John 3:17 - "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him"
After all, it is the one most frequently cited at major sporting events.
Kidding aside, there is good reason for this.
John 3:16 states - "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
So we see that John 3:16 gives us a clear picture of the WHY behind Jesus.
It sums up much of the purpose of Christ and the established religion in his name, Christianity.
Unfortunately, the following verse can get easily overshadowed by its neighbor.
But John 3:17 adds important context for Christ's coming - especially for our world 2000+ years later.
In today's world, there can be significant conflict around Christian principles.
Much of this comes from what is perceived as a "narrow" religious view that Jesus is the only route to eternal salvation. As such, those excluded feel targeted and threatened as inferior to the Christian standard.
Furthermore, many believe the Christian standard is about following a set of rules instead of the relationship with God it truly professes.
Mature Christians understand there is only one rule - believe in Jesus (John 6:29) - followed by a repentant life driven by the joy of the gift of Christ.
Jesus already knows each of our lives would be diseased with sin to the extant no amount of good effort would ever correct.
This memory verse from John 3:17 reminds us that despite all that sin, Jesus did not come to condemn us or our world. Rather, He came to save us from what He understood would be our sinful fate without Him.
We each deserve eternal punishment for the depth of our sins as compared with God's standards.
Our sins take different forms, but they all make us ineligible for being with God in heaven in eternity.
While sins are more socially acceptable than others as they are judged against the world's relative standards, none of them is acceptable by God's absolute and eternal standards.
Apply This:
1. Memorize this verse from John 3:17 to remind you that Jesus does not condemn you (or others) for your sins 2. Be comforted that sin, in all its forms, is wiped away when Jesus is your Savior
2. Consider sharing this verse when others confront you regarding Christian principles - it demonstrates Jesus covers all sin for everyone who accepts Him as their Savior
