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The Fallacy of Taking Four Verses
Out of Context with the Thousands of Others
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
Fallacy 1 - Whoever believes in Him should not Perish, but have eternal life. -Taken out of context with adjacent verses.
This is the most popularly quoted verse in the Bible, BUT it is quoted out of context without the companion verses that qualify its meaning to be totally the opposite of how people interpret it, when looked at alone. Many call this verse "an entire Bible in itself." Unfortunately they are wrong.
First let's examine the subject verses: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Notice the word should, meaning probable or likely. Now this word "should" is from the King James and New King James. The other translations say "shall," which is a huge difference in meaning; one that I don't think you want to bet your eternal welfare on. For further understanding, look at the verses in Acts, describing how new members were added by the Lord to the early church in Jerusalem, headed by Peter, James, John, etc.
And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
The New International Version reads:
And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
The Amplified Bible reads: and the Lord kept adding daily those who were being saved.
This clearly shows that being saved is not instantaneous with believing, baptizing, and joining the church; no, they were described as should be saved - as in the future, at the death of their selfish spirit on the cross. Further evidence of being saved is not instant, but a process of carrying your cross is: For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
The New King James reads: the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
The Amplified Bible reads: the cross is sheer absurdity and folly to those who are perishing and on their way to perdition but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Paul in his letter to the Phillipians further shows that salvation is not just believing.
continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,
The work is carrying the inward cross of self-denial over time. To seek, listen, hear, and obey - is part of the cross.
Notice Jesus in John doesn't say if you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, he says if you believe in him, (or simply believe him). There is a big difference: 1) mental assents to Jesus being the Son vs. 2) to believe what he commands and advises - enough to obey Him. He commands us to seek with our highest priority in life the Kingdom of God and His righteousness - to be perfect - to turn the other cheek - to come to him, listen to him, and obey him - to deny yourself and pick up your cross daily and to repent or perish. The demons believe that Jesus is the Son of God, but they don't obey him - they disobey him. The Amplified Bible gives us further understanding: whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him. Do you obey Jesus' commands, or are you like the demons, who believe him to be the Son of God raised from the dead, but who disobey his commands? To believe is to obey. Obedience leads to salvation. Obedience leads to righteousness.
If you really believe Jesus, and that God raised him from the dead, you would be desperately seeking for how to be pleasing to God, to receive his blessing, to be purified, sin-free, righteous, to enjoy his company and guidance - then you would probably do whatever is necessary to obtain these blessings. By belief, you should begin the effort of being saved. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? . So now ask yourself: have you overcome the world? Because John has just told us who believes that Jesus is the Son of God - it is he who overcomes the world; and to overcome the world is to fight the good fight of faith, to have victory over sin, and to bring forth fruit unto perfection.
Let's look further at all the verses after this famous verse, which also totally change the traditional, but erroneous interpretation:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 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. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 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. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that does truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Everything fits with the common interpretation, out of context, until verses 19, 20 and 21 are included:
Verse 19: this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Verse 20: For every one that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
Whoever continues to commit evil [sin] loves darkness, and is condemned - whatever they might think they believe.
He does not come to the light, lest (for fear that) his evil deeds will be reproved, (judged).
He wants to continue his selfish lifestyle, his life of evil, and so he rejects and hates the light [which is Christ].
He loves the darkness, where his deeds are not exposed as evil, so he rejects the light and hates the light, which is Christ.
Like the demons, he can think that Christ is the Son of God;
but because he loves his lifestyle, and hates the Light's conviction of it,
he withdraws from the light, into the comfort of darkness, where there is no disapproval;
and so he is condemned. Whatever he says he believes with his mouth - his actions betray his words.
If he believed in the light, he would obey the light. If he believed in Christ, he would obey Christ.
To believe is to obey. Obedience leads to salvation. Obedience leads to righteousness.
But, a person who wishes to do the right thing, to please God, to be rid of sin - he will accept the light's disapproval of his evil deeds, and be motivated to change his ways, (to repent). He believes the light is from God, from the Son of God, and loving the light's counsel, he obeys the light's gentle pleading, counsel, and commands to him.
Verse 21: King James - But he that does truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Verse 21: Amplified - But he who practices truth - who does what is right- comes out into the Light; so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are--wrought with God - divinely prompted, done with God's help, in dependence upon Him.
