Amen. Once again, our Scripture tonight comes from John chapter 3, verse 16, John chapter 3, verse 16. And it reads, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. I want to talk to you tonight on the topic, does John 3, 16 refute the doctrine of election? Does John 3, 16 refute the doctrine of election? Let us go to Lord and put it. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you again for this opportunity, Lord, to again fellowship and worship tonight. We pray, Lord, for the worship that we have done so far. And Lord, now as we come into this hour preaching, Lord, we pray that you will bless it, that you will magnify, that you will penetrate the hearts of your people with its truth, Lord. And Father, we pray that you will save the things through me, that your people ought to hear, Lord, and block the things that I ought not to say, Lord, all Lord, so that you may get the glory followed. Because that truly is what matters. So Father, speak to your people, build up your people, strengthen your people tonight. We pray. Name Jesus name. Amen. Now in a prior sermon, we discussed the issue of whether, second Peter 3.9, the Scripture that many Christians interpret as it's God's will that nuns should perish. We discussed whether that was a Scripture that refuted the belief that God sovereignly chooses or elects certain individuals for the purpose of salvation. And when we studied that passage in its context, as well as brought in other supporting passages, we discovered that not only is this verse, second Peter 3.9, one of the strongest cases for election in the Bible, because it speaks on God's sovereign patience and plan and bringing forth the salvation of his people. But by virtue, we also came to understand that the way we often interpret this verse is erroneous as well, because even though it might be a tough tool to swallow for some of us, it is indeed God's will for some people to indeed perish in their sins for his glory. Now in keeping along those lines, tonight I want to look at another passage of Scripture that many people like to use to refute the doctrine of election, namely the well-known passage, John chapter 3, verse 16, which reads again, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. Now in looking at the Scripture, there are generally two ways that many of the opponents to the doctrine of election would use this verse to support their claim. First they would look at the word world and make the claim, well, here's proof right here that God doesn't elect individuals because the world means that God desires everyone to be saved. But then secondly, there are some that will look at the word world and would make the claim, well, here's the proof again that elections not true because whomever opens the door for anyone who wants to come and be saved on their own free will. However, the question that we will explore tonight, much like we did with second Peter 3.9, is do these claims hold when the verse is viewed in its context and when it's connected with other passages, supporting passages of Scripture. Well, I think when we examine this verse of Scripture using these overarching tools, it will become clear that just like we saw in second Peter 3.9, that John 3.16 is also a strong proof for the truth of sovereign election. And to show this what I want to do is take pretty much the same framework we took when we looked at that prior message in second Peter 3.9, and that is first I want to look at three things within this Scripture that supports the doctrine, three things in this Scripture that supports the doctrine, and then finally I want to give three assurances that believers can take from this verse when we properly understand it. So again, let me say that again. I want to talk about three things within this Scripture that support the doctrine, and then I want to talk about three assurances that believers can take from it when we properly understand it. Now, the first thing that I want to address tonight is this question. What exactly is meant by world in this verse? What exactly is meant by world in this verse? Now again, there are many who instantly conclude that the word world here can only mean every single person in every corner of the planet. However, if we do just a little bit of research beloved, here is what we'll discover that the word world here actually is used eight different ways in the New Testament alone. Eight different ways. In fact, I want to take you to three Scriptures to kind of show you what I'm talking about. Let's look first at John chapter 15 verse 19. Let's look first at John chapter 15 verse 19. John chapter 15 verse 19 reads, if you were of the world, the world would love its own, but because you are not of the world, but I showed you out of the world, because of this, the world hates you. That's a whole lot of world here. Okay? But the question I want to ask is this, what does world mean in this verse? Well, what it means, beloved, is the unbelieving world. Unbelievers. We were called out of the unbelieving world as Christians. So John chapter 15 verse 19, when it talks about the world here, it's talking again about the unbelieving world. So let's take you to another passage of Scripture. Acts 17 verse 24. Acts 17 verse 24. Acts 17 verse 24 reads, the God who made the world and all things in it, since he is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. So again, we see the same word there, world. However, what does the world mean there? The entire universe, everything that was created. But notice, the will say it's the same word we see in John 15, but with a different meaning. One means unbelieving world. The other one means the entirety of the universe. So we see that the word world does not have one blanket meaning. Let me take it to one more Scripture. First John chapter 2 verse 15. First John chapter 2 verse 15. First John chapter 2 verse 15.
