Featured John 3:16, The Meaning of "kosmos"

Satan’s ordered universe - the opposite of chaos, cosmos

 

Here is what the Bible says of itself.

2 Tim 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

All scripture is profitable because it is scripture that is inspired of God. It does have different applications to different people and we can be instructed by knowing that. No one, for instance, is going to turn to Matt 21:21-22 and complain they cannot remove a high hill that is blocking their view because that passage says they can. There is context to the scriptures.These words obviously were spoken to men who were given apostolic powers for a certain time and for a certain purpose. We can learn something about God by exploring what his purpose is in giving such power to men. When we learn it we can instruct others and maybe even correct a few, or be corrected if that is the need. It would be unreasonable to think this is a promise to all Christians across the board because it is written in the Bible.

We must approach John 3 as being true for us today while at the same time recognizing it's primary application. In context he was speaking to a Jewish ruler who represented the people of Israel. This ruler was perplexed by his claims for himself and the evidence for his claims of miracles and signs. He concluded that no one could do the things Jesus had done except God be with him. It was in this context that this conversation between these two took place.

These people were the only ones who had enjoyed a personal relationship with the God of heaven for the previous 1500 years. They had heard his prophets and read his books and they had served him in the tabernacle and in the temple. However, John is presenting the coming of Jesus in a much broader sense than the other 3 gospel writers.John is giving the divine view of his coming. It was not just to Israel, although Israel will be first to receive his gift of life, but he was coming so the whole world could be saved through him. In John 1 he was the very expression of God, he was the Word of God. He made the world and everything in it.He is the light of the world. Light is God's metaphor for understanding. One can understand God by studying him. In him was life. Of course the life that was in him was the Holy Spirit of God that God had given to him without measure and he was prepared to pour out of himself on the cross so all men might live as he lives, eternally.

John was writing this in retrospect, much later than when these events took place. He said he came to his own and his own received him not but as many as received him to them he gave the power to becomes the sons of God. This requires a birth in addition to the physical birth and John says this birth is of God and is on the principle of faith. It is God's prerogative to make his birth in this manner and that is the meaning of John 1:14. Now Jesus is explaining John 1:14 and telling not only how a man is born again, but who can be born again. He said the whole world can be born again because it is not just for someone who has a certain birth right but it is for those people who will believe in him. This is who God loved and it is for those he died.That is what Jesus said. He knows God the Father. He knows who he loves. He knows who he died for. He knows on what basis he will give them his life. He says it is the world. It is the kosmos. This is who he loved. This is what he tells Nicodemus. We can be instructed by this. Thank you Nicodemus for 1500 years of preparation and instruction of God but we did not know how broad was the mercy and love of God until we have seen Jesus and to know and understand that he was willing to go to the cross for the whole world. That means he went to the cross for me and for you, whoever you are. That is what he said.

People who will not believe this will not have life. They might have religion but they will not have life. Jesus did not make his salvation about election. He had elected the physical seed of Abraham to be his people but they did not have eternal life because of it. They were not children of God because they were elected. They were children of God by the new birth, when and if they believed in Jesus, the Son of God who died their death for them and gave them his life that he shed there on that cross. His life is the Spirit of God. He indwells sinners who believe. This is the new birth. Jesus made his salvation about faith. He made it about believing. He made it about trusting him. All men who hear can believe but not all men will believe. Those who believe will be given the gift of Life that he willingly gave to the world. History tells us he did it. Eye witnesses tells us he did it. God says he did it. Some men deny it but it is men who do not have faith in what these say. They do not have life because life is of faith in Jesus Christ. It is faith in the testimony that is written. The testimony is plain. It is clear. it is straight forward. It is to the world. Whosoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely. This is a marvelous truth. It is to everyone in the world. No one should die the second death. Christ will give you life. Believe.

 

At any rate it is pure ignorance to manipulate God's word to make it say what it clearly does not. Calvinist always want to bring up the Greek as if it gives them greater understanding when there are no Greek dictionaries that are two thousand years old. So where did they get there definitions?. Biblical Greek isn't the same as modern Greek it's nearly a different language. Yet they study Greek and don't know nearly as much as they pretend. The Bible has been translated in to English I understand English and the KJV has led more people to Christ than any other version. I praise God for our Bibles. If we had to rely on Calvinist for Christianity we would be very disappointed.
MB

 

True it is but theology can be about any theory. Satan has his own theology. Not to mention a theory is an unproven speculation
MB

 

I agree it is and I have pointed this out many times to no avail.
MB

 

No one but a sinner can be saved. Believing Jesus Christ died for sin has to mean he died for my sins. Intelligence, reason, and will is present when a sinner gets saved. I have never heard anyone give a personal testimony that salvation was given to them so they could sin more. Repentance is assumed in salvation but it is not mentioned in all places we are encouraged to be saved. How can anyone look at the cross and think sin is a good thing?

I was dealing with the new birth in chapter 3 in the context of the world but Jesus is hanging on that tree in that chapter. The reason men will not be saved, Jesus said, is because they loved their sin and therefore will not believe. This in itself implies repentance unto life.

I am a repentance preacher.

 

For a long time, I have attempted to get folks to look at the atonement not as a singular, but as puzzle pieces that fit together. Each piece is uniquely shaped to fit that singular purpose necessary to bring about the whole.

For example, the blood. The Cross was specifically designed to not shed blood. It was designed to torture. Yet from the garden to the tomb, blood was shed. Most in the judgement halls where sin accusations were made and payments rendered.

The Scriptures declare without the shedding of blood there is no remission and that the blood was shed for all sin. Every sin in the universe has blood shed for the remission.

People are lost in eternity, not from a lack of blood, but from an abiding rebellion against God.

The “L” then stands. But it is not about blood deficiency, it is about God empowerment.

Only those who God gives hearing ears to hear the Word will receive the faith granted by the hearing of the Word. Those that turn from rebellion, embrace the Word, as that conviction cry of the needy “what must I do to be saved” is quenched by the assured trust implanted. By the merciful grace of God.

Therefore, like a puzzle the pieces of the atonement are completed for the believer. He that began a good work does complete that work - the author and finisher.

 

Neither the translations nor the manuscripts were inspired. Only the original autographs were inspired. However, nothing has been lost, we still have in our possession, the word of God.

 

Wrong.


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Repentance is a false addition to salvation

 

Some versions are corrupted this is true. However a good version saves souls. If they save souls they are the true inspired Word. The originals were lost long ago but the message has been preserved by God. It's the message that is inspired by God
MB

 

Perhaps the difficulty is not in hearing a meaning or reading the context, it is in accepting as factual what is heard and read.

A great difficulty begins in the human condition about the age of nine. There is a continual growing resistance to reordering thinking. The chemical makeup of the brain gradually becomes “fixed” so learning becomes harder, memory pages stiffer to turn, and perceptions ridged.

Few have been those who by continued work actually continue to grow in wisdom and knowledge of God. Most become quickly satiated in meager minimalist pew sitting.