Salvation through Faith in John’s Gospel
First, let us be clear that John’s gospel was written to
churches many years after conversion to Christ, and it was written to give the
church equipment to battle the doctrine that Jesus did not come in the flesh (1
John 4:1-4). That is the larger context
of the book. If you want a book that
shows specifics of how an unbeliever moves from lost to conviction of sins,
repentance and baptism by faith, look at Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15-16 and study
the cases of conversion in the book of Acts. For example Acts 2:36-41; Acts
8:33f; 18:8. John’s gospel addresses
those already converted. A belief in
Jesus that said he was only in a form that merely LOOKED like flesh was
beginning to circulate. This was the beginning of gnostic belief that flesh was
inherently sinful, which would mean that Jesus would not be connected to
something inherently sinful. The
discussion of John to people who already were baptized by faith in Jesus Christ
(Gal.3:26-27), would not need to reference all the details of the conversion
process (which did indeed include repentance and baptism. See Acts 2:36-41). But,
John does not need to spell all of that out to believers who were baptized
through obedient faith. He will need only to speak of the general term faith to
cover the whole of the details involved with conversion to Christ.
All John would need
to talk about was faith in Jesus and give evidence that Jesus did indeed show
evidence of being God come in human flesh.
So, since the book is written to already- saved-people, it was not
designed to be handed exclusively to an unbeliever as an essay on how an
unbeliever is to move from a lost condition to a saving condition. It will give the general term ”faith” as an umbrella term that covers the
already-understood- whole of the conversion process through repentance,
confession, and baptism in Jesus’ name (Acts 2:37-38). Faith is a verb of action in the Gospel of
John. Thu,s it is far more than "intellectual ascent." Even in John’s gospel he speaks of some who “believed”
but would not confess Jesus (John 12:42).
That kind of faith is not sufficient to save. Jesus said that those who believed would have
to confess Him before men or He would not confess them before the Father
(Matt.10:32).
True faith is not simply about thinking or merely accepting
something; it is about doing something.
Faith is nothing if it is not about obedience.
But, the absence of the specifics of the conversion process as is
described in Acts 2:36-41, is not surprising since it is not a book designed especially to
be handed to an unbeliever. It is
written to correct misguided belief in a different Jesus, a Jesus who did NOT
actually come in flesh. Jesus says that
our faith must “keep the Word if we are to see life.” See John 8:51,55. Keeping
His word covers a lot of territory, and ALL of “His word” is not found in the
book of John. So, to ask if one could be
saved on an island with only the book of John, is to ask if someone can understand
and keep His word with only the book of John. John’s book itself declares that there would
be more revealed after the death of Jesus (John 16:13). Seeing that the early
Christians did NOT have only the book of John, and seeing that the book of John
was NOT written to the lost, but to the already saved, it is hard to affirm
something that ignores 26 other books of information and tries to set up a
different context for just one book of the Bible. You see the word “belief” is
like the word “obey”. What if the whole book spoke of all those who OBEY God
will be saved, but did not tell you all the details of WHAT to obey
specifically? Hebrews 5:9 says that
Jesus is the author of eternal salvation to all those who OBEY Him. Could a person on a stranded island take that
one verse only and be saved? It does
speak the truth, just as John 3:16 speaks the truth in general terms. But,
neither John 3:16 nor Hebrews 5:9 tell enough details to get a person from lost
to saved just on the content of those verses. But, let us see what we can learn about
baptism and faith in the book of John.
First, we learn that people who believe and receive him are
given authority to “become sons of God” and become “born of God”(1:12,13),
while there is something about merely believing without confessing Jesus that
is wholly insufficient (John 12:42). So, while believing can bring about a new
birth, it does not bring about a new birth in every case. Some believed without being born of God
(12:42).
Secondly, there was an understanding that “baptism” would be
connected with Jesus (John 1:25). They
asked John why he was baptizing if he was not “the Christ”, which implies that
they understood that baptism would be connected to the Messiah. A great indicator of the Messiah was that
John the Baptist identified Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of
the world”, and that He would also “baptize with the Holy Spirit”, a thing He
did on the Pentecost of Acts 2.