It reads, do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him. Now, again, what does world mean in this context? Well, it's talking about the world system of doing things. Okay, it's talking about the world's ways. So again, we've seen three verses with the same word with three different meanings. So again, this is just a small sample of the many ways that world is using the New Testament. So from this brief survey, we can see that the world world does not instantly apply every single person on every corner of the planet. Because if it did mean that all of the time beloved, then we would have to translate, let's say, first John to 15 like this. Do not love every single person on the planet. What are the things of every single person on the planet? Because if anyone loves every single person on the planet, the love of the father is not in them. And as you can easily see, this interpretation instantly contradicts so many other scriptures. The first one off the top of my head is love our neighbors. And else it makes a mess in a mockery of the rest of scripture. But now all of this brings us to an impression. A question that's pretty much I know on all of your minds. And that is, since we know that world has all of these different meanings, what does Jesus mean by world in John 3.16? How many of you honestly ask me yourself that? Be honest, let's see a lot of heads. Well, this is what I strongly believe that Jesus means when he talks about John 3.16. Let me turn, let me have you turn to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. And we'll be looking at verses 18 through 23. Verses 18 through 23. Romans chapter 8 verses 18 through 23. It reads, for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, and hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation grows and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves having the first fruits of the spirit, even we ourselves, grown within ourselves, weighed in eagerly for our adoption of sons, the redemption of our body. Now, let me pause there for a moment because there's two things I want to draw from this passage of Scripture. First of all, Paul states that the sons of God, in this case he's talking about the saved, and we'll talk more about that in a moment, they're eagerly waiting the full consummation of their salvation. In fact, Paul says that they are actually quote, groaning within themselves for this day, and if you are a believer, you know that to be true because every believer has a sense of wanting to see the fullness of their salvation. Okay, which comes at the end. However, in saying this, here's a second thing that we often don't think about when it comes to that day of redemption. Namely that God is planning not only to renew his saved people, but he's also planning to renew his creation on that day. See, Paul says things like in this verse, creation will be set free from slavery into freedom. He says things like the creation groans, waiting eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. In essence, what Paul is saying here, beloved, is that when God sent Christ into the world, his plan of rescue was not just restricted to believers, but rather through Christ, God will also rescue his created order, in order that was ravaged in sin because of Adam. And thus, when that happens, it will become a new heaven and a new earth in which all believers will dwell forever. And short, what John 3.16 tells us is that God has not given up on his creation. And the proof of this is that he lovingly sent his son to redeem those who will believe and beloved it. When that redemption is complete, when the full number of these people come to saving faith, then he will restore the created order to the pure, pristine way it was before the fall. Thus, this is what we mean, or this is what Jesus means when he says, God's so loving, the world. Again, it points to God's love for his created order. And order that eagerly waits for its release from sin and to be transformed into its original state of holiness. And when does that come on the day that the sons of God are revealed in their full number? So now this begs the question, who are these sons of God and Romans 8? Who are these sons of God? Well, this question is answered when we now move into our second way that the doctrine of election is supported in this passage, namely when we examine, quote, the ones who will believe because it's those who will believe who are defined as the sons of God of what we just saw in Romans 8. So again, let's read John 3, 16 again. It reads, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Now, as I mentioned before, there are, again, many opponents to the doctrine of election who will use this phrase to prove that salvation is, quote, open to everyone. And the way one receives is that they just take it by their own free will. In fact, I don't know how many of you have had the opportunity to listen to some of the messages that Pastor Jones did in Enzambia. And one of the things that he mentioned, and I can't remember which one, but one of the things he mentioned in one of his messages is that he's heard it said that salvation is like a package at the post office. Is there with your name on it? Is there waiting for you? But all you have to do in the way you get it is getting in the car and picking it up more on that in a moment. However, in San this beloved and saying all of this, what the opponents of the doctrine election failed to see is that the Bible actually gives us the answer to the ones who will eventually believe. Again, let me take you to a couple of scriptures and show you