Commentary on the Gospel of John

                                 Chapter Sixteen

                                                                                                                                              Verse 33

Jesus preached to His disciples that the world would give them "tribulation," but He would give them "peace." This statement can only mean that Jesus planned to regather His scattered and fearful disciples and reestablish His Church. Jesus' statement also demonstrates that He will regather all of His backslidden believers either before or at the time that He Raptures His Church. Backsliders may lose their faith, but Jesus will never lose His faithfulness and devotion to His believers. Jesus put His faith into them, which is His Spirit, and they can never lose that faith although their faith may become latent. John 10:27-30; II Timothy 2:12-13; Romans 8:35-39. Those who deny Christ are the apostates who pretend to be believers. Matthew 10:33. These facts have to be true because Christ never denied Peter although Peter denied Him. That which is true about Peter is true of all of Christ's believers. Jesus knows exactly how to cause all of his backslidden believers to repent and return to faith in Him so that He can present His Church to His Father as a clean and glorious Church. Ephesians 5:25-27. Believers do not hold on to Christ. He holds on to them. John 10:27-30. Believers saved by grace who think that sin can cause them to lose their salvation should trust that Christ possesses Almighty Power over all sin, evil, and spiritual death. Matthew 28:18; Revelation 1:17-18. But backslidden believers should beware because Christ will punish them for their correction. Hebrews 12:5-13.

Because Christ has Almighty Power over all evil, and His Love can never fail, He knows exactly how to cause all living humans who fail to obtain salvation by grace to repent and believe in Him as the Lamb of God of their own free will so that He can recover and recreate them all to a righteous life on His new earth. Revelation 5:11-14; I Corinthians 3:11-15; II Peter 3:9-13; John 5:28-29; Revelation 20:5; Revelation 21:1-5; Revelation 22:11-12; I Corinthians 13:8.

When Jesus spoke about the world that will persecute His Church, He had to have meant the evil natures of humans and the total evil that is Satan. But Jesus assured His disciples that they should cheer up because, "I have overcome the world." This statement by Jesus can only be an absolute truth. This statement can only be about Jesus' Almighty Power over all sins, evil, and the Devil. Matthew 28:18; Revelation 1:17-18. Jesus did not come to the world to save some living humans by His grace and allow all others to be cast into an everlasting Hell. That would be only a partial victory over the world and evil. Jesus has gained a complete and total victory over the evil, spiritual deaths of all living humans and over the total evil of the Devil himself. God does nothing halfway. Jesus came to purge the world of all evil, spiritual death, and the Devil himself so that He could save all living humans that He creates and loves. John 5:24; I Corinthians 3:11-15; Philippians 2:9-11; Revelation 5:11-14; I Timothy 4:10; John 5:28-29; John 12:31-32; Hebrews 2:9-15; I John 3:8; Revelation 1:17-18; John 11:25-26; Isaiah 66:22-24. The word "worm" in Isaiah 66:24 and in Mark 9:44, 46, and 48 can only symbolically mean the separated, spiritual deaths of all living humans. God can never lose anything He has ever created, and His Almighty Love can never fail. Ecclesiastes 3:14; I Corinthians 13:8.