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NASB | 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. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 3:16 ¶ "For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. |
Subject: THE CROSS |
Bible Note: Hope you don't mind, but I would like to give a note/answer on this.... We see so many times in scripture that people cannot choose the Good things of God unless they were given to them by the Father. (Matt 11:25-27) Jesus reveals himself to us by giving us eyes to see and ears to hear (John 10:26-30) Take note of verse 26, you must be a sheep of the Lord to hear his voice. The only way to hear and follow is to be regenerated first! Look at what happened to Peter when Jesus asked, "Who do men say that I am?" (Matt 16:13-20) taking note in verse 17, "....Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jo'na: for flesh and blood did not reveal it unto thee, but my Father that is in Heaven." It is the same way with us, we have to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit first in order to have faith/trust or to claim that He is our Messiah and Lord of our life. Or when Christ says in John 15:16 "You have not chosen me, But I have chosen you." You can't choose to believe or have faith by something within you. We are all born sinners and cannot choose the things of God (have faith) unless God makes you one of His first (re- generation) Probably the best verses to exemplify regeneration before faith are found in Rom 3:11 "there is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God." Rom 3:12 "They are all gone out of the way, they have together become unprofitable, there is none that does good, no, not one." Rom 3:23 "For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God. So, the ones who do the good things of God were given to them by the Holy Spirit first. Because, remember, "Our works are as filthy rags" (Isa 64:6) We can do nothing if it were not given to us by the Father first. Rom 8:8-9: So then they who are in the flesh cannot please God. Rom 8:9 But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. You cannot believe or be one of His unless you have been regenerated first. Rom 9:11 "for the children had not yet been born, neither had done any good or evil; but that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who called,.." God has to call in order to beleive. Rom 9:16 So then it is not of the one willing, nor of the one running, but of God, the One showing mercy. This reminds me of Rev 3:20, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him and he with Me." Does everyone hear the knock? Apperently not. Only His sheep/elect hears and opens the door. Rom 10:17 "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Again we have ears to hear only if given by the Father to hear. Matt 13:10-16 And the disciples said to Him, Why do You speak to them in parables? He answered and said to them, Because it is given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them. For whoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance. But whoever does not have, from him shall be taken away even that which he has. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not; nor do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which said, "By hearing you shall hear and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see and shall not perceive; for this people's heart has become gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and they have closed their eyes, lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. (mkjv) My favorite verses are found in Eph 2:8-10 They read: "For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them." Note, Not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.....the faith is given to you by the Holy Spirit. Please pray about this and keep searching the scriptures and try to prove this wrong. You'll find out that what I say here is true. In Christ; Micko |