this. Let's look first at Philippians chapter 1. And we'll get Philippians chapter 1 verse 29. Philippians chapter 1 verse 29. Now, this is Paul writing to the church in Philippi, the believers in Philippi. And listen to what he says in verse 29 of chapter 1. He says, for you, it has been granted for Christ's sake. Watch this. Not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake. So Paul says it again. It's granted for Christ's sake for believers to believe in him. It's granted to you to believe. Let's look at another scripture. Acts 13. And I want to look at verses 44 through 48. And the reason why I'm having you turn to all these scriptures is you'll have some ammunition when you have to defend this. Okay. Acts 13 verses 44 through 48. It reads, the next Sabbath, nearly the whole city, and that's the city of the city in Antioch, they assemble to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul and were blaspheming. Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly instead. It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you repudiated and judged for yourselves on worthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, I have placed you as a light for the Gentiles that you may bring salvation to the end of the earth. Now watch this. When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord and watched this. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed, therefore beloved, when we tie everything together, here's what we discover. That the whoever believes in John 3.16 are the ones in which God will quote grant belief to. They are the ones who have been appointed by him to receive eternal life. And short, the whoever believes in John 3.16 refers to the elect. They are the ones who are given the privilege to believe in Christ. They are the ones whom God has appointed according to His sovereign will to receive eternal life. And therefore going back to the first point we made, we can rightfully make the claim that the sons of God, who will be revealed on the last day, the ones in whom the created order waits for with groanings and birthdays, looking forward to that day and which they are free from sin and renewed to a state of holiness, these are the ones whom God has elected in Christ. Now with these discoveries, here's the bottom line to the first two points. Namely the idea that the words world and whoever somehow points to man's free will, his choice, for him to make a decision for Christ or to open the door of his heart when God knocks all of that stuff in essence is nonsense. And the reason why it's nonsense is because the Bible makes it very clear in places like Ephesians 2.1 that every person apart from Christ is dead and sins and trespasses. And common sense will tell you beloved that something that is dead doesn't have a will, it can't make a choice for a decision and even more so it's not going to get up and answer a door that it hears knocking because it can't hear it knocking. Now beloved, the only way that we can believe in Christ and the only way we can receive the eternal life in which He gives is if He makes us alive again as Ephesians 2 tells us by giving us the power to believe and the finish and perfect work of Christ. And as we have seen beloved, this power is only designated to those in which He has elected to receive the calling of being one of His signs. But third and finally, I want to address another proof of election in this verse and admittedly this is by far maybe the most under the radar one of the three and that's namely that this verse guarantees eternal life. It guarantees eternal life. Look with me again at John 3.16, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. Now you might be saying to yourself, well how does this phrase prove election? Well it does in the way of consistency beloved. You see one of the things that the opponents of election often miss or be honest purposely over look at times is that if it was possible for man to receive salvation on his own power, then guess what? It's also his job to keep salvation on his own power. And this is why we see so many Christians today trying to hang on to their salvation with works because they either don't know or they don't properly understand the grace by which it was given to them. You know I may mention before that when I was doing jail ministry, one of the questions that I was asked the most by the brothers in in the unit was this and that was after you get saved if you sin, do you lose your salvation? And despite the fact that I brought up passages like John 3.16 and others to show just how secure we are in Christ, there were still many guys throughout the years who were unsure. You saw some that were on 10 day fast and you saw some skip required meetings to pray for two or three hours alone, you saw some sit in corners and read large amounts of scripture. And then you saw some inmates go to the forest stream and go to other guys to get demons casted out of them. And now to love it, let's we laugh, we'll look down on these guys. Let me also say this that this is not just happening in the jails today, but this is happening even in our churches. In fact, it's happening right now as I speak to you in some of our churches. Now in saying this, let me be clear, I'm not saying that there's something wrong in doing these things. Well, well, maybe there was something wrong with the demon casting out, but the other things, there's nothing wrong with that. However, my point is that there is something wrong when we use these means not as a way to enjoy the grace we've been given, but as a way to hold on to a salvation that we think is slipping through our fingers. However, beloved, when we understand that the God who elected us to salvation is the same God