If you are not one of the “whosoever” then you are condemned already...

For God So Loved the World...but...yeah, there is more...

JOHN 3:16  

Even most non-believers are aware of this verse.

We see it on signs at sporting events. We hear it preached from the pulpits across the land. It is probably one of the most recognized and memorized verses of this age.

Yet when it stands alone, as it seems to be preferred by most today, it sheds only a partial truth in regards to the overall Gospel message. Floating this scripture alone, by itself, without the remainder of what Jesus said leaves many today with a false hope of assurance that they are accepted by God.

In light of the sugar coated message that verse 16, on it’s own, gives and why people love it so much, it is not hard to see why they do not care to look any further into the full context of what Jesus was saying here.

The true gospel message would include the harsh truth that we hear in the verses that follow, namely verses 18-20.

It is no surprise that we do not see signs at those sporting events that say John 3:18 yet that is the verse that non-believers need to accept in regards to their condition before the one and only, holy and righteous God, their Creator. They need to know that they are condemned and need to repent, submit and turn to God. Without doing this verse 16 will not save them, it only reveals the truth of what God did on the cross many years ago so that they can be saved.

John 3:18 along with verses 19 and 20 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. 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.”

Now here is the full context of 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. 17 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. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” John 3:16-21

If you are not one of the “whosoever” then you are condemned already...