The Next Verse

What Comes After John 3:16?

Do you have a favorite Bible verse?  Many people do.  Some people call it their “life verse.”

Probably the most famous verse in the Bible is John 3:16.  Most Christians can quote it by heart:  “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” 

I wonder how many people have been led to Christ with that verse?  How many times has someone used that verse in an altar call? 

It’s probably been seen at more sporting events than any other verse!

Yes, John 3:16 is indeed a powerful verse.  But have you ever checked out the next verse?  Can you quote it?

If your mind is blank now, let me help you out.  Here is John 3:17:  “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

Wow!  You mean God’s not angry at me?

Nope.  God’s not out to send you to hell.  Just the opposite, in fact:  He wants you with Him in heaven, forever.

How many people need to hear this?  I’ve met lots of people who are convinced that God is angry at them, and their response is to avoid Him as much as possible.

Maybe we need to start quoting John 3:17 as much as we quote John 3:16. 

Another Example

Here’s another verse that many Christians know, Jeremiah 29:11:  “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

We love the fact that God has good things in mind for us, don’t we?  God actually plans to prosper us!  Unfortunately, this gets twisted by prosperity preachers into a very selfish and self-centered perversion of Christianity, and that’s not at all what God means here.  I believe that God not only wants to meet all our needs, but even give us extra so that we in turn can bless others.

Got on a little rabbit trail there, but let’s get back to the verse because it doesn’t stop there.  Jeremiah 29:11 also tells us that God plans to give you hope.  That’s important, because without hope there’s no faith.  God is the God of hope, the God of new beginnings, the God of blessings and breakthroughs!  That’s something to get excited about, isn’t it?

But God’s still not done.  Jeremiah 29:11 concludes by telling us that God plans to give you a future.  And what a glorious future it will be!  We don’t spend enough time thinking about how awesome heaven will be.

Yes, Jeremiah 29:11 may be the most hopeful verse in the Bible.  But what about the next verse?

Jeremiah 29:11 is frequently quoted and much beloved, but tucked in behind it is Jeremiah 29:12:  “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.”

Can you hear the yearning of God’s heart in that verse?  He wants us to come to Him.  He wants us to talk with Him, and He promises that He will listen.  God hears every prayer!  He longs to have a deeply personal, intimate relationship with you.  The Creator of the universe– your Creator– looks forward to spending time with you.  Incredible!

How it must sadden Him to see more and more of His children ignoring Him.  They have more important things to do than go to church and worship Him.  They want to be entertained, not discipled.  They’re not interested in using their gifts and talents in service to Him.

Oops, another rabbit trail there…better move on to something else.

  My Personal Favorite

Let’s check out one more verse, shall we?  This one is a personal favorite of mine.  It’s Romans 8:28:  ‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

The end of this verse echoes Jeremiah 29:11.  We are “called according to his purpose”– again, God has plans for us.  There’s a reason He created you! 

But there’s another important truth expressed here.  For the child of God, all things will work for your good.  Notice that it doesn’t say all things are good.  We live in a sinful world, and bad things do happen, even to good people.  But God can bring good out of bad, a message out of a mess.  God can turn it around.  He specializes in restoring broken lives.  (I know, I’m one of them).  With God all things– ALL things– are possible.

This is certainly good news for all who call themselves Christians.  But again…what about the next verse?

I won’t keep you in suspense.  Here’s Romans 8:29:  “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

Yes, God has plans for you.  And number one on His list is that you “be conformed to the image of his Son.”  The word conformed gives the connotation of being shaped and molded into a preconceived form.  Simply put, God wants you to become more and more like Jesus.  Everything that happens in your life is arranged with that end in mind.  Are you cooperating with the process?

I’ll admit it isn’t easy.  Sometimes we want to go in a different direction.  Living sacrifices have a tendency to climb off the altar.  That’s when we need to remind ourselves that Jesus is not only our Savior– He’s our Lord. 

We also need to realize that He is “the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”  He is Lord, and we are family. 

Some Christians try to be the Lone Ranger, though.  When I first got saved, there was a popular song by Larry Norman, and the chorus was:

“Me and Jesus, we got a good thing going;  Me and Jesus, we got it all worked out. 
Me and Jesus, we got a good thing going;  we don’t need anybody to tell us what it’s all about.”

Even though I was a baby Christian, that song annoyed me.  It didn’t seem right.  We do need others in our life.  It is important to be rooted and grounded in a local church, surrounded by our family in Christ.  And it’s important that Jesus be both Savior and Lord.

Oh, dear…I see another rabbit trail coming.  Guess I’ll save that for another article.

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Related Posts:

“Getting Into God’s Word”

“God Has Plans For You”