JOH 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.

>>As I pointed out, it seems as though Satan has made more effort to wrest the meaning of our text than any other Scripture that I have noticed, but why?

>>This is because Satan sees and realizes it is the most concise summary of the entire gospel message.

>>Our text not only gives such a blessed insight into the true character of God, but it is so concise in its application to distinguish between the sheep and the goats. We have considered our first point last week, i.e., the love of the Father in giving His only begotten Son.

>>There is such a precious beauty in the harmony between the Father's will to give His only begotten Son, and the delight of the Son in doing His Father's will in giving Himself.

>>David said in a prophetic way in PSA 40:8, "I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart."

>>That perfect will of the Father is what Jesus referred to in JOH 10:17-18 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

>>Our text says, "For God so loved the world..." which Satan has been exceptionally busy to pervert the meaning of. He is not particular which ditch he can get you into as long as he can keep you out of the narrow way of the truth.

>>Do we need to interpret the meaning of this phrase "For God so loved the world..." to mean "the world of the elect" to defend the teaching of the limited atonement? 2PE 1:20-21 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

>>Another very important Scriptural principle is violated when we add even a single word to effect the meaning of a Scriptural phrase. PRO 30:5-6 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

>>How then must we understand this phrase, "For God so loved the world..." in context with Scriptures teaching? 1JO 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world [therefore we may not add "of the elect" to our text].

>>Scriptures so clearly teach its meaning of the word "world" in 2CO 5:18-19 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

>>This leaves those self-righteous High Priests, scribes, and Pharisees who performed all the burnt offerings inexcusable for refusing the true sacrifice of the Father. JOH 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

>>Does this teach universal redemption? No! Our text clearly teaches where the limitations are, "...that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

>>To teach that the atonement was not sufficient to cover all sin would place the fault on God Who will be clear of every man's blood, the fault lay with rebellious man, not in the atonement. 2CO 5:20-21 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

>>Does our responsibility to believe on the name of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ teach as is so commonly taught in this our day that, "God cannot influence us unless we give Him our confidence? Or that we may place ourselves beyond the reach of mercy?"

>>This would teach that the atonement was limited, i.e., that those whom God so loved that He gave His only begotten Son so they would not "perish, but have everlasting life," would still perish because their God was such a wimp that He could not influence them.

>>This great God who brought the universe into being by the power of His Word also influences rebels to serve Him by means of a new creation. EPH 2:8-10 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

>>Where do we find the harmony between God's sovereignty and the phrase, "...that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life," in our text? ACT 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles [herein we see our responsibility in rejecting the gospel].

47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth [but herein we see God's sovereignty in influencing those for whom He gave His Son].

48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

>>This same principle is taught in ACT 2:46-47 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

>>It is only those whom the Father has loved from eternity that He does influence by the power of His grace to turn from sin to serving the living God. ROM 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

>>It is those whom the Father gave His Son for who are called by His grace. ROM 8:30-31 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

>>Whereas the love of the Father was the source of our salvation, it is also that same love which influences those whom He loves to come unto Him. DEU 30:6 And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live. JER 31:3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

>>It is by means of this tender Fatherly love that all rebellion is broken, and we are attracted unto our Saviour to be saved from our sins. JER 31:8-9 Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither.

9 They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

>>The atonement is not limited unto those who are willing to accept, because not one for whom Christ died shall ever perish, but shall have everlasting life. JOH 17:11-12 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

>>Those who have that seal, i.e., that mark of genuineness which is that heart which is circumcised "...to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live," can never fail of the grace of God. 2TI 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

>>Our text says, "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,"

>>So who is it that believe but those who have received that new heart by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit? 1PE 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

>>This is just what we see when we hold our text in its context. The lack of this sanctification of the Spirit is the condemnation of those who are outside of Christ. JOH 3:17-20 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

>>Our text does not say that the gift of God's Son is to all who keep the letter of the law as a Pharisee---it deals with a heart problem, "...and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."

>>Our text does not say that the gift of God's Son is to all who have experienced the horror of the condemnation of the law--there are many who have not experienced that who have truly believed in Christ.

>>As we hold our text in its context we must understand wherein condemnation lays to fully understand what it means to be free of condemnation by believing "...in the name of the only begotten Son of God." V:18 says, "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

>>This word "NAME" comes from the Greek word "onoma" which means "A NAME, Authority, character."

>>When the Father gave His dear Son "A NAME" it was the designation of all authority! PHI 2:9-11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

>>The effect of believing in that "NAME" immediately follows in the next verse. PHI 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

>>If we have had but a glimpse of the Father's love in giving His Son, seeing how He was willing to stoop to any sacrifice, except that of truth and justice to save fallen man, then we can begin to see why it says in the context of our text, JOH 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

>>Believing in the NAME of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ is much more that a decision, or a certain experience, it is the attitude of the heart toward that authority which the Father delegated His dears Son for such obedience. EPH 4:21-24 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

>>Our believing in Christ is made evident by our love for one another which is our first evidence of our reverence for His highest command. EPH 4:30-5:2 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

>>Beloved, Do you believe "...in the name of the only begotten Son of God?" EPH 5:1-2 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor.