John 3:15 - 17 (NKJV) 15that whoever believes in [the Son of Man] should £not perish but have eternal life. 16For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
There are three things I see in this passage. Two are actually the same; the idea of WHOEVER Believes. Jesus twice states that WHOEVER believes will not perish but have eternal life. So, who are the WHOEVER Jesus refers to? My old Websters New Collegiate Dictionary says this about whoever "what ever person : no matter who".
http://dictionary.reference.com/ defines WHOEVER AS;
pronoun; possessive whos·ev·er; objective whom·ev·er.
1. whatever person; anyone that: Whoever did it should be proud. Ask whoever is there. Tell it to whomever you like.3. who? what person? (used to express astonishment, disbelief, disdain, etc.): Whoever is that? Whoever told you such a thing?
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So from this I would say that WHOEVER is ANYONE WHO BELIEVES! So; to whom is our mission? ANY ONE! WHOMEVER!
This idea most have been important to Jesus in that Jesus uses the phrase twice in His speaking with Nicodemus and answering Nicodemus' questions. Therefore if we are followers of Jesus Christ the WHOEVERS must be important to us.
The third thing I see is that God loved the world, the WHOEVERS, so much that God was willing to give up God's only Son for them to have eternal life. So, God loves the WHOEVERS; should not those who say we follow God and God's Only Son Jesus be willing to love the whoevers also? God and Jesus did not define those whom they loved; why should we? Do not hear me saying that I have this concept of loving the WHOEVERS down or that I am doing the loving of the WHOEVERS in my mission field perfectly; I am not doing it perfectly if at all; but with God's power and the Holy Spirit help I will and we can love the WHOEVERS!
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