[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

Three Hidden Truths of John 3:16 - What Is a Real Christian?

Have you ever wondered why some people reject Christianity? Some professing Christians teach doctrines that to any thinking person seem totally strange and unreasonable. For example, some teach that even if you never hear the name of Jesus Christ during your lifetime, you will be tormented in hellfire for eternity! No wonder many reject Christianity based on a false and patently UN-fair teaching! Billions of people in the history of the world have never even heard of Jesus Christ. To condemn them to eternal torment with NO chance for salvation is totally unfair, illogical, and in fact un-biblical. Yet, this is NOT what your Bible teaches! You need to know what your Bible REALLY teaches about the Christianity of Jesus Christ, genuine biblical Christianity!

Thousands of books have been written about Jesus Christ and Christianity. But have they relied on the true source for accurate facts and information? The Bible reveals the true Christ and true Christianity.My friends, can you prove from the Bible where to find the true Church Jesus of Nazareth founded? The Apostle John testified, in your Bible, to the character of Jesus Christ, and the Church He founded. In fact, when you truly understand what is often called the “golden verse of the Bible,” you will be able to prove what constitutes Original Christianity. We’ll be offering you an inspiring free study guide that will answer some of the deeper mysteries of Christianity. It’s titled, JOHN 3:16, HIDDEN TRUTHS OF THE GOLDEN VERSE. Have you wondered why there are so many apparent contradictions in the practice of traditional Christianity? Which should you choose? Traditional Christianity or Biblical Christianity? Just what is Biblical Christianity? You need to know the truth from your own Bible!

Stay tuned!

What is the Meaning of John 3:16

Warm greetings to all our friends around the world!

There are many forms of religion around the world. Can they all know and practice the truth of God?

An April 2017 Pew Research Forum report found that there are about 2.3 billion professing Christians around the world. That’s 31 percent of planet Earth’s 7.3 billion people! 

Listen to this amazing fact: The World Christian Encyclopedia identifies at least 33,000 Christian denominations, with 9,000 of those classified as “Protestant” and 22,000 as “Independents.”

These thousands of denominations disagree among themselves in many of their doctrines, teachings and beliefs. They can’t all be right! Yet millions take for granted the traditions, doctrines, and concepts taught by their denomination, without ever proving it for themselves. That’s why we challenge you on Tomorrow’s World to check what we say in your own Bible! That’s the only way you can know the truth! Remember what Jesus said in John 8:31, “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the TRUTH, and the truth shall make you free.’”

But where can you find true Christianity on planet earth? Where can you find a religion that is solidly based on the Bible? On today’s program, we’ll examine exciting biblical facts and answer those questions. In fact, the golden verse, also called the precious verse of the Bible, will reveal amazing truths that have been hidden from many professing Christians. And we’ll be offering you an eye-opening free booklet that you may find startling in its revelation. It’s titled, JOHN 3:16: HIDDEN TRUTHS OF THE GOLDEN VERSE. This informative free booklet will give you the surprising biblical facts that explain why there is so much confusion in HUNDREDS of major professing Christian denominations, and THOUSANDS of minor ones. And it will show you from the Bible, the characteristics of genuine Christianity. This exciting free booklet will help you find the answers you need! Be sure to write down the address and phone number to request your free copy of JOHN 3:16: HIDDEN TRUTHS OF THE GOLDEN VERSE. You can also order this booklet on our Web site at TomorrowsWorld.org.

On today’s program, we’ll examine three hidden truths of the Golden Verse. John 3:16, the golden verse, as it’s called, states the following. Perhaps many of you have actually memorized this verse: “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.”