Thirdly, it is not enough to believe that Jesus is a “man
come from God”(John 3:1-2), so Nicodemus
could not be born again until he gets the right information and is “born of
water and Spirit”(3:5). Since the topic
is that of being born again AFTER one has already been born physically, then
the topic of being “born of water and the Spirit” is not about physical birth
at all. “How can a MAN be born when he is old?”-Nicodemus asks for further
clarification. After physical birth and
maturity a person must be “born again”, and this will be by being “born of
water and the Spirit”. Now, baptism in
water and a spiritual event from within would combine in a person being “born
of water and the Spirit”. We can see
example after example of this in the book of Acts (Acts 2:36-41; 8:33ff). In each case where a person is led by the
Spirit to be “baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for remission of sins”(Acts
2:38), we are seeing a people being “born of the water and the Spirit”. The Spirit guided Peter in what to say, and
they were “cut to the heart” and cried “what shall we do?”, and the Spirit led
Peter to tell them to be born of the water and the Spirit by “repenting and
being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for remission of sins”. Those who “gladly
received his word”(the word of the Spirit) were baptized (Acts 2:41). Thus, they were born of the water and the
Spirit. Nicodemus knew Jesus was a “teacher
come from God”, but his faith will have to take him much further than this
level of faith. He will have to start
all over in his thinking and get his information from the right sources and get
his information containing the right facts, and he will have to let that
teaching transform him from depending on his fleshly heritage to beginning anew
with a spiritual heritage. Jesus rebuked
him for not receiving “our witness”(God the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit). V.11. It will be so transforming that the person “does
the truth” and his deeds change to deeds done in God (3:21). We see people coming to Jesus and being
baptized (3:22) because they were receiving the correct witness and information
and were “doing the truth”. People who
are interested in “doing the truth” will be baptized in the name of Jesus
Christ just as we see people “gladly received his word and were baptized”(Acts
2:41). John bore witness that the
reason people were coming to Jesus and being baptized (3:26) was because they
believed they should, and that was fine
with him was because “He (Jesus) must increase, but I must decrease”(3:30). John had merely been preparing the way for
Jesus by baptism in water, Jesus would
do that and much more.
Fourthly, believing in Jesus will involve knowing to
disconnect from either Jerusalem or Samaria as the place to worship, and coming
to understand that God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in
Spirit and truth (4:20-26). Believing in Jesus will involve “seeking the honor
that comes from the only God”(5:44). It
will involve seeking Him, not for selfish and fleshly benefits (ch.6), but for
the spiritual benefits(6:26-27).
Believing in Jesus would therefore involve “laboring” for the food that
does not perish. Believing would involve “working the works of God”(6:28-29).
It involves “hearing and learning from the Father”(6:45). Hearing and learning from the Father would
involve the right content of belief and the right source for forming concepts
between Jesus and the Father. You will not believe in Jesus as a mere prophet,
but will believe that He is everything we need to know about the Father as well
for He exactly represents the Father to us. Jesus would give his “flesh”(6:51). So, believing in the right Jesus who is
connected to the Father is believing in the One who actually came in the flesh.
Believing will involve only those who eat His flesh and drink His blood
(6:54-57). Jesus recognized that there was one who did not truly believe among
his disciples (6:64). You see, belief takes much more than believing a few
facts about Jesus, but it involves a deep level of obedient trust (12:42; 6:64)
and spiritual intake. At this point even Jesus’ brothers did not “believe” as
they would need to (7:5). You see the kind of “believing” that John 3:16 is
talking about is the kind of belief that is willing to confess Him, seek Him,
and obey Him, to eat his flesh and drink his blood, to commit to Him and be
baptized in His name for remission of sins, to be “born of water and the Spirit”,
and any kind of belief that is less than this is not belief to the saving of
the soul (Heb.10:39). Some said He was
good, but none spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews (7:12,13). These were people at the feast. They had a
belief about Jesus, but it was not yet of the saving kind.
Jesus said that knowing the truth about Him would have to
start with “wanting to do God’s will”(7:17). Those who truly believe would have
the Spirit providing a resource that springs up as a fountain within them
(7:37-39). This would not be true of
just any level of believing in Him. Believing in Jesus would involve “following
Jesus”(8:12). That involves taking steps in the same direction Jesus
leads. It does not mean just believing a
few facts in John 3:16. It involves following Jesus. You cannot do that with just John 3:16 alone
as a guide. To some who believed in Him
he said that they would have to “abide in His word” to be a disciple and know
the truth and be set free (8:30-32). A John
3:16 limitation of knowledge would not be enough. One who only has John 3:16 does not know
about the flesh and blood of Jesus, and does not even know the name of
Jesus. That verse is a general truth,
but that verse alone will not teach one how to know the truth about the details
involved and then be set free. It takes “abiding in His word” (much more than
John 3:16 imparts by itself) to know the truth and be set free from sin. A spiritual rebirth and relationship with the
Father involves “loving Jesus”(8:42). “He who is of God hears God’s words”(8:47),
a thing that is not true of those who depend on the knowledge of John 3:16
alone. It involves “keeping Jesus’ words”(8:51), a thing not
true of someone who only has knowledge of John 3:16 alone.
