Rebranded and Reborn

What is the Gospel?

John 3:16–17 MEV

16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

John 3:16 is by far the most quoted passage in the Bible, but what does it mean? It is easy to sit her and say that an all mighty God loved us so much that His only Son died for our sins. Then in John 3:17 it says that He being Jesus, was not sent into this world to condemn it but that mankind could have a possibility for salvation. All that sounds great doesn’t it?

The problem is our original question has not been answered and we are now faced with another question, what are we being saved from? Why did Jesus have to be the on to died on that cross. These are all solid questions that need to be addressed and today we will go about doing just that.

John Calvin said it well when he commented on this passage, So it follows that until Christ set about rescuing the lost, everyone was destined for eternal destruction. Many times within our culture we are led to think that if one is good enough they are going to heaven or that by default all people are by default bound for heaven unless they mess up.

This is dangerous for one to think that heaven is the default destination, when in fact it is not, but is reserved for those who

have submitted their lives to the Lord. We will soon go deeper in this talk about the topic of working for heaven. Submission to the Holy Spirit is not an one just simples states then go on in life unchanged.

There will always be a notable change in the life of someone who now knows Jesus. In fact Jesus himself told us that we will know them by their fruits (Matt 7:16).

D. A. Carson explains it as this:

The Gospel according to John 6. Extended Comment I (3:16–21)

That the new birth, the acquisition of eternal life, has been grounded in the ‘lifting up’ of the Son (

Though this is a vastly great gift we still need to investigate more as to why this gift and why was it necessary for it to be done. Let us look to the writings of Paul to the church in Rome.

Romans 5:6–11 MEV

6 While we were yet weak, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Rarely for a righteous man will one die. Yet perhaps for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 How much more then, being now justified by His blood, shall we be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, how much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by His life. 11 Furthermore, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

While we were weak in our sins Jesus demonstrated how much he loved us, knowing good well that many if not most would deny him when he came to knock on their hearts door.

Verse 8 says that it is rare of a man to to choose to die for someone else. Even a really good man might think about it. Jesus did it, again He did it knowing already how messed up we are and how we will still mess up all the time.

Here in verse 9 we learn what it is that we are ultimately being saved from. We are being saved from the wrath of God. Many times church folks want to focus on the God is love, God is nice, God blesses me and is giving me so many blessings and things. Yet because we refuse to look at or acknowledge the wrath of God we become spoiled and good for nothing.

No one like thinking about wrath and they definitely don’t want to think about it when they think of God, the creator of the universe, who is all powerful, and all knowing died for us so that we can have a hope and so that the barriers between God and man are gone as well allowing us direct access to God. Something totally unheard of before hand.

Verse 10 also has some strong language as it says that while we were still enemies with God, he loved us. The he reconciled us to the Father. and verse 11 reminds us of the joy that Jesus because of His work on the cross.

But this still leaves the question still being investigated. Why did Jesus have to die? Romans 5:12 gives us more insight into why.

Romans 5:12 MEV

12 Therefore as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, so death has spread to all men, because all have sinned.

This is another verse that has a habit of upsetting folks that do not know Jesus. Lets face it, no one likes being called a sinner. It tends to be offensive and rude to call a spade a spade and to shed light onto another one’s inner man. But that is what is being done here and at times it is necessary.

The language of this verse is needed. At times we need to be reminded of why we fight for the Lord and why we are saved so that we are motivated to tell others about it. But if we are not saved we need to hear about the risk of death. It is very similar to my job as a paramedic, where I am trying to explain to a patient why they need to comply. I at times need to be very up front with them and tell them the truth that if they do not know Jesus you they need to get into the Word and know Him. One finds salvation in realizing that (He being God) is in control and that we are to submit to Him in all things.

Romans B. How Peace with God Was Lost: A Study in Comparison (5:12–14)

Paul clearly says that sin entered the world through one man, meaning Adam.