When you really understand the awesome eternal love that the Creator God has for human beings, you’ll understand that every human being will have a genuine opportunity for salvation. And this introduces the first hidden truth. Many wrongly believe that this is the only day of salvation, and if millions of people never heard the gospel or the name of Jesus Christ, that’s their tough luck. They wrongly believe that millions of people who did not have the opportunity to profess the name of Christ will be tormented in hellfire forever when they die. That is totally UN-fair. Chapter three of our inspiring free booklet on John 3:16 is titled, “Is God Fair?” Evangelist Gerald Weston writes, “The Apostle John taught plainly that, ‘God so loved the world’ (John 3:16). Here, ‘the world’ is not a reference to planet Earth, but rather to the people who dwell here. And, no matter how you count it, by any reckoning there have always been far more ‘unsaved’ than ‘saved.’ So, if God ‘loved the world,’ how can this be? Is He so weak that He cannot save the majority of His creation? This leads to the question, ‘Is God fair? Is He a respecter of persons? Has everyone—or will everyone—have a genuine and fair opportunity for salvation?’” (pp. 17–18).

Bible students know that salvation comes only through the name of the Savior of the World, Jesus Christ. As it tells us in Acts 4:12, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

My friends, God has a plan for those who never heard the name of Jesus Christ. HIDDEN TRUTH NUMBER ONE: Biblical Christianity teaches that GOD is FAIR. He will not condemn those who never heard the name of Christ as many in traditional Christianity believe. Ask your minister or priest this question: If a tribe of people in a remote jungle never heard the name of Jesus Christ, never accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, will they be condemned to hellfire when they die? You may be shocked by their answer. What is the truth? Your Bible reveals that God will give such people an opportunity for salvation in the Second Resurrection to judgment, described in Revelation 20:11–13. Turn in your Bible to Revelation 20:11. God reveals to us the Great White Throne Judgment. This judgment takes place after the thousand-year reign of Christ on earth. These are the “rest of the dead” mentioned in verse 6. This is the second general resurrection from the dead. Revelation 20:11, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God….”

If the DEAD are standing before God, they have been resurrected from the dead. You find a description of this resurrection to physical life in Ezekiel 37, the valley of dry bones comes to life. Now, continuing in Revelation 20:12, “…and books were opened.” The original Greek word for books in BIBLIA, from which we derive the word Bible. Billions of people will face judgment based on the word of God, the Bible. They will now have their understanding open to the truth of God. Let’s continue in verse 12, “And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.” In the White Throne Judgment, billions who never heard the name of Christ will have their first genuine opportunity for salvation. That resurrection to judgment may include friends and relatives you may have thought were lost forever!

Yes, John 3:16 and Biblical Christianity reveal that God is fair. In fact, Chapter Three of the inspiring free booklet we’re offering today is titled, “Is God Fair?” There is much more good news than we have time for on this program. We’ll continue with more hidden truths from John 3:16 in the next portion of our program, but first I’d like to offer you our free booklet, JOHN 3:16, HIDDEN TRUTHS OF THE GOLDEN VERSE. This inspiring free booklet will give you a greater depth of understanding. Chapter One is titled, “God, Who Love the World.” Chapter Two is “The Greatest Love.” Chapter Three: “Is God Fair?” My friends, you need to read all eight chapters of this inspiring free booklet, JOHN 3:16, HIDDEN TRUTHS OF THE GOLDEN VERSE. So, pick up the telephone right now and request your free copy. Just ask for the booklet on JOHN 3:16. You can also order this free booklet on our Web site at TOMORROWSWORLD.ORG. Call now!

For God So Loved the World That He Gave His Son So We Would Not Perish But Have Eternal Life

In the first part of our program, we saw the inspiring hidden truth of John 3:16, that God is Fair. That, my friends, is a major truth taught by and understood by Biblical Christians. Many wrongly believe that God will punish in a fiery hell billions of people who never even heard the name of Jesus Christ. That UN-FAIR false God is not the God of the Bible. The good news is that even the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will have an opportunity to repent in the White Throne Judgment. Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!” (Matthew 10:15).

The first hidden truth of John 3:16 is: GOD is Fair. The second hidden truth we’ll discuss today is: THE BIBLICAL MEANING OF “PERISH.” Once again, listen to the inspiring scripture of John 3:16, “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.”

