John the disciple records John 3:16, the well-known verse about the core of the gospel message, during a conversation between Nicodemus (a Pharisee) and Jesus about what it means to be born again.

To be saved, we need faith to believe that Jesus is who he said he is—wholly God and wholly man—and that he was a perfect sacrifice in our place on the cross. Jesus reminds us that he came into this world to welcome people, not to push them away. He came to save lost humanity.

This is illustrated with the metaphor about light and darkness. Not only are we to have faith in what Jesus did for us, we must also be willing to step into the light where our sins are exposed. In that vulnerable place, we clearly see our need to be saved—from ourselves, our sin, and the world’s way of doing things.

We continually exercise our faith in God by daring to welcome truth and light in our lives; it’s the way we walk our faith.

A Prayer for Today:

Lord, I believe. I believe Jesus was both God and man, and that he lived a perfectly sinless life, offering himself for me on the cross. I believe in the resurrection. I choose today to step into the light because I know I need you. Amen.

A Journaling Prompt:

Describe the day (or the time period) when you met Jesus for the first time. How has your understanding of being “saved” changed since then? In what ways?

Content adapted from the NIV Radiant Virtues Bible, a new evolution of the Beautiful Word Bible collection. Art from throughout the Beautiful Word collection, along with newly created verse art, all-new journaling prompts, weekly devotional readings and prayers, coloring pages, reading plans, and more, guide you as you explore the virtues of faith, hope, and love and their place in Scripture.

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Content in this article is taken from the NIV Radiant Virtues Bible.

Faith, hope, and love—the three virtues found in 1 Corinthians 13—are at the heart of the NIV Radiant Virtues Bible, a new evolution of the Beautiful Word Bible. Experience the beauty of Scripture through art from the Beautiful Word collection, plus newly created verse art pieces. Explore each virtue and its place in Scripture using all-new journaling prompts, weekly devotional readings and prayers, and coloring pages. Use the calendar pages in the front of the Bible, along with the 52-week guide, to map a year of encouragement and discovery. Along the way, you’ll find key verse illustrations at the start of

each book of the Bible. Highlighted verses will draw your attention to passages related to the virtues of faith, hope, and love, helping you see these themes throughout God’s Word.

In addition, the ample journaling space offers room to record your own thoughts, reflections, and art. Perforated pages in the back of the Bible feature meaningful verses, allowing you to gift them to someone else or use them for your own daily inspiration. From beginning to end, the NIV Radiant Virtues Bible gives you everything you need to grow the timeless virtues of faith, hope, and love in your daily life.