He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
What does John 3:18 mean?
Faith in Christ brings a person out from under condemnation. Refusing him leaves a person where he already stands, guilty before God.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside John 3:18-21 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on John 3:18
He that believeth - He that has confidence in him; that relies on him; that trusts to his merits and promises for salvation. To believe on him is to feel and act according to truth that is, to go as lost sinners, and act toward him as a Saviour from sins; relying on him, and looking to him "only" for salvation. See the notes at Mark 16:16 . Is not condemned - God pardons sin, and delivers us from deserved punishment, because we believe on him. Jesus died in our stead; he suffered for us, and by his sufferings our sins are expiated, and it is consistent for God to forgive.
Key words
- believeth
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He that believeth on him is not condemned,.
- condemned
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He that believeth on him is not condemned,.
- believeth
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He that believeth on him is not condemned,.
Context in John 3
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John 3 belongs to the early movement of the book, especially the section often described as prologue and book of signs. John presents Jesus in contemplative, symbolic, and theological richness as the Word, Lamb, Light, Bread, Shepherd, Resurrection, Way, Vine, and Son. Read this chapter with the wider themes of incarnation, life, and light in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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Passages on trusting God, receiving Christ, persevering without sight, and the relation between faith and lived obedience.
Passages on the nature of truth, honesty, deception, the word of God as truth, and Jesus' claim to be the truth.