"For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."
With those words, the net of salvation was thrown wide. Any church whose net is cast narrower than this is not teaching the "Whosoever Believes" gospel. John 3:16 does not say whoever believes, except the Catholics or the Presbyterians or the Methodists or the Episcopalians. It does not say whosoever believes, except alcoholics or gossips or swindlers. It doesn't even say whoever believes, except the gays and the lesbians or bisexuals or transgendered people. There is no qualifier beyond those who believe in the Son. No qualifiers. It does not say that you have to be tithing or singing like an angel or being a missionary. There are absolutely no qualifiers in what is one of the most often quoted passages of scripture. It doesn't even say that you have to believe in the Son and in the teachings of the apostles who cast their nets narrowly. It says, "whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but shall have ever lasting life."
So why do so many churches preach a Whosoever Believes EXCEPT gospel? The word gospel means good news. But what is so good about this gospel of exclusion or selectivism? Each church excludes different individuals or groups, but any church who excludes people God includes is not following the John 3:16 directive, which was uttered by Jesus Himself. Don't you think it would be better if we established our church policies in response to Jesus' take on God's love instead of on man's? I don't care how much a "man or woman of God" a given church leader is, even an apostle. No one understands the depths of God's love like God's son. Who are we to argue with him over his version of the gospel?
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