who keeps our salvation, then our prayer and scripture reading time suddenly becomes much more rewarding. The times that we fast become much more enriching and we don't have to be susceptible to having demons cast out of us because we would understand that greater is he in that is in us than he that is in the world. And again, this is one of the things that John 3.16 communicates to us that our election in Christ is guaranteed. It's given us all the blessings that God has promised us in Christ. So again, the fact that John 3.16 gives us an assurance of eternal life is proof of election because it reveals to us that salvation from beginning to end is totally and fully the work of our sovereign and holy God. Now, with these doctrinal proofs in place, this leads us to the second half of this message, namely the three assurances that we as God's elect can draw from this passage. This is the first assurance we can draw from John 3.16. The assurance that God's love will never leave us, that God's love will never leave us. You know, one of the things I love about this verse is where Jesus says, for God so loved the world, so loved, that was so, so powerful to me. And short, what he's saying is that the Father's love was so high, so deep and so wide that he sent to this world the only gift that could fully express the full weight of that love and that is Christ himself. Thus, the one who received the gift to believe in Christ becomes recipients of the full height, full depth and full width of God's love. And short, not only is the elect given a salvation that does not fail beloved, but they are also given a love from God that does not fail. You know, right now, doing our family devotion time, Deborah Jatin and I are watching RC Sproul of Junior's Teaching Series, Believe in God. In the series, he discussed 12 scriptural promises that Christians struggle to accept. And while this series is excellent and it discusses several things that really Christians need to hear, things like, God does give wisdom when we ask him that children are indeed a heritage from the Lord and how all things do indeed work together for the good of those who are called by him, there is one promise that was, that was really sad not to see in this series. A promise that I think Christians need to hear just as much as the other 12 that's in there. And it's this promise found in Romans chapter 8 verse 39 that nothing will separate us from the love of God found in Christ Jesus. Because beloved, I can't think of one Christian myself included that hasn't wrestled with that truth either silently or publicly at one time in their Christian experience. You know, for example, there are some of us who have been or presently might be struggling with the trial and maybe dealing with the aftermath of a painful past experience and have said at some point in the midst of that has gotten forgotten about me. There are some of us who are going through the frustration of the setting sins or feeling the shame of a sin that we've committed that's so heavy upon us that we start to believe that surely God will not reach down to the depths to save us from that. And then there are some of us who see how another Christian is quote, prospering and it makes us think that God's feeling towards us is not held to the same standard as his feelings towards them. And again, beloved, I don't know one Christian who at some way or another have not wrestled with one, if not all of these experience in some way form a manner in their walk. However, beloved, when we look at John 3, 16, here is what we find that God's people are given belief in Christ. And through this belief, they are also given God's love at its highest height, deep as depth and lightest width. Therefore, beloved, since this is true, as Christians, we should never ask the question has God forgotten about me because the love of God in Christ tells us that we will always be the apple of his eye. As Christians, we should never feel that sin and shame can somehow disconnect us from God's affection because every sin and shame, because even sin and shame rather, cannot escape and must bow down to the exhaustive love which we have been given in Christ Jesus. And as Christians, we should never define God's love by what we materially have, but rather God's love in Christ tells us that we should always define it by who we have. And that's Jesus himself. And again, beloved, nothing, nothing separates us from the love of God found in Christ Jesus. And no matter what we have gone through, what we are going through, or what we will go through, this is a promise that will not change because it's given by a God that does not change. So we see the first assurance to God's elect is that God's love will never leave them, but secondly, John 3.16 also tells us that all the benefits of Christ are ours. It says in a latter part of the verse that all who believe in Christ will not perish but have eternal life. We will discuss the second portion of this verse in our last point, but I want to spend some time discussing what believe in Christ's details, what does it encompass? And sure, what has Christ done to reconcile us back to God? Well, this is what he's done, beloved. He's came in human flesh, he obeyed the law of God perfectly. We look on our sin and died for it, paying for it as if he committed his acts himself. And three days after dying, he rose from the grave and defeated and rescued us from the wrath of our sin and earned our justification. Thus in Christ we have obedience to God, we have the payment for and the forgiveness of our sins, we have victory over eternal death and the grave, and we have been justified and sanctified by God, which in the conclusion of everything means that we have glorification