Sometimes we fail to see the full meaning of the gospel message, such as that in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” We love to see the promise that when humans believe in Jesus Christ, they gain eternal life. What comforting words for those struggling with guilt and a poor self-image.
But the verse also contains the words, “should not perish.” They imply that if humans do not believe in Christ, they will perish. That means that trusting in Christ is vitally important for one’s future as a human. The word for”perish” [ἀπόλλυμι, apollymi] is used more than 90 times in the Bible so it not to be ignored as we study the Scriptures. It means “to destroy utterly; to kill, to bring to nought, make void.” What then are some other verses which contain both good news and bad news in the same or adjoining verses. Here a few examples with the good news printed normally and the bad news printed in italics.
John 3:17-18, For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 8 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
That appears to mean that humans are condemned until they put their trust in Jesus. Praise God that as soon as they trust Jesus, they are no longer condemned.
When people believe in Jesus they are said to be “in Christ.” And St Paul declares this truth, Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” This appears to mean that people are already under the wrath of God and will remain so until they put their trust in Christ. From the moment they believe, they are no longer under condemnation but have eternal life.
John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. Those who hear the gospel message about Jesus and believe in Him pass from spiritual death and will not be judged.
John 12:47-48, “If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.” The purpose of Jesus’ first coming into the world was to bring salvation to humans, not to judge them. However, if they reject His words and fail to act on them, His words will be their judge on the last day.
Mark 16:16 “Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” It is the belief leading to baptism that brings salvation. However, those who refuse to believe will be condemned.
Mat 25:40 “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” In this parable Jesus contrasted those who failed to render assistance to fellow humans with those who did so. Their attitudes would be the same as their attitude to Him as their King. At the final judgment when the good were separated to the right, the evil would be separated to the left and as verse 41 puts it, “into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”
Romans 2:6-9, “He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek.” Those who do good in God’s sight are rewarded with eternal life. However, those who do evil, described as being self-seeking, not obeying the truth, obeying unrighteousness, will face God’s wrath and fury.
Rom 5:9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. Again, this verse seems to imply that humans are under the wrath of God but Jesus has made it possible for them to be saved from His wrath. That is by trusting in His death by the shedding of His blood on the cross. That trust in His blood makes us justified in the sight of God meaning He declares us “Not Guilty.”
Rom 5:18 “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.“ The fall of humankind through Adam led to all humans being seen as sinful creatures in the sight of God for we all follow Adam’s pattern of rejecting God and failing to do all He requires of us. That means we are condemned by God. But God is gracious and merciful and has done something to make us righteous and no longer condemned. The one act of righteousness is a reference to what Christ accomplished by His life, death and resurrection when He died on the cross to pay the penalty for all human sin. When we trust in His atoning sacrifice, God declares us righteous in His sight and this frees us from all condemnation.
Rom 5:19 “For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. “ This refers to Christ’s perfect life and death, and as we trust in Him for salvation, we are made right with God.
2 Thessalonians 1:7 -10 “.. and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marvelled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. ”
This describes the second coming of the Lord when He comes to judge the world. The saints [those believing in Jesus] are to be glorified whilst unbelievers will face eternal destruction in His absence.
1 Peter 4:17-18, “ For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” The righteous [those trusting in Christ, obeying the gospel] are saved only by the mercy and grace of God through His provision of salvation through Jesus’ death. Those who reject His mercy and grace in Christ will face His judgment.
Heb 9:27 -28, “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. “
Judgment awaits all humans but those trusting in Christ will be saved from condemnation.
So it is true to say that the Bible often presents salvation and judgment as being associated in the same biblical passages. God has done something about the human predicament. Humans who fail to trust in Christ are destined to life apart from His presence and love in the future. But those who choose to believe in Him are guaranteed that they will be forgiven, receive eternal life and given places in His kingdom.
We see in the apostolic preaching that St Paul preached both the good news and the bad news even to his Gentile hearers.
Paul and Barnabas when they came to Lystra healed a man who was lame from birth. There was a response, Acts 14:13-15, “And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. 14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, 5 “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.” He called their previous worship “these vain things“and added that they had received mercy from God in satisfying their material needs and now He wanted them to worship Him rather than to continue to “walk in their own ways.”
Acts 14:16 “In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” His goodness to them should motivate them to walk in His ways and no longer in their own ways.
Paul addressed the Areopagus in Athens and proclaimed the purpose of God that all humans should seek and find God, Acts 17:26-27, “And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us.” But he followed that with a warning, Acts 17:30-31, “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” They could no longer walk in ignorance but needed to repent and follow Jesus who would be the judge of the whole world.
St Paul, brought before King Agrippa, spoke of his conversion and appointment to preach the gospel to his fellow Jews and to the Gentiles, Acts 26:15 -18, “And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 18, “delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you 18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” King Agrippa was being told that unbelievers were in darkness and under the power of Satan, but those who believed received forgiveness and were set apart for God.
The good news was that God had made it possible for even the Gentiles, whom God saw as being in darkness and under the power of Satan, to be forgiven and to belong to Him. How? By opening their eyes and enabling them to “turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.”
What a blessing it is for humans to know that though they have lived in darkness and under Satan’s control, they can be forgiven, received into the family of God, and be blessed with eternal life. This is due to the grace of our gracious God and enables us to walk in the ways of the Lord, to live fulfilling lives and to glorify Him in lives lived for His glory.
Blog No.605 posted on Monday 05 October 2026.
605. The Good News and the Bad News in the Gospel Message. John 3 verse 16 and other verses.
Sometimes we fail to see the full meaning of the gospel message, such as that in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” We love to see the promise that when humans believe in Jesus Christ, they gain eternal life. What comforting words for those struggling with guilt and a poor self-image.
