Walking On Water As A New Christian

Henry Ossawa Tanner, The Disciples See Christ Walking on the Water, c. 1907.jpg

 A Facebook post this week caught my eye. There was an error in the headline, but what was important is that Jesus was not the only person the Bible says who walked on water. Peter did, too:

And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. (Matthew 14:29)

Even in Commons Wikimedia, very few of the paintings had Peter standing on the water. In most, he was half way in, with Jesus holding his hand. In many, the painting indicated a storm - but to me that when Jesus was getting some sleep in a boat, not this same instance. We know what the fishermen were doing:

And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. (Matthew 14:22-24)

The blue in Tanner's painting doesn't show tossing waves, but it does convey the attention of the crew:

And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. (Matthew 14:25-28)

Isn't that the way new Christians are? "Lord, I believe in you. Direct miy life." Stepping out in faith the same way Peter stepped out of the boat and "he walked on the water, to go to Jesus." Then we are faced with reality:

But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. (Matthew 14:30)

That's not confined to happening with new Christians. Experienced, older and wiser, Christians can come down from a "mountain top" experience and find the wind - temptations, old friends, debts, existing or new problems - and become afraid, beginning to sink. When that does happen - and it will, Peter's example remains the best for us: "Lord, save me!"

Not from sinning, not from being lost, not even from dying (which we all will do eventually) but from the fear that our actions have separated us from Jesus. His answer to Peter is the same for us:

And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? (Matthew 14:31)

We doubt because we are human. I love what one man say when Jesus asked if he believed:

And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. (Mark 9:21-24)

We were sinners, unforgiven, before coming to Jesus in belief. We remain sinners, forgiven, because we have faith in Jesus' words that confirm God's promises. Peter and Paul quote ties in the Jewish faith in God's promises to the Christian's:

Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 

(1 Peter 1:9-10)

That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:7-10)

Stepping out at Jesus' call did not cause Peter to stumble. Fear did. Renewal of faith had him reaching out for Jesus to save him. When we do fear, seek the love that overcomes:

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:18-19)

Read Hebrews 11th chapter. Faith grows in the loving relationship with God. Not a man, not a building, not the Church, not the congregation, but in our individual relationship with God who is active in all of those.

Not Being A Catholic

 

From Wikimedia Commons, used by Creative Commons Attribution permission

"A mission of compassion for the world"

It is not easy not being a Catholic. You see, we do not have a priest we can confess to and lay all of our sins in his ear. He would then give a Catholic a number of things to do, and absolve the parishioner of all confessed sins. Then they are ready for the next Mass.

Non-Catholics have to confess their sins direct to our Father. Oh, He knows them anyway, but He has requested we acknowledge them, with remorse, too. There are no "Hail Mary's" and we've already spoke directly to our Father, which means in most cases we already know what we were - and are -  supposed to do.

The important thing is, our sins are gone. The ones we prayed to Him about, that we regret that have caused a separation between Him and ourselves. We can do this any time, any place, just as a thief on a cross could call across to the man in the middle:

And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. (Luke 23:42)

A bit further back in the Bible, King David was speaking directly to God after a reminder from his pastoral authority figure, the prophet Nathan:

Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. (Psalms 51:2-4)

Oh, we all need an intercessor - someone who speaks for us before a higher authority - but as not being Catholic, ours is God:

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. (1 Corinthians 2:12)

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

There are other verses, but no need to fill pages here - the message is simple, as long as scripture is where we find God. Bereans did:

And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few. (Acts 17:10-12)

I believe scripture is of great importance - partly because the Bible says so. But, not being a Catholic, this comes easily:

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Oh, yes, not being a Catholic, I'm not confined to fish on certain days, and our pastors know what family life is like because they live through it, too:

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:1-5)

Peter had his own experience with changes in dietary laws that opened his heart to non-Jewish believers:

And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. (Acts 10:13-15)

There is much to learn in Acts 10. The story of Cornelius and Peter has great depth, and comes to me when I'm reading other verses as confirmation that God speaks to those who speak to Him.

No - I have not had any specific experience where I believe I heard God's voice. But - I could spend pages here showing His hand in where and how I am now. As Paul, I've kicked against the pricks that are designed to lead me on the right path, but I learned better before I took a road to Damascus:

And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. (Acts 9:4-5)

Few have such a direct meeting with our Lord. And that's fine with me. His judgment seat is enough for me to consider. Not the first one - I know I'll make it through that because I believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, who died as prophesied, and rose again on the third day - as He told His disciples. They forgot. They didn't have the gospels, the letters to the churches, the Revelation to John. But, they had Jesus for another 40 days, then received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and they turned the world upside down. Or, at least people tlhought so.