A true believer does truth, or practices truth - does what is right. (He is finished with sin, doing what is wrong.)
A believer comes out into the light, (without fear) to show that his deeds ( or works) have been:
wrought in God; or divinely prompted, done with God's help, in dependence upon God.
Now ask yourself: How many works, or deeds, have I done that have been wrought, or prompted by God and with his help? How many works have I done that God has specifically told me to do, and then helped me to do them? - Not how many works have you done, hoping to please God. The first works for all are repentance - with God prompting or showing you what to repent from, and then you through sorrow, resolving to do better - repentance.
Paul : I declared.. that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.
Jesus said, unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Repentance requires effort on your part.
And, As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Jesus further said, Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.
Jesus said, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Jesus said, I have not found thy works perfect before God. He wants perfect works, energized by faith.
Hear! Jesus said: Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
The gospel of grace would have you believe striving is unnecessary, yet Jesus ordered us to strive, (to exert much effort or energy).
Paul again: They profess that they know God;
but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient,
and unto every good work reprobate. Titus 1:16
Fallacy 2. Not by Works, by Grace - There Is No work Necessary to Go to Heaven.
Look at the verses above and see how the false prophets take this next verse out of context and create a false salvation: Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. .
This verse is used to rationalize doing nothing. Not by works, by grace - is the rallying cry of those, who hope nothing is required of them, more than saying they believe in Jesus. Of course we are not saved by our own efforts. God makes the changes in us, but only if we are obedient to his commands.
If you really believe, you will seek God, the whole purpose of life; you will seek his Kingdom, within you and around you, and his righteousness as your highest priority in life. In this seeking process, you will first hear from within the living Word of God, Christ instruct you and chastise you. Later the Light of God in every man, Christ, will expose the sins your heart; and if you believe that he who shows you your sin is Christ, loving Christ, you will acknowledge your sin and you will be sorry - you will repent. With sincere repentance, Christ will then remove the desire to sin from your heart, (a work prompted by God and assisted by God's grace). This repentance and resulting cleansing is the purification process, described in 1 John, (click to read). This is a repetitive process, until your heart has been cleansed of all sin, until you are purified. Thus he can now make you perfect in every good work to do his will, ; a forever cleansing and perfection with resulting union that is now available to all who go to him for change.
This is the operation of true grace, which is not salvation - instead, grace brings salvation by teaching us to deny ungodliness and lusts in life, (repentance), how to live a godly life in this present world, and purifying us over time, - as described by Paul in Titus 2:11-14:
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts,
we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world,
looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing
of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;
who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity,
and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Your faith in Jesus and God's grace are to result in good works prompted faith by and energized by the grace of God.
James said, "faith without works is dead." James 2:17
James further said, " You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only." James 2:24
Paul said, "continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling." Philippians 2:12
Again Paul said, the purpose of grace, results in a people zealous for good works. Titus 2:14
Peter said: whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. Acts 10:35
Paul again: I declared.. that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. Acts 26:20
Paul again: Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded,
nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy;
That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate. 1 Tim 6:17-18
After you are purified, made pure in heart, you will be prompted by God to do further works to his glory, according to his will. You will be directed to a virtuous life, and you will have a zeal for good works.
But he who practices truth - who does what is right- comes out into the Light; so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are--wrought with God - divinely prompted, done with God's help, in dependence upon Him. John 3:21
Now when the Light appears in final judgment, you will have no fear of evil works being exposed; instead you will come out into the Light, knowing that your deeds will be shown to have been wrought by, or produced by, or prompted and assisted by God.
For every one that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. John 3:20
But, if you have not been purified in this life before you die, when the Light, Christ appears to judge you, you will shrink back in fear, knowing that you have practiced evil in your life, with fear of the consequences to shortly come - even if you think you are a Christian and call him Lord.
So until you have been changed by grace, listening to His words spoken to you, obeying them, and then watching His light, gently never upbraiding, show you the secrets of your heart, [until having done this] you will fear the light at judgment and will run from the light into darkness.
Fallacy 3. if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved - ignoring the meaning of confess and believe in your heart, plus taking it out of context.
Roman 10:9-10-that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
- To confess, is to acknowledge that Jesus is your Lord, who controls your words and deeds - this only happens after death of self.
