I am having a friendly e-mail conversations with a friend concerning the Doctrines of Grace. One of his objections to the limited atonement included John 3:16. This is my answer as I now understand this verse.

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."

Jesus is here speaking unto Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night to tell Him of his secret support (Jn 3:2). Jesus ignores Nicodemus' posturing and tells him that if he wishes to see the kingdom of God he must be born again (Jn 3:3). Nicodemus wonders how a man may do such a thing (Jn. 3:4). Jesus explains that it is not a thing that is done of the flesh but of the spirit. It is a mystery, the flesh cannot see whence it comes, but it can see its results (Jn 3:5-7). Thus we see that the New Birth is a work of God. A man does not ask to be born. He does not plan his position within the family. All of these things happen outside of a man's will.

Nicodemus has trouble with simple earthly concepts; like childbirth. Jesus wonders how he will handle heavenly matters (Jn 3:9-13). Jesus then indicates that being Born Again is equated with belief. Now we know from James 2:9 that fleshly belief is not what is being discussed here. Eph 2:8-9 make it clear that this faith is a gift of God. We also see from the text (Jn 3:15-16) that only those who believe actually inherit eternal life. The problem here is the world: who is it? If the world is all men of all time then John 3:17 is practically negated unless that entire group of people be saved. "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." We know that there were people who died in their sins before Christ's death, and we know that there are people who died in their sins after Christ death. We know the wages of sin (Rom 6:23) and we know the end result of those that sin (Rev 21:8).

Let us tie a few threads together and see if anything may be made of this. First, Nicodemus is a very religious Jewish man. He hopes to "buddy up" to Christ through his knowledge and depth of understanding. Jesus shoots both his legs out from underneath him. It's as if he says, "Nic, you aren't part of the kingdom of God, even though you're a ruler of the Jews. In fact you're not there even though you think you have in-depth knowledge of me. The only way you can be in the kingdom of God is through being born again." Later on in the passage Jesus again "digs" at Nicodemus' knowledge and parentage. "Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?" He then uses an example of salvation with which Nicodemus would have been quite familiar: "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness..." The Son of Man also needed to be lifted up, Jesus explained, so that not only those who were of Israel, but also of all other kindreds, tongues, people and nations (Rev 5:9, 10) might be saved. Jesus kingdom is way bigger than national Israel.

A couple more observations before we are through with John 3. Verse 18 seems to indicate that those who believe are not among the condemned, and those who refuse to believe are condemned even before they do not believe! Also take note of verse 21 in which those who come to the truth does so that what he does will be made known; that his deeds are wrought only in God. This seems to indicate that the very deed of coming to God is a work of God.