What does it mean to “perish”? Many call themselves Christians, yet deny the truth of John 3:16. They wrongly believe that they will never perish, period! They wrongly believe the pagan doctrine of the immortal soul. They believe their so-called immortal soul will not perish and will either go to heaven or hell at death. Gerald Weston writes in his inspiring free booklet on John 3:16, “The Encarta Online Dictionary definition of perish is: ‘to die… to come to an end or cease to exist.’ We know what it means when food perishes. We speak of people perishing in a plane crash. So, when it comes to the biblical matters, why do people push other, incorrect meanings onto perish? The Bible consistently and unambiguously agrees with the standard dictionary definition of ‘perish’! It clearly teaches that life and death are opposites! Nowhere does Scripture ever describe human life as being inherently immortal. As we have already seen, even the soul—whatever one may think it is—can die (Ezekiel 18:4, 20). God’s word reveals that immortality is not something we already have, but rather that it is something we must seek (Romans 2:6–7) and ‘must put on’ (1 Corinthians 15:53–54)” (p. 50).

God’s purpose is to save us from eternal death, to save us from perishing. Notice 1 Timothy 2:3, “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” God desires that humans NOT perish forever. One of the definitions of the word “perish” is “cease to exist.” And yet many in traditional Christianity believe that no one really perishes because we supposedly have an immortal soul which will never perish. The scriptures teach otherwise. Those who seal their character with evil WILL PERISH in the lake of fire. [#24] Read that in Revelation 21:7, “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the SECOND DEATH.”

The incorrigibly wicked will perish in the lake of fire. They will be punished with the second death from which there is no resurrection. That’s the punishment of eternal death. As it states in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We don’t already have immortality. Eternal life is a gift of God.

Thus we see the contrast between Traditional Christianity and Biblical Christianity. Traditional Christianity teaches we will always live and never perish or never cease to exist. Biblical Christianity teaches that unrepentant sinners will perish in a lake of fire, experience the second death, eternal death, and cease to exist. 

The good news is that those who truly believe on the Christ of the Bible, who repent and are baptized as it states in Acts 2:38, and remain faithful, will not perish; they will be given the gift of eternal life. The Second Hidden Truth of John 3:16 we’ve discussed today is: THE BIBLICAL MEANING OF “PERISH.” Those who genuinely live by John 3:16, shall “not perish, but have everlasting life” as Jesus said.

We’ll discuss an amazing third hidden truth in the next part of our program, but first I’d like to give you another opportunity to request our free inspiring booklet, JOHN 3:16, HIDDEN TRUTHS OF THE GOLDEN VERSE. My friends, God has an amazing plan of salvation far beyond the common ideas of traditional religion. You need to study your Bible and understand these hidden truths. My friends, you need to read all eight chapters of this inspiring free booklet, JOHN 3:16, HIDDEN TRUTHS OF THE GOLDEN VERSE. This inspiring free booklet will also help you in your study of the Bible and give you genuine hope for the future. So, pick up the telephone right now and request your free copy. Just ask for the booklet on JOHN 3:16. You can also order this free booklet on our Web site at TOMORROWSWORLD.ORG. Call now!

God is Creating a Divine Family, and He Wants You as His Son or Daughter

We’ve briefly discussed two hidden truths of John 3:16. Many people base their beliefs more on tradition than on the Bible. Your Bible is the source of genuine Christianity. Hidden truth number one we’ve discussed is GOD IS FAIR. Hidden truth number two is very important: THE BIBLICAL MEANING OF “PERISH.”

What is a third hidden truth of John 3:16? The very first word in that famous scripture is “God.” And yet there are myriads of concepts of God. The Apostle Paul addressed the Greeks in Athens who DEDICATED a monument to “The Unknown God.” He addressed his audience at the Areopagus, “The One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things” (Acts 17:23–25).

My friends, God is the Giver of life, the Creator of all things—He is the Life-giver. The Apostle Paul continues in verse 26 to show God’s desired relationship with all of us. “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring’” (Acts 17:26–28).

Now, notice this truth that is rarely taught in traditional Christianity. Paul emphasizes our relationship with God by quoting one of the Greeks’ own poets. Paul continues in Acts 17:29, “Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising.”

