Is Jesus In Your Room? Part 7

“that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him”

John 3:16b

“Believe in yourself!”

“Believe in…… yourself?”

This may be one of the worst pieces of advice in the history of mankind, especially when it comes to spirituality. When people tell you to “believe in yourself,” what exactly are they trying to convey? Are they simply asking you to acknowledge your existence as a being, or to arrive at some kind of intellectual understanding of yourself? Do you look at your hands, ponder your existence, and suddenly realize you have material form? Is this supposed to be your big opportunity to achieve some kind of intellectual understanding of yourself?

Of course not! Even the secular world would not be so foolish as to interpret this phrase as advice to persuade someone to believe that they exist. This advice is not meant to help you understand yourself better or to lead you to some kind of intellectual enlightenment. It’s a meaningless platitude that offers no real guidance or direction.

Instead of focusing on “believing in yourself,” we should put our faith and trust in something greater than ourselves. We should seek God and His will for our lives, trusting in His guidance and provision. Only through Him can we find true purpose and fulfillment. So let’s reject the empty promises of self-belief and place our trust in the one who created us and knows us better than we know ourselves. Amen?

Why do so many people interpret John 3:16 as a call to arrive at a shallow form of intellectual understanding of Jesus or even worse, as a message of universal salvation? The answer lies in the fallen, sinful nature of the human mind and a fundamental failure to properly interpret scripture through a sound hermeneutic.

Looking at any verse and asking, “What does this mean to me?” is a deadly error. Instead, we must look at scripture and ask, “What is God saying here?” To understand what God is saying, we must look at each verse in its proper context. Understanding the context in which a verse is presented is crucial in understanding what God is saying.

So what is being said in John 3:16? The verse is a powerful statement about the love of God and the gift of salvation that He has offered to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. It is not a call to arrive at a shallow intellectual understanding or a message of universal salvation. Rather, it is a call to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as the only way to be saved. We must read this verse in light of the entire Bible and the message of salvation that it proclaims.

To fully understand the meaning of John 3:16, we must look at the greater context of the passage and also consult the original Greek language. The Greek word “pisteuo,” which is translated as “believe,” can also mean “to trust,” “to have faith in,” or “to rely completely on.”

Jesus is not telling Nicodemus that simply acknowledging His existence is enough for salvation. Believing in Jesus requires more than a superficial understanding or mental assent. Even demons and Satan believe in Jesus, but they will not be saved. Judas is another example of someone who had knowledge of Jesus but did not truly believe in Him.

Therefore, to believe in Jesus means to place our complete trust and faith in Him as the Son of God and the only way to be saved. It means relying on Him for our salvation and surrendering our lives to Him as our Lord and Savior. This is the true meaning of John 3:16 and the message of salvation that Jesus came to bring.

When someone tells us to “believe in ourselves,” they are not advising us to acknowledge our existence or our identity. Rather, they are encouraging us to place complete trust in our own abilities, which is not necessarily good advice.

Similarly, when Jesus tells us that we must believe in Him to be saved, He is not simply asking us to acknowledge His existence or identity. He is not saying that mere mental assent is enough for salvation. Rather, Jesus is calling us to place our complete trust and faith in Him as the Son of God and the only way to be saved.

To believe in Jesus means to rely on Him completely for our salvation and to surrender our lives to Him as our Lord and Savior. It means trusting in His atoning sacrifice on the cross and recognizing that there is no other way to be reconciled to God except through Him.

So let us not misunderstand the true meaning of belief in Jesus. It requires more than just acknowledging His existence or identity. It requires complete trust and faith in Him as our Lord and Savior.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, (that whoever puts complete trust in him) should not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16

Praise God! Praise the Lord!

The only way! The truth! The Light! Jesus Christ!

In Him, with love,

mike

P.s.

Thank you for reading!