Most of us know John 3:16 by heart. But how well do we know the verses which follow? “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life,” is followed with “For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”
Accepting that the offer of salvation necessitates a response; agreeing that those who respond negatively are in essence rejecting; it still seems to me that modern God-talk has thwarted the promise by turning it into a threat. You have seen the billboards, warning of eternal punishment and damnation.
John 3 uses imagery of “light.” “The light has come into the world, but the people loved darkness more rather than light.” The darkness is preferred because our deeds are not exposed; they can be hidden in the dark. Those who do the will of God are not afraid of the light exposing their actions.
The presence of the Son (the continued presence of the Son’s disciples) is the light which exposes the deeds of others. One might speak of God’s condemnation – but it is our own deeds and misdeeds which are more likely to bring punishment. The hurt and pain arise when we fail to act as God would have us act, as we fail to be the people God would have us be.
There are many tests for discipleship. It seems that one of them ought to be willingness to have our actions exposed by the light. Are we hiding in the shadows, avoiding the view of others? Or, are we coming to the place where our words, our actions, and even our thoughts are exposed and examined by others?
It is lonely in the shadows. It is scary in the shadows. It is in the light that we find salvation.
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