Spend time with your Bible in prayer to our Lord. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit. We've been given instructions on how to deal with wrong spirits:

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. (1 John 4:1-4)

Why? Because reading the Bible brings us closer to our Father. In fact, look beyond the verses here. read chapters especially John, who tells why he wrote:

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:13)

Apprenticeship - Discipleship?

Apprenticeship

 According to Wikipedia, apprenticeship is learning through work that leads to a credential that is recognized by a relevant authority and is deliberately structured and supported to provide a progression of learning experiences, training potential new practitioners of a trade or profession on-the-job training and accompanying study. Apprenticeships may also enable practitioners to gain a license to practice in a regulated occupation. Most of their training is done while working for an experienced employer who helps the apprentices learn their trade or profession.

Discipleship is more focused - being a disciple, a follower, or a student of some philosophy, especially a follower of Christ. The Bible uses the word "disciple" often, and if you do a search in the King James Version, you'll find either disciple, disciples in 255 verses, all in the four gospels and Acts of the Apostles. Being a disciple of Jesus Christ just means you are His follower, and there's a title:

And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.  (Acts 11:26c)

Jesus did not call His followers Christians. We are told to whom He came:

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10)

Last Sunday I covered how we know we are lost and the Roman Road that outlines the salvation process in "Everyone Gets the Same Question." When our answer is "Yes, I want to follow what Jesus taught and I believe He is God," we still have a lot to learn. If we are around people who do not see Jesus that same way, they will ask questions that new Christians may find difficult. Some of us older ones are faced with the same situation!

When we've been Christians for a while, we learn how to answer such questions by turning to the Bible. There are so many times the answer becomes obvious with prayerful reading, and our experience in question answering grows. I've thought about one - the fourth chapter of 1 Timothy - that is good for a young Christian. Timothy's mother and grandmother taught him Hebrew scriptures, the Tanakh, and Paul wrote him personally.

In that fourth chapter, Paul wrote:

Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. (1 Timothy 4:12-16)

Some people become Christians late in life. No  one sees them as "youth," but they are young in belief. Following Paul's advice to Timothy really is good for us at any age, and at any stage of our Christian life simply because there is too much to learn. So many verses are applicable in a variety of situations in today's society even though today's inventions and applications seem to outdate the Bible. They don't.

The Bible is as applicable today as it was when Moses moved the Israelites out of Egypt. Whether you think of it as apprenticesip or discipleship, use the Bible as life's book of instructions, and see how long practicing Christians use it. Learn from them, then share. Remember that last line in verse 16 - consider who will be saved.

Who Will Listen To Me?

 

Wikemedia Commons 

Speaking aloud of our love for God and thankful for what He has done for us does not come easily for most. We sit in church and see others speak clearly and understandably, and think "How do they do that?" At times I've wondered if I could get through by sharing an old ear horn and making people listen to me. 

It's not too difficult, though, when you start with the people closest to you. Let's look at some examples. I'll pick and choose here, but you can pick and choose among any Bible story you want. Since we are talking about becoming a Christian, I we can start with the New Testament.

Peter is usually mentioned as being the first called, but there are these verses:

Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. (John 1:38-42a)

The other lists in the gospels begin with Peter, bold, outspoken Peter - but it's Andrew who first brought his interest in Christ to his brother. Andew listened to John (the Baptist) and didn't hesitate to speak to Jesus. Andrew first found his brother and Peter went with him to see Jesus.

In our own family, one of my children spent a good deal of time with a sibling who questioned whether or not Christianity was worth the time and effort. He didn't understand the Trinity - how could there be three separate people at Jesus' baptism - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

I'll address that question (that many people have) in another blog let stick with - speak with a family member. They may not listen well the firsts time around, but know that new Christians have the Holy Spirit's help:

And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say. (Luke 12:11-12)

The previous verses show Jesus telling the disciples how difficult like will be if they choose to follow Him. The conversation began in a large crowd that wasn't listening, so Jesus turned and spoke directly to His disciples. Lesson: even in a crowd, focus on the people you want to hear.

Paul gave us a good example in an open area in Athens still called Mars Hill, also known as Aeropagus, a prominent rock outcropping located northwest of the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. In ancient times, it served as the meeting place for the Areopagite Council, a significant judicial and legislative body in Athens, which gathered crowed of citizens:

Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. (Acts 17:22-23)

Does that sound a bit unusual to you? A foreigner telling Greeks they were superstitious, ignorantly worshipping, and defining the unknown god? Not even I would suggest anyone starting that way - but it worked because Paul knew his audience. He knew Greeks were inquisitive by culture, education was sought by Greeks, and their language had covered the known world for over a couple of hundred years. People listened, came back for more, and some believed.

