3:16

Today is March 16th or 3:16.  So, I want to take a look at one of the most famous verses in the Bible, John 3:16.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  John 3:16 KJV

This is one of the first verses I learned as a child.  In fact, I remember the first time I committed it to memory; I'm not sure why or exactly what age I was, but I do remember it and I remember that I was very young.  I was a little boy in the bathtub while my dad was in the room with me.  My dad would often sit there and talk with us or sing stupid songs using our various pet names; he'd sing, "Scoobalow the boobalow was a good 'ole boy..."  But sometimes he'd just talk with me.

On one such occasion he was helping me learn John 3:16, in the King James Version, of course.  I remember the thrill of committing it to memory and I've never forgotten that verse.  I thank God that my parents talked about God as we walked along the road, as we sat at home, as we lay down, as we got up and even as we bathed.

John 3:16 is a familiar verse to so many and if it isn't a verse familiar to you I encourage you to memorize it.  However, have I, have we lost it's meaning in the familiarity?

The word that sticks out to me tonight is "whosoever".  Whosoever, or who ever, or whatever your version says is an important word.  Do we really believe that whosoever means whosoever?

Often, we think that the Gospel is for some types of people but not others.  We think nice people can be given everlasting life, but some are just too far gone.  Now, we might say in our minds or aloud that we believe that God can save anyone without distinction, but we declare the opposite with our actions.  Are there people you refuse to share the Gospel with because you think it'd be a lost cause?  Are there those you've not invited to your church because they're not the church type?

See, if we proclaim John 3:16 and we memorize John 3:16 but ignore the whosoever we insult God's only begotten Son who died to give those whosoevers everlasting life.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  John 3:16

Honor God's love, God's sending of His only begotten Son, God's salvation from perishing, God's gift of everlasting life by sharing the Gospel with whosoever today.