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Saturday, January 4, 2020

The Attack on John 3:16 in the Bible

By Cindy Wyatt

One of the most beautiful verses in the whole bible is 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. Is it any wonder then that the corrupt new translations of the bible would change this verse and pervert it to say God's one and only son, instead of only begotten son. The word begotten is a very important word because it tells us of the deity of Christ, that he actually came out of God, that he was God in the flesh. He is a part of the Godhead which is the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  He is not God's one and only son, but God's only begotten son.  There are many sons of God, but they are not the Son of God, Jesus Christ.  John 1:12: But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.  This means that whoever puts their trust in Jesus and receives him as their savior becomes a child of God or a "son of God."  So God has many sons, not just one, but Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, meaning he came out of God.  Also I John 4:9 in the ESV leaves out the word begotten. 
I John 4:9: In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.  The KJV says the following: I John 4:9: In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten son into the world, that the world might live by him.  

Another attack on the gospel in the modern bible versions in John chapter 3 is in verse 3:36.  John 3:36 (KJV): He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.  This is what the ESV changes it to read: John 3:36 (ESV): Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.  So the false prophets who use the ESV will quote John 3:16 and then say, but wait, believing on Jesus is not all you have to do to be saved, jump down to John 3:36, where it says you have to obey Jesus also.  In the first place, how would you even know how much you have to obey Jesus to be saved.  Surely, no one can obey Jesus perfectly.  Even after we get saved we still sin.  Our salvation doesn't depend upon our obedience to Jesus, but rather on our faith in Jesus as the one who died for us to pay for our sins on the cross.  Of course, we must strive to obey Jesus after we are saved for our own happiness and joy in our Christian walk, and for our usefulness in the Kingdom of God, but it has nothing to do with our salvation.  Salvation is a free gift received by faith alone.  The only thing you have to obey is to believe the gospel; the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for the payment of our sins.  II Thessalonians 1:8: In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.   

These are the false prophets who say that is "easy believism,"  They think a person could not possibly go to heaven by just believing in Jesus, that, that is just too easy, you have to believe in Jesus, plus do this, that, or the other.  There is no plus doing anything in the gospel.  The bible is clear that believing in Jesus or on Jesus is the only requirement to receive eternal life as a free gift.  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.  John 3:36:  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. Romans 4:5: But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justified the ungodly; his faith is counted for righteousness.  Ephesians 2:8: 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. 

Since we know that it is believing in Jesus that gets us to heaven, we have to understand what it means to believe.  There are multitudes of people in the world that believe Jesus existed and that he was the Son of God.  Many people in the world have nativity scenes set up at Christmas time and talk about the baby Jesus being born and laid in a manger, but they are still unsaved.  The reason is because to believe in Jesus or believe on Jesus means that you are putting all your faith and trust in him to save you and to forgive your sins, believing that what he did on the cross and being raised from the dead was for you personally, that he shed his own precious blood to purchase your own salvation.  Believing on Jesus means you are depending and relying on Jesus alone to save you.  You must apply Jesus's shed blood to your own heart.  In the book of John chapter 3 the bible says you must be born again.  Some people say "I've always believed in Jesus," but that is not true.  You may have always believed there was a Jesus since a small child, but you have not always believed in him for salvation.  That is why the bible says you must be born again.  You have to acknowledge that you are a sinner and cannot save yourself and then put your trust in Jesus and be born again.  John 3:3: Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily; I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.  

The bible says that if we could get to heaven any other way than to trust Christ alone, then Christ died in vain. Galatians 2:21: I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.  It means that all the pain, agony, and suffering of Jesus, and his dying on the cross was all for nothing.  Why would Jesus have gone through all that if we could get saved by keeping the commandments (which no one can) or some other way, like living a good life, etc.  Clearly according to scripture, Jesus is the only way.  John 14:6: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Jesus loves everyone and wants them to get saved, but only those who trust him will be saved and receive the gift of eternal life.  Hebrews 2:9: But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.  I John 2:2: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.   

If you have never put your faith and trust in Jesus and believed wholly on his precious name to save your soul and give you the gift of eternal life, I urge you to do it very soon, even right now, as you never know when your time to go out into eternity is going to be.  Every day thousands of people go out into eternity that didn't expect to go that day, for instance the tornado victims in Tennessee or the Coronavirus victims, and many other reasons that people die unexpectantly.  Don't think you've got lots of time and will wait until your death bed because you may never have a death bed. That is why it is important to be ready now.  As the bible points out in John 3:36, the world is divided into two groups, those that believe and those that believe not.  John 3:36: He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.  Whether you believe on Jesus or do not believe on Jesus determines whether you will go to heaven or hell when you die.  Jesus loves you and has done everything possible to purchase and redeem your soul.  He willingly laid down his life for you and suffered so much agony and torture for you to keep you out of hell.  He took our punishment on himself to pay for our sins. I Peter 2:24a: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree.... All you have to do is put your total trust in him and what he did for you on the cross and how he was risen from the grave three days later to show that God accepted his sacrifice for us. 

To accept the free gift of salvation, the bible says to believe in your heart and call upon his name. Romans 10:9: That if thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  Romans 10:13: For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

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