by God. So when Jesus says that God gave his only begotten son, all of these things were attached to the son. And referring back to our last point, this is why we can be confident that nothing will separate us from the love of God found in Christ, because in the eyes of God he sees us just as he sees his son. Now understand that that statement might be one that meets with a whole lot of head scratches, because if we're honest with ourselves, if we had to highlight our good qualities, individual good qualities, perfection wouldn't make it in the top 40. And sure, beloved, it doesn't take much for our minds to marinate in the realm of sinful thoughts. It doesn't take much for venomous words that come spewing out of our lips. It doesn't take much for our hands to reach out for evil and our feet to run to aiquity. Again, beloved, perfection doesn't even make it on the playlist. And this is why we must view this promise not through our present thoughts, words, or actions, but through faith. Because as Hebrews 111 tells us, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. In other words, because Christ has fully pleased the Father in every way, and because He gave this pleasure to us as God's people, we can have a confident expectation and conviction that we will receive everything that He has accomplished for us and for our salvation. Or if I could put it in the words of Paul, we can be confident that He who began a good working on us will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. Yes, beloved. Despite what God's elect may look like, despite what we may act like, despite what we may feel like at this moment, because we are in Christ, we can be assured. If you are God's elect of one thing, that what we look at and feel like will not define what we will ultimately become, but rather we can take joy in knowing that one day we will be made in the image of our Savior. We are going to look just like Him, and all holiness, and all beauty, and all splendor. And now this gives us to the final assurance from John 3.16. Namely, it promises us that God's elect will have eternal security. God's elect will have eternal security. Look again at the verse in John 3.16. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Now we touched on this point in the first part of our message, and in the first two assurances, it's been kind of implied within them. However, I bring this point back up because as believers, as those of us who have been elected by God into salvation, we need to really understand and get this truth into our hearts, beloved. Because beloved, let me just ask these questions to you. Do you fully understand that as God's elect, the Lord is no longer mad at you? Do you fully understand that as God's elect, you don't have to fear judgment day and the possibility of incurring God's wrath? Do you fully understand that as God's elect, that you will never be cast out of His good graces? Do you fully understand, beloved, as God's elect, as the hymns would say, no power of hell, no scheme of man will ever pluck you from His hand till He returns or calls you home here in the power of Christ you stand? Beloved, do we fully understand these things? You know, if I can be transparent for a moment, one of the biggest things that really irks me about my calling as a minister, is when I find my fellow brother ministers getting up in pole pits, and preaching that God's people should still carry fear about their salvation, or even worse, that they would make people believe that Christ isn't enough, just in applying that they're not eternally secure or totally sealed in their salvation. For example, I've literally started getting ill to my stomach, literally. When I hear preachers, or here a believer who goes to a certain church, who heard their pastor say things like, well, you know, you've got to start living right because when the Lord comes back, you're going to have to give an account for what you do. So you need to get your house in order. I literally get ill to my stomach here and that now because listen, Beloved, let me just make this very clear for all of us. We can't live right enough for us to secure the eternal life that we have any more than it already is secure. As believers, we don't need to worry about our account because when Jesus went on Calvary's cross and just before He bowed His head on that cross, He uttered these words to tell us, die. It is finished. The debt has been paid and short Beloved, whatever we owe God before is paid and full in Jesus. In equally Beloved, we don't need to worry about, quote, getting our houses in order because by way of the spirit of God, our houses are as clean and as set as they will ever be. And there is nothing you or any devil in hell can do to improve or mess up the pristine work that the spirit has already done. Beloved, it's about time. It's about time that we start to understand, meditate and celebrate the assurances that we have been given in our salvation and Christ. And the first way we accomplish this is by understanding and accepting that we are a people who have been elected to that calling. So as we come to the end of our time together, let's come to realize that rejecting this doctrine beloved is also to reject all of the blessings as well as the grace of God as a whole. God did not reveal this doctrine of election to make us angry. He did not reveal it to make us fearful, but rather he revealed it to his people to show that he does have an exhaustive love for them. I love that will send by sending his only begotten son and exercise by giving us believe in him so that we will not perish, but that we can enjoy all of the marvelous graces which culminate in the blessings of eternal life. Let us pray. Dear Heavenly Father.