It's kinda funny how the most famous bible verse overshadows one of the most important ones.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through him.
John 3:16-17 (OEB)
Don't get me wrong, John 3:16 is a great verse. It deserves its fame. But, seventeen is just as good!
Sixteen gives radical hope. I love radical hope. Through verse sixteen, we see that God loves the world, and provided a way that they wouldn't be lost, but instead find eternal life. Awesome!
What seventeen does, and why it's a shame it often gets overshadowed, is clarifying what is and isn't happening. Seventeen clarifies that Christ coming to earth is a rescue mission, not one of punishment. He didn't punish the lost, but to save them.
So where does condemnation come from?
The person who believes in him escapes condemnation, while the person who does not believe in him is already condemned, because they have not believed in the only Son of God. The ground of their condemnation is this, that though the light has come into the world, people preferred the darkness to the light, because their actions were wicked. For the person who lives an evil life hates the light, and will not come to it, fearing that their actions will be exposed; but the person who lives by the truth comes into the light, so it can be clearly seen that God is in all they do.
John 3:18-21 (OEB)
Let's walk through this passage.
The person who believes in him escapes condemnation, while the person who does not believe in him is already condemned...
Where does this condemnation come from? Who is condemning those who don't believe?
It can't be God. God sent His Son to save the world, not condemn it.
So who's condemning us?
... because they have not believed in the only Son of God.
There's our 'why', but we still don't have a 'who'.
The ground of their condemnation is this, that though the light has come into the world, people preferred the darkness to the light, because their actions were wicked.
Light (Truth) came into the world, but people preferred to stay in darkness (Deception) as was evidenced by their actions.
People. You. Me. Us. We're the 'who'. We condemn ourselves. But why?
For the person who lives an evil life hates the light, and will not come to it, fearing that their actions will be exposed; but the person who lives by the truth comes into the light, so it can be clearly seen that God is in all they do.
We condemn ourselves because we are comfortable sleeping in darkness.
We are trapped in a cycle of singing the lullaby that we are condemned. In condemning ourselves, we become fearful. When we condemn an action as evil, we fear it will be exposed. In an attempt to hide our presumed evil actions, commit more evils, and heap further condemnation on ourselves.
And so the wheel keeps turning.
It was this way from the beginning. With the knowledge of the separation of good and evil, came self-identification with evil. Once that domino fell, the downward spiral began.
Until.
Until God, 'gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost...'
We were trapped in the darkness of self-condemnation until Christ came and showed us that God does not condemn us.
I used to hold what I thought was a radical and probably heretical stance that we are already forgiven before we ever ask.
I once heard the question, 'What comes first, repentance, or forgiveness?' In hearing this question the radical epiphany that we are forgiven well before we ask washed over me.
In supporting this idea, I held three verses:
But God puts his love for us beyond all doubt by the fact that Christ died on our behalf while we were still sinners.
Romans 5:8 (OEB)
If, then, the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!
John 8:36 (OEB)
“Neither do I condemn you,” said Jesus “go, and do not sin again.”
John 8:11b (OEB)
I still hold to the truth of these verses. However, I find John 3:17 to hold an even more radical Truth. Not only are we already forgiven, but we were never condemned.
‘Sleeper, awake!
Arise from the dead,
and the Christ will give you light!’
Ephesians 5:14b (OEB)
You are Love