- To believe in your heart God resurrected Him, is to have received this in your heart by God's revelation - not by reading or hearing about it; it must be revelation - not mental assent.
- To believe unto righteousness is to have become righteous, through death of the selfish spirit on the cross, thus receiving Christ's controlling spirit to make you righteous.
- You don't become righteous by saying that Jesus is Lord. You only become righteous when he controls your words and deeds; then and only then, can your truthfully say Jesus is your Lord, controlling your obedience to his commands.
- You only experience salvation after death of your selfish spirit of flesh on the cross, and receipt of sufficient spirit of Christ to control your every word and deed. Then you confess him to be Lord.
- Salvation is not saying Jesus is Lord or pointing to scripture - it is to be experienced. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Even Adolph Hitler was a believer; he said Jesus was his Lord and Savior. Surely you don't think he was saved? The thousands of Catholic priests who slowly tortured and brutally murdered 9,000,000 people for being witches during the Middle Ages were believers and said Jesus was Lord too. All were baptized, took communion, prayed frequently, confessed Jesus as Lord, read the scriptures, etc. But they had never crucified their selfish nature on the inward cross of self-denial, which destroys the sinful nature, even the lure of sin. So they rationalized their mass tortures and murders were not sin; their selfish beastly nature freely participated in the torture and execution of all those with a different opinion of religion. They still sinned. But their sins were on a massive scale; our sins are easier to overlook and excuse, being indifferent to our immorality, impurities, lusts, rages, envies, jealousies, etc. Servants ye are to whom ye obey;
whether of sin unto death,
or of obedience unto righteousness.
Lets look several of the other verses which further directly conflict with the believing verses taken out of context:
Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven,
Only those who do the will of the Father enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name,
and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?
'Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
He [Jesus] became the Author and Source of eternal salvation to all those who give heed and obey Him.
And this is the will of Him that sent me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes on him, may have everlasting life,
(Unless you are purified, you will never see God. Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.
When he appears, we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
(like him is to be holy, pure, perfect - only those like him, will see Him.)
Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.
Without holiness, no one will see the Lord.
whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. (To live in him requires you to crucify your sinful nature on the cross.)
The acts of the sinful nature include sexual immorality, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, [greed], sorcery, hatred,
contentions, jealousies, rage, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, etc.
...those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
You can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person..has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient.
Fallacy 4 - no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit - quoted out of context
Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed,
and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. 1 Cor 12:3
The false prophets tell you that anyone who says the words "Jesus is Lord" is controlled by the Holy Spirit.
But Jesus contradicts that interpretation, saying: But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?
and: Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven,
but he who does the will of My Father in heaven... Depart from me you who practice lawlessness.
So, what is the true meaning of: no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit?
It means, no one can say that Jesus is their Lord, controlling their words and deeds as Lord and Master, without the Holy Spirit.
Unless he controls your words and deeds, he is not your Lord. Unless you obey him, he is not your Lord.
If Jesus is your Lord, then you obey him; you seek his guidance, you seek his teachings, you seek his commands to you,
you come to him, you listen to him,
and then you faithfully obey him.
Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people.
And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you. Jer 3:23
Even Adolph Hitler said Jesus his Lord and Savior, but that certainly did nothing for him.
Saying the words, Jesus is Lord, is no indication of you being controlled by the Holy Spirit, or of your salvation.
Jesus said, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:
‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.
Further on the John 3:16, quoted out of context with the verses before it.
Examine the verse, just before the 'whoever believes' verse:
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but[a] have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Verse 14 refers to the following scripture of the Israelites' journey through the wilderness, seeking the promise land; as below:
And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.”
6 So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.
7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
8 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.”
9 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
While journeying to the promise land, they grumbled, they sinned. So the Lord sent fiery serpents among them. The people asked Moses to pray for the Lord to take them away. But that is not what the Lord did. He told Moses to prepare a fiery serpent and put it on a pole, so that everyone who was bitten could look at it, but not die. Understand, the serpents were not taken away; they were still being bitten as they walked through the wilderness, seeking the promise land, their physical salvation. They were bitten, but they didn't die; as long as they continued to look at the bronze serpent on the pole.