Fifthly, to be one of those who is safe with Jesus as the
Good Shepherd, there must be much familiarity with the voice of the Shepherd. “They
know His voice” and “follow Him”(John 10:3,4). Those with only knowledge of
John 3:16 do not know his voice. They do not even know if the “Son” mentioned
in John 3:16 is Jesus or some other person.
They need much more knowledge to get familiar with the voice of the Good
Shepherd and trust that familiar voice enough to follow it. (John 10:5). So, what have we learned about the nature of
saving faith versus a faith that will not save?
We learn that faith that will be set free from sin is a faith that “abides
in His words” and is very familiar with the voice of truth and follows that
voice wherever it leads. If it is followed it will result in a person being “born
of water and the Spirit”. It will not be
a faith that will not confess Him (12:42). It will confess Jesus openly.
Sixthly, the nature of saving faith is that it does not
value physical life above eternal life.
A faith based solely on the information of John 3:16 does not know from
this that they must value the eternal life enough to lose their earthly life
for it (12:25) if need be. Saving faith
is the kind that “serves Jesus” and follows Him even to death (12:26). You would not know how deeply committed the
faith must be just by reading John 3:16. The kind of faith in John 3:16 is
explained in all that Jesus taught, not just the words taught in the book of
John alone but inclusive of much, much more than John 3:16 explains. The word “believe” is inclusive of many more
facts, commands, and promises.
Seventhly, to rely on the words of the gospel of John ALONE
is not to know all that Jesus wanted people to know. There were other truths
that the Spirit would give to the apostles (14:25,26; 15:26,27; 16:13). Thus,
it would be wrong to expect that all one needs to know to be saved is to be
found only in the gospel according to John.
Jesus plainly said to rely on what the Spirit would teach after His
death, burial, resurrection and ascension.
The Spirit came on Pentecost of Acts 2 and revealed through the apostles
what are the details of believing in Jesus for remission of sins. It was clearly the case that when people were
cut to the heart, were honest with the evidence presented, they had more than a
John 3:16 knowledge. They knew that
JESUS was now both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36-37). They cried “what shall we
do?”. The answer from Spirit guidance was “repent…and be baptized in the name
of Jesus Christ for remission of sins”(Acts 2:38). Those who listened to the Spirit were “born
of the Spirit”, and that means that they were baptized in the name of Jesus
Christ (which involves water – Acts 10:47; 8:33f). Thus, they were “born of the
water and the Spirit”(John 3:5). The
information about what is involved with “believing” in Jesus was not fully
supplied in the gospel record of John alone, especially not John 3:16
alone. The Spirit would guide the
apostles into all truth (16:13). Those
that gladly received the word of the Spirit revealed through Peter did not
argue with the words of the Spirit in Acts 2:38. They simply believed and acted upon that
belief. Those who truly believe today
will act the very same way. Those who do
not, simply have the same kind of “faith” as the men mentioned in John
12:42. It is not a saving kind of faith.
When the Ethiopian Eunuch learned about Jesus, he knew he
needed to be baptized. They came to some
water and the Eunuch said, “see, here is water. What hinders me from being
baptized?”. Philip said “if you believe with all your heart you may”(Acts
8:33f). This man confessed Jesus and was
baptized. You see, he was “born of the water and the Spirit”. Only after this point did he have reason to
rejoice. His sins were remitted just as was so with the 3,000 on
Pentecost. Only then did he have the
kind of “belief” that John 3:16 is talking about. John 3:16 is the general truth. The specifics
of what is involved with the saving kind of faith is explained in such clear
cases of conversion in the book of Acts. Now, we know what KIND of faith, and
what is involved with believing. Now we
know it is much more than believing just a few facts about Jesus. It is a
commitment of obedience to Him.
We hope that all will be honest with all that the Spirit
says. Continue in His word so that you
will know the truth and the truth will set you free. – Terry W. Benton
