“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

John 3:16 is without a doubt the best-known Bible passage. It has brought comfort and hope to millions—perhaps billions—of people, and contains an important message for you today. At its core, this verse tells us about salvation: the means by which God rescues the perishing and gives everlasting life to all who believe its message.

FOR GOD

The message of salvation begins with God. You and I might be tempted to look at ourselves and say, “What have I done?” or “What can I do?” But God wants to draw our attention to what He has done for us.

SO LOVED

What could move an all-powerful God to take an interest in what happens to you and me? Here we discover a wonderful thing about God—He loves us! Even though we have rebelled against our Creator, His love has provided the way of salvation. 

THE WORLD

God’s love extends to everyone. No one is too young or too old, too rich or too poor, too exceptional or too ordinary to receive His love. It reaches around the globe to find you, right where you are.

THAT HE GAVE

Giving gifts is a natural expression of love. While our giving is always limited by our resources, God is able to give us blessings of infinite and never-ending value.

HIS ONE AND ONLY SON

Here we find the first of two gifts mentioned in this verse: Jesus! The eternal Son of God came to earth and was born as a baby. He was given the name Jesus, which means “the Lord is salvation.” His miraculous arrival fulfilled many ancient prophecies, one of which says “to us a Son is given” who will be called “Mighty God” and bring forth a kingdom characterized by justice and righteousness (Isaiah 9:6-7).

To enter God’s holy kingdom we must be perfectly righteous. And that’s a problem, because God knows our sinful hearts and has declared that “there is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10). God’s holiness demands that a price be paid for sin. This is why God gave His Son to pay the price on our behalf. When Jesus laid down His life on the cross, bearing God’s punishment for our sin, He opened the way for us to be made righteous. He then rose from the dead on the third day, proving that God was pleased with His sacrifice.

THAT WHOEVER

God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ is offered to everyone. Regardless of who we are or what we have done, Jesus has promised to receive us: “whoever comes to Me I will never drive away” (John 6:37). God is “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

BELIEVES IN HIM

“Believes” means two things here. First, we must believe what the Bible says about Jesus. This means acknowledging who He is and what He has done (Hebrews 11:6). But it’s deeper than just accepting facts about Him; the belief spoken of here also implies “total trust.” To receive salvation, we must lay aside any thoughts of our own worthiness and come to Him just as we are. When we rest our souls completely on His grace, trusting Him alone for salvation, our sins are washed away and we are clothed in His righteousness. “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy” (Titus 3:5). “By grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

SHALL NOT PERISH

The Bible says we are born in sin, and if we reject God’s forgiveness we will also die in sin, separated from God forever. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them” (John 3:36). I trust you will turn to God so you do not perish!

BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE

“Eternalg life” is the second great gift of God mentioned in John 3:16, and includes more than you might realize. Not only does God bless those who trust in Jesus with never-ending joys in His presence for all eternity, He also fills their earthly lives with many wonderful blessings:

• He forgives their sins and makes them brand new in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:7; 2 Corinthians 5:17)
• He adopts them as His children and promises them an inheritance in His kingdom (Romans 8:15; 1 Peter 1:3-4)
• He sends His Spirit to dwell in them, giving them the ability to live a life that is pleasing to Him (Acts 2:38; Galatians 5:16)
• He promises to be with them through every difficulty of life, never leaving them and never letting them go (Romans 8:28; John 10:27-28)

How can you have everlasting life? When you receive God’s Son, you receive everlasting life. It’s as simple as that. You can’t have one without the other: “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12). “To all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

Will you receive Him today? Carefully read and think about the Scripture verses quoted above. Then talk to God in your own words, confessing to Him that you are a sinner in need of salvation. Thank Him for sending Jesus to take the punishment your sins deserve. Put your total trust in what He has done for you. Ask Him to save you, and He will!

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).