Philip's is a story none of us can expect to happen - but it not only did, he handled it quite well:

And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. (Acts 8:26)

I have not heard a single person tell me that an "angel of the Lord spoke" to them, but I've heard many say that the Holy Spirit has led them. Our own Assistant Pastor is on the road today in response to a call from another church to be their pastor. He and his family did spend time in prayer and have no doubt that is where they are led to serve. Philip responded to:

And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. (Acts 8:27-29)

Our church heard a witnessing to a similar incident. He was stopped along a highway. Our Assistant Pastor (also named Philip) was the only car that stopped, and Philip offered to help. Not an unusual situation for a white man to stop and assist a Black man, but our Philip invited the gentleman to church. I heard this story as that gentleman made a public statement about it to thank our Philip.

I wrote "Send A Philip" last month. I didn't know at the time that the Holy Spirit would be sending our Philip, and his family, but it was so timely as I was being led to return to this blog. It's not a source of income, I do not advertise, I have not one thing for sell here. My only hope is the individual that needs to know about God's plan for them finds a clue here. I listened years ago and wrote. I know I need to continue. Will you read and listen?

What's Next?

 

Moving scene, Montreal, 1st May, frontpage of L'Opinion publique, Montreal, 

vol. VII, no 20, 1876, 18 mai, p. 1.

Our Assistant Pastor is on the road today, moving to another state. His sermon Sunday morning was entitled "What's Next? You can watch it on YouTube, just search for First Baptist Church of Cottondale, Texas. Oddly enough, there are two other FBC Cottondale, and I've been blessed to take photos of both. We were not there on a day services were being held, or I would have attended. I am very glad to attend services where the Bible is taught and discussed.

However, losing an Assistant Pastor is actually traumatic is many cases. It is always a sense of sadness to stop seeing him at work or calling with questions, and it increases a pastor's job until a new one is selected. However - it is also a very happy occasion because there's another church that has requested him as pastor. It is an opportunity for growth, and a continuing of what came next for him years ago.

"What's Next" is one of the first questions in every Christian's life. It certainly jumped to the forefront in AP's sermon this morning from Acts 1. Jesus' disciples most definitely had experienced trauma in their lives over the past three years.

Jsus took twelve men away from their everday work. We know Matthew was a tax collector, and there were at least four fishermen: Peter, Andrew, James, and John. There new job was to follow Him, listen, apply the lessons, and share the good news. The twelfth, Judas Iscariot, died the same day Jesus died. The next three days were spent in a combination of despair and mourning for all who followed Jesus. 

But that third day!!! And, the next 40 days with Him!!! Those were fulfilling. However, the disciples didn't understand any more than they did they time He gave the parable about the sower (see Mark 4.)

When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? (Acts 1:6)

Forty days of being with their resurrected miracle worker who explained parables - and they asked "What's Next?' with a question not related to Jesus' previous instructions:

And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. (Acts 1:4-5)

Don't think you've done better, yet. This is often what new Christian believers run into. "Wow! My whole world has changed. People I ran around with won't speak to me now, and the people at church expect me to know what to do next. I don't!"

Trust God. Trust that reading your Bible with prayer will teach you what you need to do next.  After that verse six questions, the disciples did exactly what Jesus told them to do. The rest of chapter one tells us they obeyed by staying in Jerusalem. They gathered in the Upper Room where the Last Supper was held and prayed. Then Peter referred (Acts 1:20) to scripture in Psalm - which comes close to:

Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents. (Psalms 69:25)

The disciples then prayed and filled the empty leadership position.

So - for the new Christian and the established church members - the answer is always: obey God's instructions.

Where are the instructions? In the Bible. How will we know which one applies? Begin with two commands:

Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:36-40)

Any decision should be predicated by beginning with the first, and continuing with the second, before taking action. Love God enough to read His words in the Bible:

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

The simplicity of Christianity is accepting Jesus as God's Son, His plan of salvation. But saying it is so doesn't necessarily mean that one believes it. Fortunately, the Bible was written so that we can be certain of its essential truth, even when we have questions:

He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:10-13)

Everyone Gets the Same Question

 

Question Mark Trio

Recently on X a member continued a conversation with me after an exchange about Pascal's Wager. I've written about it before, so you can either do a search here or Google if you are not familiar with it. 

