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.
Every week I’ll be posting a passage from the Bible. This is a new series called Scripture Sunday and I created it to strengthen my bond with Christ. I hope you’ll also be inspired.
John 3:16 is about God’s love for every individual. He loved us so much that He sent His only Son to be sacrificed. But why? Jesus was sinless, therefore the only one capable of taking on all the sins of humanity. He was the sacrifice of all sacrifices, meaning animal sacrifices were no longer needed.
Life before Jesus died on the cross
In the past, before Jesus existed, governments and communities attempted to atone for sins by implementing harsh laws and punishments for the purpose of preventing more sins.
For example, some communities have stoned adulterers (who were sometimes falsely accused) to death thinking it’ll set an example.
I’ve discussed this topic with people of other faiths, and they claim sins, like cheating on a spouse, are like a disease and can be stopped. The problem with this idea is that humans can’t prevent sin from happening in their community.
Attempting to do so would require vast amounts of power and micromanaging everyone’s lives.
Forgive but don’t forget
The solution is to forgive and follow the teachings of Jesus. Forgiveness doesn’t mean to forget or sweep it under the rug, but accept it has occurred and vow to never do it again.
It also means there’s no point in becoming consumed with anger and hate, as it will lead to more sin such as getting revenge.
How all this relates to John 3:16
Jesus preached forgiveness and if we believe in him then we’ll be spared from the sin of death. Our bodies may die but our soul is eternal.
Nothing we do is good enough for heaven because we’re born sinful. This also means that “works,” or good deeds that are done to make yourself less sinful, doesn’t get us to heaven.
Instead, genuine faith in Jesus and asking for His forgiveness is all we need to be saved.