Do Calvinists ignore 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 3:16Sometimes when John 3:16 comes up I may make a statement like:
"Whosoever has a million dollars is a millionaire. Do you have a million dollars?"
Since my friends are not this rich they say no and I get to point out the obvious that they are not a millionaire.
So again it comes down to whosoever believes and this is without doubt those whom the lord wills to be born again. Otherwise they can't believe.
The Context of John 3:16
For some reason those who quote John 3:16 to prove man has a free will all seem to have bibles that finish after this verse and start again at 1 Timothy 2:4. So if your bible is like this please look on for here is John 3:20
"For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved."
Now is the time to ask your friend clinging tooth and nail to John 3
:16 if they ever have done evil? Without doubt they must say yes. Therefore the scripture makes it clear that they CAN NOT come to the light (believe on Jesus).If it is not the Lord who changes the heart and causes the new birth so that they can believe who is it? It certainly can not be the one that does evil for their deeds would be exposed/reproved.
And behold John 3:21
"But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."
Now this last verse is for those that do their deeds in Christ. This is all about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and his outward works of truth in our life. It is this and this alone that cause us to come to the light. For even our worst deeds do not stop us from coming to the light for we are made wrought in God. We are now in him who is truth and the light consumes us namely Jesus. In heavenly places the Lord keeps our salvation where it can neither be taken nor destroyed. Praise Jesus!
Further Reading
John 3:16 And The "Choose" Verses
THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO CALVINISM
Dummies Guide to Calvinism - TULIP
Add Your Comment(11)
Do Calvinists ignore John 3:16?Posted by Correy Monday, February 20, 2006
After reading many creeds and belief statements
I decided to stick to my own
11 Comments:
Mr. Belief:
As a card caring Calvinist, may I also offer John 1:13 ...
"who were generated not of bloods, NOR OF THE WILL OF THE FLESH, NOR OF THE WILL OF MAN, but of God.
the controversey over John 3:16 is where the emphasis is in this verse.
an Arimian would focus on "For God so loved the world..." implying that the verse is for every one. While the Clavinist will focus, as you have, on "...whosoever believes in him should not perish..." rightly implying that it is only those who believe in Jesus that have the eternal life offered to them.
It is my position that both emphasis' are needed to understand this verse correctly. God's love is extended to the 'world' (both in the context of jews plus gentiles, and all people excluding special cases) but His gift of eternal life is only granted those who belive in Him, which can only be done through a divine revelation of the Holy Spirit 'opening the eyes' of the unbeliever to see the truth.
Just because God only saves His children does not mean that He does not love the rest of His creation, nor does His loving the rest of creation make His love impotent or weak. It is His greatest love which is reserved for His people, for whom He laid down His life.
In a sense Moden Day Magi is correct.
There are two correct emphasis that should be examined (we must not examine one to the exclusion of the other regardless of our position).
The question of "Loved the World" must be considered
and
"whosoever believes" must be considere.
While I do maintain that God does love every person in the world to a certain extent, I do not believe this is what this verse teaches.
While examining "loved the world" we must be careful not to automatically assume that "loved every person in the world" is what is being addressed.
There are many instances where "world" is not used in that sense. It is careful that we let context determine which sense the word is being used rather than our pre-understandings of the verse.
In Christ alone,
mike
John kettner:
I love that verse the whole of John 1 is brilliant.
MDM: This topic was covered in a different post. Most of what I hear is with the whosoever. They get their context from "For God so loved the world" then they use the word whosoever which they are saying that their "god" loves every single person in the world the same without exception because he says "whosoever" and thus putting the ball back in mans court to either accept or reject. The whosoever to them means "YOUR CHOICE". This is an attribute of God they make up in their own minds.
Please re-visit Does God Love Everyone Where it was shown to you that God most certainly does not love everyone the same.
Jesus is not a socialist God about equality. Nor is he fair as man thinks fair. He is Just and Righteous and Holy and always Sovereign.
I often give thanks to the Lord that he was not fair with me. For if this be so he would have cast me into the pit. He would have left me in my sin like he did with so many others who he is being fair to. For among them I too formerly walked and was by nature a child of wrath. But God being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved me.. (not everyone) saved me (with the others he foreknew and predestined) and consumed me so that I can come to the truth believe in Him and be made whole in Christ and have everlasting life.
In a personal sense this is the context of the verse for the power and triumph is in Jesus and his work in Justifying the sinner to come and believe in the light (Himself). It is very directional, specific and infallible.
"...God most certainly does not love everyone the same.
Jesus is not a socialist God about equality."
this is the point i was trying to get at.
Just because God loved 'the world' (implying generally everyone although not explicitly everyone) does not mean that He loves everyone the same at all. It is His greatest love which is reserved for His chosen people and 'His bride' the church. A man's love for His wife is very different from the love we are meant to have for our enemies.
ps.
i love your "statement of faith" PB, i may have to add a similar one to my blog.
Ahh that is a nice change MDM.
Although this should really go under the post "Does God Love everyone" I will add this.
In relation to Matt 5:45 where he makes the sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sens rain on the just and on the unjust.
In your home you may have cockroaches which receive your food your shelter etc and it could be said that you are noble towards the cockroaches.
However I am sure that this is temporary for they are not partakers of your love even though you say "I love my home".
For at the same time those who are not of Christs sheep fold He hates. So much that John 3:18 says that they are judged even while living. The lord does not love the wolves and as the scripture says He gives them over to their own deceptions. His Hate for them and their wicked deeds is such that he casts them (not their wicked deeds) into hell forever and ever where the worm can not die. Fear Him who has this power. If we are to love our enemies we are to give them water when they are thirsty. This is true in a physical and spiritual sence for Jesus is the living water and we love them by preaching Jesus to them.
Yeah the statement of faith was my attempt at a bit of humour.
humour aside it is the only statement of faith which cannot have holes poked in it.
I did laugh out loud when i clicked on the link though.
Mr. Belief, sir:
Here is an excellent John 3:16 article from Rand Winburn of Iconbusters ...
http://www.iconbusters.com/iconbusters/htm/beliefs/john/part1.htm
Classical Presbyterian:
Arminians usually have a different interpretatation of this:
if the biblical assertion is true, that we cannot believe and be saved because of our sinful state.
They would think that somehow God gives each person "enough" faith to accept or reject the offer of salvation.
What about 1 John 4:15?
15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.
Doesn't sound like you have to do anything else-- The rest of the chapter is about loving each other, and loving God. And no, it doesn't say that you can only love God if he loves you first. But it is cool that he loved me before I loved him-- even when I was a sinner and didn't know any better.
Child of God:
Great verse 1 John 4:15
This goes hand in hand with what Jesus says in John 14:23:
"Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."
and yet who makes their abode in you? The Holy Spirit.
Everyone who is born of God has the confession of 1 John 4:15 and if you really are a child of God you will know that it was not your doing but Gods doing.
John 1:13
"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: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
It is most certainly the ones that are born of God not by their free will or anything they did but because of Gods choice of them that they have this confession.
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