Everyone answers the question "Does God exist?" Even if it is a lower-case deity, humans choose to believe, or not, in their own mind. 

What I do not understand are those who accept the outward signs of belief - marriage, funerals, Christmas, Easter - and participate in those out of civic duty. 

One sweet mother describes her own mother as being in heaven. It gives her a sense of peace. But she has denied believing in the one book that uses that word for a specific place. How does she think her mother got to heaven, and what did she teach her own children for their comfort. 

Lots of questions - but every individual who lived or is now living on this planet faces it because we all know death comes to each one of us. 

For believing Jews and Christians the question is answered in:

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

Simple - belief in this verse to be considered either a believing/practicing Jew or Christian. You see, anyone can take the title, but the Bible decides whether they are telling the truth. When a person tells someone else they are a Jew or a Christian, the assumption should be they believe in God, YHWH, LORD, the most used names applied to the deity we worship.

To be considered a Christian, it is necessary to add:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:1-3)

Christians do not believe in multiple Gods - there is  only one and we see that deity in many ways - one of which was when He became human, and there is much to learn from that. Our reference is called a Bible. It contains books the Jews consider scripture, plus the writings of Jesus' apostles who worked directly with Him while He was here on earth, then returned to the heaven we all wish to see.

The question about God's existence isn't new, and the relationship between God and mankind goes back to the oldest book in the Bible - Job.

How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? (Job 25:4)

Yes - even though it isn't one of the first books, it has been studied and is believed by scholars to have been written about the same time of Abraham, introduced to us in the book of Genesis. Reading Job takes time and study. It is his friend Bildad speaking in Chapter 25. Bildad and Job's three other friends never questioned the reality of God, nor the need to do right and not wrong. Their ethics are clear throughout the book. Even Job asks:

For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul? (Job 27:8)

Which Jesus rephrases:

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:36)

Please - if you chosen there is not a deity, reconsider. Then add the Bible to your reading. Never leave the life of Jesus out of your life without being able to explain the reason for your choice. Some day, an explanation will be required. That's a promise.

Pascal's Wager does not go beyond deciding whether or not a deity exists. When a person make the choice that one does, it is necessary to be certain you have chosen wisely. There is a huge difference for the Christian believer, given in John 3:16-18:

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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:16-18)

I started this subject, and was interrupted. Didn't get back to it until today. Good thing! Our lesson was on Job, which gave me the Job 25:4 verse. Then the sermon this morning gave me the next blog. 

The Bible Explains the Bible

 

Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Boulder, Colorado

I looked in Wikimedia Commons for graphic with the Greek Alpha and Omega letters because of four  verses - and this one is my favorite:

And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. (Revelation 21:6)

I like the difference between "It is done," and "It is finished."

When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (John 19:30)

Which word do you use when you've completed a significant part of a project, as opposed to when the entire project is complete? 

When Jesus died on the cross, several prophecies were fulfilled, but there was much more coming down the road. John outlined Jesus life and death on earth, then was given the task of showing the completion of God's plans for Earth, the entire planet and every soul who had ever been on it. 

It is impossible to put the whole story in one verse, though John 3:16 comes close:

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. (John 3:16)

It is important to have read the full discourse Jesus had with Nicodemus beginning with John 3:1 and running through John 3:21 to understand the outline of the discussion. Entire sermons have been written on John 3:16-18, and entire study cousrses on all 21 verses. No one gets it in one reading without finding out who Nicodemuis was and why this discussion was important.

Nicodemus is mentioned in other verses. He was a Pharisee. Pharisees are mentioned in many verses, and when you know them, you understand how different this discussion could be. Verses may appear to be important when they are quoted alone, but it is how they fit into the entire biblical story of God that we can see their importance.

Never allow your salvation - or any one else's - to stand on a single verse. Find where the subject or the person is through the entire Bible, being certain you get the full picture that you are shown.

The majority of people who have lived on Earth believed/believes in a deity. Some do not, but tend to "worship" something all of their lives. They have an earthly goal while not believing there is more to living. Christians are consistent - there is life after death. God, the name applied to the deity that created the seeable universe we live in, supplied the book that introduces Him to mankind. He also supplied all the information to reach Him and accept living with Him eternally. 

I've written of Pascal's Wager - most recently three years ago - and you can Google about it and find tons of information. Each one of us must determine what we will bet our lives upon. I have deliberately (see the freedom to do so in the middle of that decision?) chosen to put my faith in God's merciful love. Have you? If not, would you be kind enough to tell me why not? It can be done anonymously, right here.