Volume 26, Issue 3
WisconsinChristianNews.com
Page 13
A Closer Look At John 3:16 (Part 3)
By Marion Sailing Summer 2025
false line I was hooked in. The more I studied my Bible, the more I realized it was im- possible to be a secure be- liever as the John 3:16 doctrine was strongly taught to me. How I thank my Lord that I can now see the eternal security of the believer since my eyes were opened on the blessed doctrine of election. To God be all the glory! I can’t praise or thank Him enough.
He has done, how He has done it, when He has done it and for whom it was done. God is Sovereign King and Ruler now and is reigning in the heavenlies NOW and He has a right to do as He pleases and no man can change it. Daniel 4:35, “And all the in- habitants of the earth are as nothing, and He doest ac- cording to His will in the
longeth unto the Lord.” Psalm 3:8 & Jonah 2:9.
We must hasten on, so let’s take question #3. Why did God give His only begotten Son? If the first part of John 3:16 is misunderstood and misinterpreted, the last part is neglected. Today, punishment for sin is either denied, forgotten or just not talked about. (We might offend someone). Even capital punishment which the Bible states is almost done away with in modern society. “Hell” is an awful word except to use in cursing. To twist John 3:16 is no surprise and it has done much in the last 200 years. If God loves everybody and gave His Son that everybody might be saved but somehow Christ can’t accomplish the thing He has set out to do, He is a fail- ure. No! We must face phys- ical death but the believer will not face eternal death. Did you know there was a time when very few Bible be- lieving Christians or churches didn’t teach the “God loved everybody” doc- trine they pull out of John 3:16? Yes, nearly every Bible church years ago taught the truth of limited atonement or “particular redemption” as it is also called. (“Particular,” because it is only for the elect.) Churches taught pre- destination and election ac- cording to the Bible, not a human teacher. Today, it is hard to find a church or preacher that does teach these blessed truths. But praise God there still are some. As the churches have fallen and compromised with this doctrine that offends, so has our nation fallen into deeper and deeper sin. One said, “As the church goes, so goes our nation!” I agree. Did you know that John 3:16 is a wonderful verse for eternal security or the perse- verance of the saints? When I was a strong Arminian for many years, I couldn’t under- stand eternal security. I was never told it was the perse- verance of the saints only. But when the truth of the doctrine of grace, election, and predestination was shown to me, the Lord re- moved all the shackles of the
Let us give God all of the glory rather than man. Man has no free will. It was lost at the fall. Man is totally de- praved, helplessly lost and can’t save himself. The only reason we accept Christ as our Savior is election and the Holy Spirit enables the per- son. We are dead in tres- passes and sin and no dead person can get life by himself. It takes God’s power. Re- member our Lord calling Pharisees a “generation of vipers?” Now before I quit, let me quote a verse often taken out of context. Titus 2:11, “Sal- vation hath appeared unto all men.” Yes, all types of colors, races but not everyone who ever lived on earth. 2 Peter 3:9 also quoted wrongly, “Not willing that any should per- ish.” No, not one of His sheep (elect) will perish. Also Ro- mans 8:29-39 (the elect) — also Romans 9:11-18. “Mercy on whom I will have mercy, whom He wills He hard- eneth.” Hard doctrine, yes, but truth. I can’t make you be- lieve it but I know someone who can. The Lord! We can deny it now but someday at the judgment bar we will not. May I close with just three more verses. Romans 9:11, “For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the pur- pose of God according to elec- tion might stand, not of works but of Him that cal- leth.” Matthew 1:21, “....Call His name Jesus for He shall save His people from their sins.” Matthew 20:28, “...came to give His life a ransom for MANY.” Not all!
army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth and NONE can stay His hand or say unto Him, ‘What doest thou?’” There is a remnant according to the elevation of grace. Romans 11:5-8. “And if by grace, then it is no more works, otherwise grace is no more grace, “ etc. Again let me state John 3:16 is one of the greatest verses in the Bible, but re- member it does not say “For God so loved everybody,” that everybody might be saved. We are saved by faith in Christ, Salvation is a free gift of God, “Not of works lest any man should boast.” Eph- esians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5. For modern men to say like the late Oliver Greene or late Dr. De Haan, John R. Ricke, Billy Graham, Jerry Falwell, etc. that God looked into the future and He saw who would believe so then He chose them. This makes man the
Most believers turn to John 10:26-30 about never being plucked out of the Father’s hand. How blind I was not to see verses 26-27 along with John 17 and many others that He should give eternal life to as many as the Father hast given Him (Christ.) Acts 13:48 says “As many as were ordained to eternal life be- lieved.” What I had been taught as an Arminian was just the opposite of what Christ taught so I can see why when I read my Bible I couldn’t get the true picture of eternal life, election, etc. I was told as an Arminian that once we accept Christ, we are born again. I had al- ways questioned those who lived in sin and had made this mouth profession, never realizing only the elect will obey His Word, persevere to the end. It is a great comfort to know the truth. The Bible makes more sense to me now and I can put all those loose ends together which before were mysteries. It is God’s Word — the Fa- ther chooses — the Sone Re- deems — The Holy Spirit calls...what harmony. Is Christ unfair? No, none of us deserve salvation. Can not the potter have power over the clay to make one vessel unto honor and another to dishonor? (Romans 9:21-22). God will be glorified in what
elector, the one w h o chooses, not God. There is no elec- tion with s u c h f oo l i sh t a l k . “Sal va- tion is of the Lord or be-
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