirely helpless of ourselves and need God's saving Grace to the same degree as the Pharisees and the adulteress that they took to Christ for stoning, no matter what our "born-again" age is. None of us can stand or attain an iota of God's standard of righteousness on our own. Only that gift of righteousness which He freely gave and which proceeds from the obedience of Christ will suffice. A common refrain of even churchgoers to this truth of Grace is:
"So you are saying once we are saved, because the righteousness of Christ covers us we should continue in sin?”
Beloved of God, beware preachers of the above doctrine of demons that equates righteousness in Christ with lawlessness. Matthew 1:21 tells us what Christ came to do:
"And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
Christ Himself tells us in (John 6:43-46) what He is doing in the life of every believer:
“Jesus said, “Don’t bicker among yourselves over Me. You’re not in charge here. The Father who sent Me is in charge. He draws people to Me—that’s the only way you’ll ever come. Only then do I do My work, putting people together, setting them on their feet, ready for the End."”
Also see Titus 2:14 for what Christ came to do: "He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."
Beloved of God, how can these two things - being saved from sins/put together by Christ and continuing to live in sin - how can they co-exist? How can the blind receive sight from Christ and continue to be blind while living in Christ? How could the Israelites that were saved from the sting of death (sin nature) and its deathly effects (acts of sin that lead to death) continue to wallow in their symptoms when their eyes are upon Jesus? Believers, run from any pastor that posits this kind of horrid antichrist argument that says that righteousness in Christ is licence to commit sin. What a horrid antichrist doctrine it is. Let's take our blessed brains to church. In Christ, God sees us as righteous, “even though we are guilty of many sins"- Romans 5:16-17-
“*"And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ."”
Just as the snake sting and symptoms-ridden Israelites looked to the bronze serpent that Moses lifted up and got to live, believing (looking utterly unto) Jesus who is Grace-personified and through whose obedience we have everlasting righteousness and freedom from sins and addictions is the only way to “not perish but have everlasting life.” This is the only way to live in triumph over sin and death (the serpent's sting and its symptoms aka sins that lead to death.)
Only believe.
Also see the analogy of Hagar and Sarah as the two covenants of Law and Grace in Galatians 4. Sarah (Grace) did not need Hagar (Law) to raise Isaac (the church- you and I in Christ.) Grace is enough. Beware of any preacher that tries to introduce the Law as your nanny, helper or whatever. Cast out the bond woman and her son. Grace is sufficient
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