 We’ve all seen the famous handmade cardboard sign held up by fans at sporting events, “John 3:16”. A lot of us can recite that verse word for word without hesitation. It is a verse that contains hope and relief knowing that the Son of Elohim wipes away the transgressions of those who believe in Him.
However, could John Chapter 3 reveal critical information that many are missing? Let’s start with the verse that most of us have memorized: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only brought-forth Son, so that everyone who believes in Him should not perish but possess everlasting life.” John 3:16 This promise is so reassuring for those who desire a life-everlasting with the Creator. Belief is a big word, in fact in the Hebrew sense it is much bigger and deeper than what us “westerners” understand as the definition of belief. I tend to discuss “belief” in most of my blogs as through the years and different cultures the true meaning of belief has become watered down and extremely diluted. This error in mis-understanding the concept of belief can then become a detrimental “detour” in most believers walk. I believe Abraham is a powerful example of the Hebrew meaning of belief. “And he believed in YHWH, and He reckoned it to him for righteousness.” Genesis 15:6 If we dig into the life and events of Abraham, he was consistent. He believed in the promises given to him by YHWH and he showed proof of his belief by his actions (obedience). YHWH makes that clear in His following statement: “For I have known him, so that he commands his children and his household after him, to guard the Way of YHWH, to do righteousness and Right-Ruling, so that YHWH brings to Abraham what He has spoken to him.” Genesis 18:19 Can you see there is more depth involved with Abraham and YHWH’s relationship than Abraham just believing that YHWH exists? It was Abraham’s belief coupled with his obedience to YHWH’s instructions. Joshua and Caleb are also great examples of exhibiting true belief. Recall they were the only 2 spies of the 12 who gave a good report of the Promised Land and were ready to follow YHWH’s instructions and go in. They were the only ones who believed YHWH would fight for them and they were eager to do what they were told. Notice how YHWH describes them: “But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me completely, I shall bring into the land where he went, and his seed shall inherit it.” Numbers 14:24 “Not one of the men who came up from Egypt (Mitsrayim), from twenty years old and above, is to see the land of which I swore to Abraham, Yitshaq, and Ya’aqob, because they did not follow Me completely, except Caleb son of Yephunneh, the Qenizzite, and Joshua (Yahushua) son of Nun, they have followed YHWH completely.” Numbers 32:11,12 A couple of key words which I underlined above really speak volumes. Notice YHWH states that Caleb had a “different spirit” and I find that quite interesting when we visit John Chapter 3 again. John 3:16 is only a part of Yahushua’s reply to Nicodemus regarding being born of the spirit. Yahushua also discusses the spirit in the following chapter with His conversation with the woman at the Jacob’s well. “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father also seeks such to worship Him. Elohim is Spirit, and those who worship Him need to worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:23,24 Also notice in Numbers that Caleb and Joshua “have followed YHWH completely.” Completely is translated from the Hebrew word mala meaning fully, accomplish and confirm. So, they confirmed their belief by their accomplishments/actions. It reminds me of that old saying, “Don’t tell me, show me.” The “showing” is actionable proof, and just as with Abraham, the obedience of these 2 men confirmed their belief thus making their belief complete. Another example of someone who believed coupled with obedience is Noah. He was described as “a righteous man, perfect in his generations, Noah walked with Elohim.” (Genesis 6:9). This all falls in the same topic as my last blog, Adding Fullness to Faith. There comes a time when our belief needs to be actionable. It should become a walk towards Him. Elevating our Faith into Faithfulness to Him and His Ways will result in worshipping Him in spirit and in truth. Afterall according to His Word, the purpose of the Spirit (Ruach) is to guide us in His Ways that we may truly follow Him. “But I say the truth to you, it is better for you that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you at all, but if I go, I shall send Him to you. And having come, He shall reprove the world concerning sin, and concerning righteousness, and concerning judgement.” John 16:7,8 “And I shall give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. And I shall take the heart of stone out of your flesh, and I shall give you a heart of flesh, and put My Spirit (Ruach) within you. And I shall cause you to walk in My Laws and guard My Right-Rulings and shall do them.” Ezekiel 36:26,27 “For this is the Covenant I shall make with the house of Yisra’el after those days, declares YHWH; I shall put My Torah in their inward parts, and write it on their hearts. And I shall be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.” Jeremiah (Yirmeyahu) 31:33 With this brief examination of the Hebrew meaning of belief, lets circle back to John Chapter 3. Again, most can quote verse John 3:16 without a hitch however many have not continued to study to the end of Chapter 3, particularly the last verse where I believe Yahushua sums up His conversation so perfectly with Nicodemus. “He who believes in the Son possess everlasting life, but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of Elohim remains on him.” John 3:36 Notice the coupling of both belief and obedience in just this one verse. Belief is not presented as a separate concept but rather it is one in the same with obedience. To be quite honest, I’m sure I’ve read that verse in years past, but it obviously did not “sink in” at that time. I don’t remember reading it, studying it and surely not memorizing it. I also have not personally seen a cardboard sign with John 3:36 written on it, have you? I assume because it’s much easier to say, “just believe” and to hear “just believe” than to embrace there is some “work” on our part. The idea of “work” in Christianity is heavily frowned upon assuming that works are fully relied upon for salvation or that the works are too hard. These false paradigms lead many to believe a pastor rather than believing what Scripture truly says. It’s very clear we need belief AND obedience. We need belief in our Savior Yahushua as He is the door (John 10:9) and when our hearts repent (shub) from our lawless ways and turn (teshuva) to His Ways, it involves following Him and to walk as