Attitude of Acceptance

However, on closer examination John 3:18 is curiously worded. Condemnation is not contingent on believing that God has a Son, or that he is the one and only Son, or that the son is Jesus of Nazareth. It is contingent on believing in the “name” of the Son. In ancient times the “name” referred to a person’s character rather than to a spoken or written word. To “believe” was to have the mind-set that something was true. Today we use the word “believe” in significantly different ways. The statement, “I believe in the force of gravity,” signifies that the force of gravity is part of the speaker’s life paradigm. If this person jumped out of an airplane, he would not expect to go up. However, we also use the word “believe” as a statement of opinion or supposition such as in this contrasting statement: “I believe the Titanic will safely cross the ocean.” The two uses of the word “believe” confuse our perception of the scripture. Scripture uses “believe” to refer to a life paradigm. Consequently, this seemingly divisive sentence invites every human on the planet, including the physician champion, to adopt the charitable and self-sacrificing character of Jesus of Nazareth and make it a personal reality. Found in a charitable and self-sacrificing character is an accepting attitude toward people of other faith traditions. That this should be so is supported by the oft-quoted verses:
John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
Saving the world sounds like a very accepting attitude toward people. An accepting attitude is a matter of the heart and therefore a matter of personal spiritual formation.