I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
—Genesis 12:1–4
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
—John 3:16
Brian McLaren reflects on how God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:1–4 softened the exclusive way his evangelical tradition interpreted John 3:16:
The brilliant British missiologist Lesslie Newbigin said these words [in Genesis 12:1–4] addressed the greatest heresy (or dangerous idea) in the history of monotheism. Many people understand being blessed by God as an exclusive matter, Newbigin said, as if God blesses some to the exclusion of others.
But no, Newbigin says. From the very beginning in the creation story in Genesis 1, when God blesses all creation—both day and night, both land and sea, both plant and animal, both animal and human—God’s blessings have been universal, because that is who God is and how God lives, an overflowing fountain of blessing. When God calls Abraham (then known as Abram), God doesn’t bless Abram and his descendants to the exclusion of others, but for the benefit of others.
God’s blessings are not exclusive, but rather instrumental.
McLaren summarizes the way that John 3:16 has often been taught, and contrasts it with the biblical message of blessing, which is always to love and bless others:
That is the way many people [have been] taught John 3:16. All you have to do is raise your hand, say yes to the privileges promised to those who are chosen, and you will be pronounced as a “born again Christian,” which means you would have a free ticket to safety, security, and enjoyment in heaven for yourself and yourself alone, forever.
But that is not what Genesis 12 or John 3:16 are actually about, contrary to a very popular belief. God chooses Abram, not for elite and exclusive privilege for his descendants alone, but for deep responsibility and service for all the nations of the world. God chooses Abram not to the exclusion of others, but to the benefit and blessing of others. As Lesslie Newbigin said, you can’t claim God’s blessings for yourself, your race, your culture, or your religion, and leave out and “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”…
God’s desire, Jesus says, is not to condemn everyone or anyone, but to save everyone. In other words, divine blessing is not exclusive; it is instrumental. We are not blessed to the exclusion of others; we are blessed to be a blessing to others, so that through us, others can be included in the generous circle of divine blessing.
Reference:
Adapted from Brian D. McLaren, “Seeing the World in Radically New Ways,” The Cottage, Substack, February 28, 2026. Used with permission.
Image credit and inspiration: Credits: Tony Sebastian, untitled (detail), 2019, photo, India, Unsplash. Click here to enlarge image. Like a bouquet of many different kinds of flowers, we are all gently held as beautifully chosen and beloved.
Story from Our Community:
For God, the Holy Spirit is in every person. Every person is my neighbor. Thank you to CAC and Fr. Richard’s Daily Meditations for helping me to continue this exciting and loving journey as I look forward to opening and going through new doors provided by God through the Holy Spirit.
— Bill W.