But the verse also contains the words, “should not perish.” They imply that if humans do not believe in Christ, they will perish. That means that trusting in Christ is vitally important for one’s future as a human. The word for”perish” [ἀπόλλυμι, apollymi] is used more than 90 times in the Bible so it not to be ignored as we study the Scriptures. It means “to destroy utterly; to kill, to bring to nought, make void.” What then are some other verses which contain both good news and bad news in the same or adjoining verses. Here a few examples with the good news printed normally and the bad news printed in italics.
John 3:17-18, For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 8 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
That appears to mean that humans are condemned until they put their trust in Jesus. Praise God that as soon as they trust Jesus, they are no longer condemned.
When people believe in Jesus they are said to be “in Christ.” And St Paul declares this truth, Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” This appears to mean that people are already under the wrath of God and will remain so until they put their trust in Christ. From the moment they believe, they are no longer under condemnation but have eternal life.
John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. Those who hear the gospel message about Jesus and believe in Him pass from spiritual death and will not be judged.
John 12:47-48, “If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.” The purpose of Jesus’ first coming into the world was to bring salvation to humans, not to judge them. However, if they reject His words and fail to act on them, His words will be their judge on the last day.
Mark 16:16 “Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” It is the belief leading to baptism that brings salvation. However, those who refuse to believe will be condemned.
Mat 25:40 “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” In this parable Jesus contrasted those who failed to render assistance to fellow humans with those who did so. Their attitudes would be the same as their attitude to Him as their King. At the final judgment when the good were separated to the right, the evil would be separated to the left and as verse 41 puts it, “into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”
Romans 2:6-9, “He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek.” Those who do good in God’s sight are rewarded with eternal life. However, those who do evil, described as being self-seeking, not obeying the truth, obeying unrighteousness, will face God’s wrath and fury.
Rom 5:9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. Again, this verse seems to imply that humans are under the wrath of God but Jesus has made it possible for them to be saved from His wrath. That is by trusting in His death by the shedding of His blood on the cross. That trust in His blood makes us justified in the sight of God meaning He declares us “Not Guilty.”
Rom 5:18 “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.“ The fall of humankind through Adam led to all humans being seen as sinful creatures in the sight of God for we all follow Adam’s pattern of rejecting God and failing to do all He requires of us. That means we are condemned by God. But God is gracious and merciful and has done something to make us righteous and no longer condemned. The one act of righteousness is a reference to what Christ accomplished by His life, death and resurrection when He died on the cross to pay the penalty for all human sin. When we trust in His atoning sacrifice, God declares us righteous in His sight and this frees us from all condemnation.
Rom 5:19 “For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. “ This refers to Christ’s perfect life and death, and as we trust in Him for salvation, we are made right with God.
2 Thessalonians 1:7 -10 “.. and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marvelled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. ”
This describes the second coming of the Lord when He comes to judge the world. The saints [those believing in Jesus] are to be glorified whilst unbelievers will face eternal destruction in His absence.
1 Peter 4:17-18, “ For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” The righteous [those trusting in Christ, obeying the gospel] are saved only by the mercy and grace of God through His provision of salvation through Jesus’ death. Those who reject His mercy and grace in Christ will face His judgment.
Heb 9:27 -28, “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. “
Judgment awaits all humans but those trusting in Christ will be saved from condemnation.
So it is true to say that the Bible often presents salvation and judgment as being associated in the same biblical passages. God has done something about the human predicament. Humans who fail to trust in Christ are destined to life apart from His presence and love in the future. But those who choose to believe in Him are guaranteed that they will be forgiven, receive eternal life and given places in His kingdom.
We see in the apostolic preaching that St Paul preached both the good news and the bad news even to his Gentile hearers.
Paul and Barnabas when they came to Lystra healed a man who was lame from birth. There was a response, Acts 14:13-15, “And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. 14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, 5 “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.” He called their previous worship “these vain things“and added that they had received mercy from God in satisfying their material needs and now He wanted them to worship Him rather than to continue to “walk in their own ways.”
Acts 14:16 “In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” His goodness to them should motivate them to walk in His ways and no longer in their own ways.
Paul addressed the Areopagus in Athens and proclaimed the purpose of God that all humans should seek and find God, Acts 17:26-27, “And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us.” But he followed that with a warning, Acts 17:30-31, “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” They could no longer walk in ignorance but needed to repent and follow Jesus who would be the judge of the whole world.
St Paul, brought before King Agrippa, spoke of his conversion and appointment to preach the gospel to his fellow Jews and to the Gentiles, Acts 26:15 -18, “And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 18, “delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you 18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” King Agrippa was being told that unbelievers were in darkness and under the power of Satan, but those who believed received forgiveness and were set apart for God.
The good news was that God had made it possible for even the Gentiles, whom God saw as being in darkness and under the power of Satan, to be forgiven and to belong to Him. How? By opening their eyes and enabling them to “turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.”
What a blessing it is for humans to know that though they have lived in darkness and under Satan’s control, they can be forgiven, received into the family of God, and be blessed with eternal life. This is due to the grace of our gracious God and enables us to walk in the ways of the Lord, to live fulfilling lives and to glorify Him in lives lived for His glory.
Blog No.605 posted on Monday 05 October 2026.
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About Jim Holbeck
Once an Industrial Chemist working for the Queensland Government but later an Anglican minister in Brisbane, Armidale and Sydney. Last position for eighteen years before retirement in 2006 was as the Leader of the Healing Ministry at St Andrew's Cathedral Sydney.