“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 … I aroa mai te Atua I to te ao nei, e kua tae rava ki te oronga anga mai I Tana Tamaiti Anau Tai, kia kore e mate tei akarongo iaia, kia rauka ra te ora mutukore.” – John 3:16.

This verse is generally referred to as the ‘golden text of the Bible’ in how it captures and highlights:

1. The unquestionable notion who this God truly is. Nothing in this whole wide world ever happens, occurs, evolves or exists without a cause, a beginning, a prime mover, chief architect and master designer called God. The Old Testament Book of Beginnings Genesis 1:1 begins at declaring that: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth …” A Creator God created the entire universe and brought everything into existence with purpose and fulfilment. The New Testament Book of Fulfilment John 1:1 – 4 brings to reality who this invisible, supernatural, spiritual Creator God or being was and is: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2, The same was in the beginning with God. 3, All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4, In him was life; and the life was the light of men … verse 14 continues on stating that this unseen, untouched Spiritual being called the Word, Logos, God, revealed himself in flesh, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we (they the Apostles of Jesus Christ) beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth”.

• His ultimate mission to the world was and is: To rescue and save sinful and perishing humanity from the wages and penalty of his/her sin which is death. The first Adam came and died in his sin but the second Adam, Jesus Christ, came, committed no sin at all, neither any guile from his mouth, crucified sinless, died and buried but the sting of death could not imprison him in the grave forever, but rose again on the third day, declaring in John 11:25 – 26, “I Am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26, And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die”.
• What answer and solution he offers to an already suffering, problematic world which ends without hope of survival and life beyond the grave and death? He offered salvation for all of humanity of all times, history and generation to freely choose whether to believe in him to be saved or remain in sin to die with consequence of judgment together with the adversary the devil satan and all his cohorts. Christianity in essence therefore is an organisation of believers and followers of the teachings, doctrines and beliefs of the Lord, Founder and Master, Jesus Christ. A Judaeo Christian Religious Organisation deeply rooted in origin and genesis (beginning) from ancient Judaism until the fulness of time arrived as recorded in Galatians 4:4-7, “But when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6, And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father. 7, Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ”.
• In conclusion: i) The General Mercy of God: God loves the whole world saints and sinners alike. He is the most inclusive and personal God who did not stay aloof, out of sight as invisible spiritual being but left his heavenly throne and royal robe of glory – took the form of a human slave and servant, touched down on our sin-ridden earth, involved himself in all the affairs and sufferings and troubles perceived on earth but never sinned. He was no respect of persons, as Mathew 5:45 declares, “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust”.

ii) The Special Mercy of God: God sets a special mercy for those who do not only live in the goodness of God but steps further to believe, obey and follow all the spiritual guidance and direction that points to eternal life in Jesus Christ. While the rest are sufficient living in the materialistic, natural and physical human sustenance of the natural only, some choose eternity more than just temporary gratification which lasts only for a moment on this earth than beyond the grave and death – where there shall be no more pain, tears, sorrow, sickness and death.

iii) The Sovereign Mercy of God: Jesus in John 3: 3, 5, 7 goes on to remind a Jewish rabbi and religious leader Nicodemus, that, “Unless a person be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 5, Except a person be born of the water and Spirit, he/she cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 7, Marvel/Trouble not that I said to you, you must be born again. And the senior Apostle Peter in Acts 2: 38 and 39 reiterated with simplicity and clarity, “Repent, and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39, For the promise is unto you, to your children, and to all that are afar off, ever as many as the Lord our God shall call”. Three thousand one hundred and twenty (3120) first Early Church believers started the very first Church of Jesus on Pentecost Sunday in Acts 2, all seven Early Churches of Asia Minor in Revelation 1:4, were all Born Again, Baptised and Holy Ghost believers, none veered nor diverted the wrong way.

We are born in the natural and die the natural death all due to sin. All who are born natural must die in the natural – if not save and born in the water and spirit will be resurrected in Hebrew 9:27 to face judgement for all not Born in Spirit and Truth in Jesus Christ. Those who are Born Again in the Spirit, will die the natural death but will be raptured, resurrected to meet the Lord in the air, there shall we ever be with Him for ever.

Finally, it is imperative and mandatory that we settle not only in the General Mercy category, neither in just the Special Mercy category only but over and beyond to the Sovereign Mercy of God in Jesus Christ. “Neither is there salvation in any other, there is no other Name under heaven, given among men whereby we must be saved” but Jesus Christ Only, Amene.

Have a safe and blessed weekend in Jesus Christ and for ever!  

Bishop Tutai Pere of Apostolic Church Rarotonga.