Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
John 3:18 (ESV)
John 3:16 is one of the best-known verses in the Bible. God loved the world so much that He sent His Son. And anyone who believes in Him will not perish, but will have eternal life. That verse tells us two things. God initiated our salvation. And belief is required on our part.
John 3:18 focuses on the second part of this equation. There are two possible responses we can make to God’s sending Jesus to us. Some will believe and some will not. And there are two possible outcomes, depending on our response. Those who believe will escape condemnation. Those who do not remain in a state of condemnation.
We are not condemned because we don’t believe. Instead, we are, by default, condemned, living apart from God and facing His judgment. It is our natural state. And there is nothing we can do about it.
Except to believe. Jesus tells us here that the one who believes in Him will not be condemned. Instead, the one who believes will experience eternal life. When we believe, we move from among those who are condemned to those who have eternal life.
Jesus later stresses the necessity of the Father’s enabling (John 6:44, 65). And He makes clear that our actions are important (John 5:28-29). But, at its heart, salvation is a matter of believing in what God has done for us. It is a response that each of us is responsible for. To believe, or to continue in a state of disbelief.
