FIVE “EXCEPTS” IN JOHN’S GOSPEL
John 3:3
Morning Meditation 5/22/17
Verse 3 says, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
F. E. Marsh says, “LAW is the recognized authority or principle of any given thing. Thus, the law of the mind is conscience; the law of sin is death; the law of the universe is attraction; the law of Sinai is righteousness; the law of grace is love; the law of the Gospel is faith; and the law of the Spirit is holiness. To each one of these laws there are subordinate principles. In thinking of the principles which operate in the Kingdom of grace, there are certain conditions to be fulfilled on our part, that we may know the power of them.” Then he lists five of them that illustrate this principle in John’s gospel using the word “except.” I will follow his main thoughts in this meditation.
THE DOOR TO THE REALM OF GRACE
This is brought out in John 3:3 where Jesus told Nicodemus, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” The word “except” translates “ean me” and means, if not, unless, whoever...not.” This word states a definite necessity. Man is not born right to go to heaven in the nature that he possesses by natural birth. This eliminates the possibility of the natural man responding to the law of God as a means of salvation.
Jeremiah speaks of this in Jeremiah 13:23: “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.” Jeremiah is clearly speaking here of the inability or impossibility for one born in his natural state to change what he is by nature.
Paul speaks of this in Romans 8:7-8: “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” The words “is not subject” translate “hupotasso” and mean, “to arrange under, to subordinate, to subject, put in subjection, to subject one's self, to obey.” This is a military term that is used of soldiers arraigned under a commander. Paul says that it is impossible for the mind of the flesh to subordinate itself to the law of God. It can try as many have. It is nothing but frustration. All that have tried in the past have failed (Rom. 3:10 and 3:19-20).
God’s plan of salvation is not to put a new patch on an old garment. It is to give a new garment. This new garment is the New Birth. Jesus said, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” There is NO EXCEPTION to this LAW. The New Birth is the door to the realm of grace, and there is only ONE DOOR.
THE GAIN OF LOSS
This is found in John 12:24: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”
This is the same “ean me” of John 3:5. What is about to be stated is in concrete. “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone” is the LAW. There are no exceptions.
F. E. Marsh says, “Christ illustrated His own precept by losing His life in death for us, and He has gained a ransomed host in consequence.” Hebrews 2:9-12 says, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.” In His death and resurrection He brought many sons to glory.
How does this apply to us? There are two ways this law applies to us:
1.We die in His death. Since man cannot survive his own death for sins (The second death is eternal so that man will never cease to pay for his sins), God’s way of satisfying His own justice is that the sinner dies in the death of Jesus and is raised in His resurrection. Romans 6 brings this out.
Therefore, we are to count his death and resurrection ours. Rom. 6:11 says, “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
2.We die to self. There is no way to have the resurrection life He is speaking about here without dying to self. Jesus said John 12:25: “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.”
This is what Galatians 2:20 is talking about: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Paul’s “no longer I” is his abandonment of self. He says, “the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.” It is Christ living in me. One has to die to self to partake of resurrection life.
THE SOURCE OF BLESSING
This is brought out in John 3:27: “John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.” This is the same “ean me” of the former two verses. This is in concrete.
The words “A man can receive nothing” means exactly what it says. The words “it be” is a present subjunctive which means it is conditioned on “given him from heaven.” The word “given” translates “didomi” and means, “to give something to someone.” It is a perfect passive participle. The perfect tense means that the giving took place in the past with the result it remains given. What man has and will ever have in the way of blessings on this earth is because God has given them. Nothing is left to chance. This whole world is the plan of God being worked out on the stage of history. If you are saved, it is because God gave you the opportunity (subjunctive mood, i.e., “it be”).
Jesus said in John 6:44, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” Now there are certain theological persuasions whose interpretation of this verse suggests that it teaches unconditional election. I believe it means what it says. No man can come to Jesus except for the work of the Holy Spirit in conviction. I’ll leave the interpretations to others. There are some things I know. First, this verse does not contradict “whosoever will.” It is not “whosoever can.” Second, if a man comes to Jesus, he has nothing to brag about. In his natural depravity he is so sinful and blind that he is not to be credited with “figuring it all out” or “being a wise man” because he came to Jesus. From the time he first thought of coming to Christ, it is God drawing and offering him the opportunity of salvation. There is ONLY ONE who is to be glorified because we are saved, it is God. “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” (Eph. 3:21).
There are NO EXCEPTIONS. This is a LAW that will stand forever.
THE SECRET OF FRUIT BEARING
This is brought out in John 15:4: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” The word “except” is the same as in the other three verses.
This passage is NOT talking about being saved or keeping one’s salvation. Jesus is speaking to His disciples about FRUIT BEARING. Abiding in Christ is necessary (with no exceptions) to fruitbearing as a Christian.
What is the branch in this parable? Jesus said, “ye are the branches” to His disciples. What can a branch do removed from the vine? It is lifeless. The life of the branch depends on staying as a part of the vine. It has no life apart from the vine. Fruit is the natural effortless product of a healthy plant. The branch is simply the extension of the life of the vine. Jesus is the Vine in the illustration, we are the branches.
Any fruit that comes out of our lives that is the fruit that is described here is His life extended through us. It is not the branch (us) separate from Him doing things for Him. It is the Vine giving life to the branch. It is the Father cultivating and pruning the branch. What do we do? We have the Father purging, the Son giving life and vitality, and the branch bearing fruit. The difference between the physical illustration is that the natural branch does not have a WILL, the believer does. Therefore, Jesus says, “Abide in me (a choice) and I in you (still a choice in submitting to His Lordship). This is faith being aware of the environment (in the sphere of Christ the Vine) and a willingness to give up our ability to act independently of Him (Christ in us living His life with our permission).
THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS. Abiding in Christ is the LAW of FRUITBEARING.
THE MEANS OF SUSTENANCE
This is brought out by Christ in John 16:53: “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.”
This is such a strong statement that it offended many of His disciples (indicated by Christ as being “unbelievers” from the beginning) and they left Him permanently at this point (see verse 60-66).
This statement is so strong that denominations have taken the position that the elements of the Lord’s Supper literally become the body and blood of Jesus when taken. Of course Jesus did not mean to teach this. I’m not going to go into hermeneutics at this point but I will make a couple of observations from the context that reveal the truth of what Jesus is saying.
1.Coming to Christ and believing is equivalent to what Jesus says here: 6:35 says, “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” Coming to Jesus and believing in Jesus does the same thing to the spiritual life that bread does to the physical body when it satisfies hunger and water does when it satisfies thirst.
2.Living by Jesus is equivalent to what Jesus says here: “As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.” (6:57).
3.Taking in the Word of God is equivalent to what Jesus says here: “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (6:63). The way to eat Jesus’ flesh and drink His blood is to take in the Word of God. It is the Spirit that quickeneth.” The word “quickeneth” translates “zoopoieo” and means, “to produce alive, begat or bear living young, to cause to live, make alive, give life, by spiritual power to arouse and invigorate.” It is a present active participle. The present tense means that at the time He was speaking these words, the Word of God which He spoke, was/is the life giving, life sustaining means of partaking of His life.
THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS. This is a LAW. The means of sustenance is Coming and believing, living by Him like He lived by the Father, and taking in the Word of God without doubting.
May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.
In Christ
Bro. White
