The Bible’s most memorized and most quoted passage of Scripture is John 3:16–the ultimate Scriptural “headline.”  In this verse we find Jesus teaching His disciples an eternal Truth, but only in part.  In order to learn the full Truth surrounding that verse one must study verses 15-21 and unite them with other “fine print” statements provided by the Lord throughout His Word–the Law (Genesis to Revelation).  Even the youngest of believers knows and confesses to believe the “Golden Verse” (16).  Some can even quote its companion verse (17).

However, of equal Truth and of equal “goldenness” are verses 18-21, which the whole of professing Christendom loves to HEAR their ministers expound upon.  But hearing and listening are two totally different levels of perception.  Man has a tendency to a LISTEN only to what he favors and to merely HEAR the rest.  This is true in the music arena.  We do not actually listen to the music played in elevators.  But when we hear a song we really like, we not only listen to it, we tend to hum or even sing along with it.  This “selective listening” affects every aspect of our lives. For example, if we leave a dime on the dresser we will probably not miss it until we return.  But if we leave a $100 bill there, we will remember it immediately.  Also what comes to us unexpectedly is more likely to be remembered than what is routine.

On several occasions I have written and spoken about how the Lord “speaks” to me by arranging for me to be in the right place at the right time and thinking about nothing in particular.  Yesterday afternoon (5/1/’21) while waiting for the Mike Huckabee t.v. program to come on I turned on the t.v. a few minutes early, which is unusual for me.  I immediately knew why I had done so, for I heard Satan speak loudly and clearly through a famous preacher who specializes in speaking his “truths.”  Admittedly, I once preached those same “truths.”  It did not take long for me to realize that God had struck again, just as He had several times before when He wanted me to hear a straight-from-the-heart-of-Satan statement that He wanted me to use in my ministry.  The false prophet was speaking on the surety of his audience’s salvation.  He reminded them that they needed to do NOTHING; that Jesus had already done EVERYTHING that needed to be done, that SALVATION WAS ALREADY THEIRS SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY BELIEVED THEY HAD IT.  For “proof” of that “truth” he recited John 3:16.  I had been thinking about writing on that subject and the Lord was giving me the go-ahead to do so.  This series concerns that “Golden Verse,” a totally misunderstood, totally rejected and totally neglected passage that serves as THE focal point for those seeking salvation through the Institutional (Catholic/Protestant) Church.  As is usually the case when Satan’s error is proclaimed to be God’s Truth, the “headline” is embraced by all while the “fine print” is ignored by all.  John 3:15-21 is the “gold standard” for such global church error.

As is the case in most Biblical statements, there are key words found therein that must be addressed in depth (“listened” to).  Other Scriptures related to these Words constitute God’s “fine print” which must be embraced in order to receive the full measure of His message.  This is why the Apostle Paul preached the “whole counsel of God.”  In John 3:15,16 and 18 the focal Word is “believes” (KJV–“believeth”).  In Scripture, “belief” and “faith” are synonymous.  In verse 15 we find two words added to the focal word: “in Him (Jesus).”  Satan has successfully shrouded those two words in a cloud of error so that the casual reader fails to grasp their significance.  If the believer does not know and believe the “fine print,” he will think that all one needs to do is believe that Jesus died for his sins and accept Him as his Savior.  Nothing could be further from the Truth.  Let us turn to Luke 10:16 where Jesus is telling His disciples that anyone who did not “receive you” (their MESSAGE) was cursed.  Note that Jesus said that to hear their message/Words was to hear Him, and that to despise (reject) their message was to despise Him and His Father.  The disciples’ message was the Word of God.  “Despise” in the Greek language is “atheteo,” which means to reject, to count as nothing.  Neither His Words nor their meaning have changed.  To reject even one “jot or tittle” of their Word is to reject (despise) both members of the Godhead.  The church revels in her right to reject God’s Word (sin) and get away with it, not knowing that she despises both the Father and the Son, whom she claims has saved her.  While that impossibility sinks in, let us turn to John 8:30-32, 43,44 for more “fine print.”

Here Jesus is talking to some Jews who “believed in Him” to whom He said: “If you CONTINUE IN MY WORD (believe and obey It), then you are My disciples INDEED.  And you will (then) know THE TRUTH ….”–God’s Word (Jn. 17:17).  Later, to those Jews who “BELIEVED IN HIM,” Jesus said: “Why do you not understand MY SPEECH (Words)?  It is because you cannot hear MY WORD.  You (those who “believed in Him”) ARE OF YOUR FATHER THE DEVIL.”  Jesus spoke only the Words He had heard from His Father (Jn. 12:44-50), every Word of which salvation seekers must “live by” (know, believe and obey–Mat. 4:4).  These Jews who “believed in Him” were like those church people Paul referred to who were “ever learning but never coming to the knowledge of the Truth–God’s Word (2 Tim. 3:7).  In John 14:6 Jesus noted that He was God’s Word in human form by saying:  “I am the way, the TRUTH and the life” (2 Tim. 3:7).  He was saying that the WAY to LIFE was only through obedience to His TRUTH, which is God’s WORD (Jn. 17:17).

The Apostle James uses the word “works” to describe obedience to God’s Word.  In chapter 2 verses 10, 14,17,18,20,24,26 he tells us that faith (belief) without works is DEAD faith.  All people have faith  Dead faith produces a dead person.  Dead faith, like a dead fruit tree, produces nothing.  It is still a fruit tree, but a useless one.  Note that we must “prove” our faith by our works (18).  James also tells us that faith alone cannot save the soul.  To accomplish God’s intention, faith (belief in Jesus) must be accompanied by works of obedience (14).

Proof of the absolute necessity of knowing, believing and obeying God’s Truth is summarized in verse 36 where Jesus proclaims: “He that BELIEVES IN (obeys) THE SON has eternal life, and he who does not BELIEVE THE SON (His Words) will not receive eternal life, AND THE WRATH OF GOD ABIDES ON HIM.”  Note that the Lord equates BELIEVING IN HIM and BELIEVING HIS WORDS.  BIBLICAL FAITH IS KNOWING WHAT GOD SAID IN HIS HOLY SCRIPTURES, BELIEVING AND OBEYING HIS WORD.  Salvation requires hearing and believing the Holy Bible.  James tells us we must: “Be DOERS (workers) of the Word and not hearers only, thereby deceiving ourselves” (1:22).  In John 8:31 and Matthew 10:17 Jesus tells us that we can be His disciples indeed and can have eternal life only if we OBEY His commandments–the Law by keeping sin out of our lives.  The Law, sin and holiness cannot be separated, for “To transgress the Law is sin; for sin is the transgression of the Law” (1 Jn. 2:6).  Holiness is the opposite of sin, therefore to obey the Law is holiness.  This is why Jesus said that to be His disciples we must “obey the commandments.”

In summary: Believing God’s Word means to obey It.  We are told in Scripture that Satan and his devils believe God’s Word/Law.  If “Sinners Saved By Grace” are right, that sin is part of the Christian walk, then everyone who ever claimed Jesus as his Savior is saved, born again and rapture ready.  However, Jesus said that “FEW” would be saved while “MANY” would believe that they are saved (Mat. 7:13,14).  L.J.