So, as we are seeking the promise land, (the Kingdom of Heaven that is within us and around us, our first priority in life), we will continue to sin, until pure. Part of this journey is supernatural suffering. We are afflicted with fiery trials and tribulations. When these afflictions occur, our selfish sinful nature will even get angry and complain. Like the Israelites we will believe we have been unjustly punished with water of affliction and the bread of adversity, which we loathe; so we will sin against God. We will be tempted to quit; to give up our journey. But if we keep our spiritual eye on the example of suffering by Jesus on the cross, and his payment made for our sins, we will travel on and not spiritually die in the desert. And while seeking, our journey through this spiritual desert is not only dry and famishing, but it includes suffering, for we must participate in His sufferings to arrive at the Kingdom of Heaven, the end of our journey. This is the cross of Christ, at which we must keep looking, to be aware of in our sufferings and ameliorate them. So, while sinning and suffering in the desert, if we believe in the name of Jesus, the Son of God, who died for us on the cross, we will not perish, but will go on to death of the fleshly self, union with God, and entrance in to the Kingdom of Heaven, with everlasting life as a Son of God.
Do not think it strange the fiery trial you are undergoing,
but rejoice that you are participating in the sufferings of Christ,
so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
Paul was establishing and strengthening the souls and the hearts of the disciples,
urging and warning and encouraging them to stand firm in the faith,
and that it is through many hardships and tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us,
leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps
For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:
If we suffer, we shall also reign with him.
Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body,
arm yourselves also with the same attitude,
because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin.
As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires,
but rather for the will of God.
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have
crucified the sinful nature,
with its passions and desires.
Are you really in Christ?
Jesus told us that many people who are convinced they are Christians, who called him Lord, who even did miracles in his name, would be rejected by him at judgment - because they still practiced evil - they still sinned - and therefore were still slaves of sin. They were obviously not in his name, even though they said they were acting in his name. He was obviously not yet their Lord of thought, word, and deed - even though they called him Lord.
Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord,
have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name,
and done many wonders in Your name?’
And then I will declare to them,
‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
Jesus replied,"I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
To be in Christ is explained by Paul. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. This is not to imagine yourself a new creature; this is to experience the death of the old and the birth of the new. And death of the old is only through the cross of Christ, sharing in the suffering of Christ, sharing in the death of Christ, sharing in the burial of Christ, sharing in the resurrection of Christ - that is NEW - all else is presumption and imagination, or make-believe Christianity.
For more on suffering, as a necessary part of the Christian journey to salvation, click here. For the suffering of the cross is necessary to be purged of the doings (practices) of the flesh..: they are immorality, impurity, indecency, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies), envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. and You can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person..has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient.
Someone who truly believes seeks and repents, to eventually become pure and produce the fruit of the spirit, which is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control.
Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance.
When you bear (produce) much fruit,
My Father is honored and glorified,
and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine.
If we really believe in Jesus, we will keep seeking him until we are pure. The cross of Christ is where we crucify our lusts and affections.
Everyone who has this hope in him
purifies himself,
just as he is pure.
And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
This web site is to destroy the false hope, created by taking a subset of scriptures such as John 3:16 alone, while ignoring the whole; and to show you the true hope. When you can grasp and believe this true hope, the power of God to change you is released. The name of Jesus, faith in the true gospel, and the cross of Christ are the power of God to make you an entirely new creature. Everything else is a make-believe Christianity, falsely based on presumption. Christendom has discarded the cross of Christ, thereby missing the promise of God. Taking a single verse, or even a subset of scriptures, while ignoring the whole of the scriptures, is a disastrous error - universal in Christendom; creating hypocrites - those who talk about being religious while walking in sin. This attempts to make the pearl of great price into a no cost sinner's prayer and getting wet. To save your soul, you must loose your fleshly life, for you cannot please God in the flesh.
For more information on the Light, see the Mystery of the Light.
For more information on producing fruit, see The Evidence of a True Follower, Producing Fruit.
For information on how to receive the convicting, changing power of God, see How to Benefit from the Changing Power of God.
To read about people who have become pure and under the control of God, see George Fox, William Penn, George Whitehead, James Parnell, Francis Howgill, Edward Burrough, William Dewsbury, Isaac Penington, Margaret Fox, and Miguel de Molinos.
This web site's purpose is to show how to become
free from sin
by benefiting from the changing power of God through the cross,
which leads to union with God in his Kingdom.
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