John 3:16 – Grace Evangelical Society

Current Issues in Salvation, Part 3: Changing Saving Faith into Saving Work

August 26, 2022 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - John 3:16, saving faith

Many schools and pastors teach that saving faith is not mere persuasion. They call that easy believism or cheap grace. Many teach that saving faith includes turning from sins, surrender, commitment to serve Christ, and even perseverance in obedience that must follow the commitment. The words “whoever believes in Him” in John 3:16 thus become

Salvation by Faith or by Faith Alone?

June 16, 2022 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - by faith or by faith alone?, Gal 2:16, James 2:24, John 3:16

O. O. comments on my recent conference message, available here, in which I said that there will be no final judgment for believers. He wrote, “You continue to see individual passages saying one is saved by faith. But nowhere do they say by faith alone.” His point is that salvation from eternal condemnation is by

Beware of Confusing Explanations of John 3:16

May 10, 2022 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Commitment salvation, John 3:16, saving faith

C.S. points out a major issue in study Bibles and commentaries:  So, I just received a new study Bible, and I am curious about the thoughts being presented in it regarding John 3:16. It states that in the New Testament, belief denotes more than intellectual assent to a fact. I don’t necessarily agree with that;

É suficiente esperar que a segurança eterna seja verdadeira?

April 28, 2022 by Bob Wilkin in Graça sem limites - John 3:16, Promessa de vida, Segurança Eterna E Evangelismo, Uma vez salvo sempre salvo

C. L. levanta outra questão importante: Tenho um amigo a quem testemunhei em várias ocasiões sobre a segurança eterna. Ele reconhece como as Escrituras parecem deixar isso claro, e ele parece acreditar na medida em que espera que seja verdade, mas então está meio que preparado para a possibilidade de que não está continuando na

Is Having Everlasting Life Different from Living Forever?

January 5, 2022 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - John 3:16, John 6:51, Revelation 20:11-15

I recently heard a new song for John 3:16. The line about everlasting life jumped out at me. In place of “whoever believes in Him has everlasting life,” the lyrics were, “whoever believes in Him will live forever.” Did you notice the difference there? First, the Lord spoke of the present possession of everlasting life:

Is It Enough to Hope That Eternal Security Is True?

November 16, 2021 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Eternal security and evangelism, John 3:16, OSAS, The promise of life

C. L. raises another important question: I have a friend I’ve witnessed to on several occasions about eternal security. He acknowledges how Scripture seems to make it clear, and he seems to believe it up to the extent that he HOPES it’s true, but then is sort of prepared for the possibility that it’s not

Safe Forever Versus Safe for Now

November 12, 2021 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Eternal security in evangelism, John 11:25-27, John 3:16

Several years before he departed this life in 2008, Zane Hodges shared with me in a letter this statement he had come up with: “There is a vast, chasm-wide difference between saying these two things: (1) You are safe for now. (2) You are safe forever.” He added that the second message “is the gospel

Could Everlasting Life in John 3:16 Refer to Life in Heaven after We Die?

June 30, 2021 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Everlasting Life, guaranteed future in heaven, John 3:16

A reader from Latvia, M. A., asks: Hello, friends!  I understand your argument that a Christian could not possibly lose his/her salvation because “everlasting life” in John 3:16 by definition means a life that never ends—therefore a life that can’t be lost. But why couldn’t we see the “everlasting life” mentioned in the verse to

How to Witness to Lordship Salvation Loved Ones

May 25, 2021 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - John 3:16, Witnessing to Lordship Salvation proponents

COP is an easy way to remember the Lordship Salvation understanding of what one must do to have everlasting life. COP = Commitment to obey Christ, followed by initial Obedience to Christ, followed by Perseverance in that obedience until death. In other words, an initial commitment to obey Christ, even if sincere and wholehearted is

Is Inviting People to Become Friends of God a Good Way to Evangelize?

April 7, 2021 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - evangelism, friendship with God, James 2:23, James 4:4, John 3:16

Shawn found out that one of my former seminary professors was speaking at a church near DFW airport. I went to the church’s website and found out that they have an interesting way to evangelize. They have a heading called Friendship with God. They invite you to click to find out how to become a