The Apostle Paul confirms a loving family relationship, that “we are the offspring of God.” A third hidden truth of John 3:16 is: GOD IS CREATING A DIVINE FAMILY. When Christians who have genuinely repented accept the very sacrifice of Christ for their sins, and are baptized, they receive God’s Holy Spirit, as it tells us in Acts 2:38. James 1:17, KJV: “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”

When we receive God’s Holy Spirit, we become begotten children of God! Now notice, to whom should we pray? To our FATHER in Heaven, as Jesus taught us in Matthew 6:9! God is creating a divine family, and he wants you as His son or daughter. Notice that in 2 Corinthians 6:18, “‘I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters,’ says the Lord Almighty.” Also, notice God’s love for us in 1 John 3:1, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”

This is not just some allegory or symbolism. At the resurrection, when Christ returns, faithful Christians will be born into the Kingdom of God as His children. As it tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:53, “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” That is the time when we enter God’s Kingdom, His family, as His born-again divine children. In Romans 8:29, Christ is called the FIRSTBORN of MANY brethren. He is our ELDER BROTHER, who has reconciled us to GOD THE FATHER.

My friends, you have an awesome opportunity to be in God’s divine family. But you need to begin the process. You need to repent and be baptized and to receive the Holy Spirit, as we previously mentioned in Acts 2:38. Then you can grow in the priceless spiritual nature God wants you to have. He calls it His divine nature in 2 Peter 1:4. He states that through God’s precious promises, “you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

Hidden truth number three is: GOD IS CREATING A DIVINE FAMILY. You need to study these scriptures for yourself. They are in your own Bible. There is so much more to cover on this subject than we time for on this program. You need this inspiring free booklet, JOHN 3:16, HIDDEN TRUTHS OF THE GOLDEN VERSE. There are several more hidden truths that will inspire you, encourage you, and give you hope. Chapter One is titled, “God, Who Loved the World.” Chapter Two is “The Greatest Love.” Chapter Three is: “Is God Fair?” My friends, you need to read all eight chapters of this inspiring free booklet, JOHN 3:16, HIDDEN TRUTHS OF THE GOLDEN VERSE. This inspiring free booklet will also help you in your study of the Bible. So, pick up the telephone right now and request your free copy. Just ask for the booklet on JOHN 3:16. You can also order this free booklet on our Web site at TOMORROWSWORLD.ORG. Call now!

Biblical Christianity or an Imitation Christianity Which Will You Choose?

On today’s program, we’ve seen that there are thousands of professing Christian denominations. How many of them follow traditions that disagree with the Bible? Jesus challenged the religious leaders of His day in Matthew 15:3, “He answered and said to them, ‘Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?’”

My friends, which will you choose? Biblical Christianity or an imitation Christianity? What did Jesus instruct us as to the true way of life? Remember the story of the rich man who wanted to know the way to eternal life. Matthew 19:16, “Now behold, one came and said to Him, ‘Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?’”

How did Jesus answer him? Did He say “You don’t need to do anything, just believe on Me”? No! What did Jesus tell him? Verse 17, “But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” Jesus then mentioned several of the Ten Commandments. Jesus gave us another profound, yet simple command: Quoting from Deuteronomy 8:3, Jesus stated: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4). Luke 4:4 also emphasizes that fundamental Christian principle: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’”

As we’ve seen, the word of God in John 3:16 reveals that GOD IS CREATING A DIVINE FAMILY. That family will be a divine family and a royal family. God tells us in 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

My friends, you will want to join that divine, royal family. The future is glorious for those who will genuinely follow biblical Christianity. But you need to study into it for yourself. Be sure to request our inspiring free booklet JOHN 3:16, HIDDEN TRUTHS OF THE GOLDEN VERSE. It will give you hope and encouragement that all of us need in this dangerous world.

We invite you to join us every week on Tomorrow’s World, or watch us on-line at any time. As our world continues to unravel and decline, you need the encouragement, faith, and truth that come from your Bible. Gerald Weston, Wallace Smith, and I, as well as our guest-presenter Rod McNair, will continue to share with you the inspiring teachings of Jesus Christ, the encouraging good news of the coming Kingdom of God, and the exciting end-time prophecies and their meaning. So, be sure to join us again next week, right here, at this same time!

 

SOURCE: http://www.pewforum.org/2017/04/05/the-changing-global-religious-landsca...