He walked (obedience): Then Yahushua said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his take and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24 “For the Son of Adam is going to come in the esteem of His father with His messengers (angels), and then He shall reward each according to his works.” Matthew 16:27 “You see then that a man is declared right by works, and not by belief alone…for the body without the spirit is dead, so also the belief is dead without the works.” James 2:24,26 “And by this we know that we know Him, if we guard His Commands. The one who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not guard His Commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever guards His Word, truly the love of Elohim has been perfected (teleioo) in him. By this we know that we are in Him. The one who says he stays in Him ought himself also to walk, even as He walked. Beloved, I write no fresh command to you, but an old Command which you have had from the beginning. The old Command is the Word which you heard from the beginning.” 1 John 2:3-7 So, whoever “guards His Word”, the love for Elohim will then be perfected. Notice the Greek word for perfected is teleioo. It is defined as to complete, to accomplish – it has a similar definition as the Hebrew mala as discussed earlier, to accomplish and confirm. Sadly, there is an idea that Yahushua created “new” Commandments. This confusion is from those who falsely teach Matthew 22:36-40 known as the “The 2 Greatest Commands” incorrectly believing they replace the Torah. Keep in mind, there is no replacements but rather these 2 Commandments stated by Yahushua encompass the whole of the Torah. The first is “You shall love YHWH your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your being, and with all your mind.” If we follow YHWH’s instructions for living (Torah) then we will be loving Him with all our heart, being and mind. The second is “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Again, if we follow YHWH’s instructions for living (Torah) then we will love our neighbor as ourselves. Yahushua makes this clear by saying "On these two Commands hang ALL the Torah and the Prophets." Matthew 22:40 It’s also important to note that Yahushua’s response is directly quoting from Deuteronomy 6:4,5 known as “the Shema”. This verse in the Torah starts with “Shema O’Yisrael” – Shema means listen and obey. It is also evident that He did not bring any “new” Commands by His own words: “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.” John 7:16 “And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do what pleases Him.” John 8:29 “It is My Father who esteems Me, of whom you say that He is your Elohim. And you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be like you, a liar. But I do know Him and I guard His Word.” John 8:54b,56 Yahushua did not come to set up a brand-new Covenant. He was sent from the Father to renew a broken Covenant with Yisra’el (Matthew 15:24) so that all those who accept His free gift, believe that He is the Son of Elohim, then walk as He walked will be grafted into the olive tree (who is Yisra’el – Romans 11:17-25) allowing us to be in the presence of Him and the Father as it was originally intended. Here is more confirmation from Yahushua regarding the Father’s Commands: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah of the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill (pleroo). For truly, I say to you, till the heavens and the earth pass away, one yod or one tittle shall by no means pass from the Torah till all be done.” Matthew 5:17,18 The Greek pleroo means to accomplish, execute, to fully preach. Many have been falsely taught that it means to remove or destroy, however Yahushua had stated one sentence prior that He did NOT come to destroy. Does it make any sense for Him to state that He did not come to destroy it, but that He did come to destroy it? That is ludicrous and only when we examine the Greek and Hebrew meanings can we truly understand His teachings, promises, and warnings. Also, a quick sidenote: heaven and earth are still here :) Scriptures are clear that our belief and love for Him and the Father will be perfected, i.e. complete when we follow Him. “Therefore, be perfect (teleios), as your Father in the heavens is perfect.” Matthew 5:48 “The Torah of YHWH is perfect (Hebrew: tamiym meaning without blemish, complete), bringing back (shub: to turn back) the being.” Psalms 19:7a “…Be set-apart (qodesh), for I YHWH your Elohim am set-apart.” Leviticus 18:30b Qodesh: causatively make clean, dedicate, prepare, wholly Scripture overflows with verses coupling belief and obedience as one. Here are some additional verses confirming this important subject: “And we are His witnesses to these matters, and so also is the Ruach ha’Qodesh (Set-apart Spirit) whom Elohim has given to those who obey Him.” Acts 5:32 “For not the hearers of the Torah are righteous in the sight of Elohim, but the doers of the Torah shall be declared right.” Romans 2:13 “But now has been made manifest, and by Scripture of prophesy has been made known to all nations, according to the Command of the everlasting Elohim, for belief-obedience.” Romans 16:26 “Here is the endurance of the set-apart ones, here are those guarding the Commands of YHWH AND the belief of Yahushua.” Revelation 14:12 “Blessed are those doing His Commands, so that the authority shall be theirs unto the tree of life, and to enter through the gates into the city.” Revelation 22:14 I have a friend who summed this topic up nicely saying, “Belief without obedience is like a tree with no fruit.” “By their fruits you shall know them…Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown in the fire. So then, by their fruits you shall know them.” Matthew 7:16a,19,20 By their fruit you shall know them – good fruit, bad fruit or lack thereof - and by your fruit Yahushua will declare whether He knows you or whether He does not. (Matthew 7:22-23, Matthew 25:1-12, Matthew 25:31-46) Let’s learn His loving instructions (Torah) to bear good fruit, through our Savior Yahushua with the longing to one day hear: “Well done, My good and faithful servant.” “He turns back (shub) my being; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake.” Psalms 23:3 “All the paths of YHWH are kindness and truth, to those who guard His Covenant and His Witnesses.” Psalms 25:10 “The Torah of YHWH is perfect (tamiym), bringing back (shub- to repent, to restore) the being.” Psalms 19:7a To learn more about how to walk in Covenant with the Father and His Son, here are some recommended resources of this very topic. The Journey Back Blog A resource webpage examining different Scriptural topics Shema Yisrael website A suggested website full of studies regarding the Covenant |