John 3:18 The one who believes in Him is no longer condemned.
The true significance of a message, good, bad, important or nonsense, can only be determined by context. Everyone knows John 3:16, but the context for the message is in verses 17-20: “I didn’t come to judge, because every person is already fully condemned by his or her own heart on this basis: they love the darkness, rather than God’s own light. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and avoids it, lest their deeds and motives should be exposed.”
No one walks perfectly before God. We focus the spotlight on our good deeds and hide the rest. When our deeds are false and our motives dark, we dance in the shadows and shun the light. Yet, our hearts know the full truth and condemn us before God. That is the devastating part of the message. It is in that painfully true context that verses 17,18 & 16 reveal the greatness of God’s amazing news:
“Therefore God didn’t send His Son to condemn, but to save those already condemned.17 Those who believe are rescued from this self-condemnation. Those who do not believe remain condemned, as they refuse to believe in the forgiveness through God’s Son.18 For God loved the world in this remarkable way, that He sent His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will receive eternal life.”16
(Creatively paraphrased version)
Our hearts condemn us and push us from the light into the cover of darkness. Yet, it is only in the light, fully exposed – weak and unable to deny the accusations of our hearts – that we find the mercy of God. This is truth. This is amazing grace!
(For more context from John on this same message read: 1John 1:5-10)