For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16 is a follow up from John 3:3 & 3:5 when Jesus told Nicodemus the Pharisee, you must be born again or born from above to see Kingdom of God or to enter the kingdom of God, and that was his general council to the Pharisees, cleanse the heart - Matt.23:26. This is transformation or conversion. God sent His Son that whosoever BELIEVETH in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. John 1:12 Tell us those that BELIEVE, them give he power to become sons of God, that's transformation. The life that is mentioned in John 3:16 as received by the believer John explained. He explained the life that is received through the Son in John 1:4 is the life that is the light of men - transformative knowledge that is Light to the darkened soul, in John 6:63 we are told the words that Christ spoke is life, in John 17:3 The knowledge of God through Jesus Christ is explained to be eternal life, 1John 5:20 tells us Jesus give an understanding that is that we may know God and be in God -"transformation and that knowlede in Christ is eternal life. Thus the life in John 3:16 is refering to a transformative revelation from God through Christ.
That transformative knowledge of God which is life is the word of truth from God that gives us the new birth mentioned in James 1:18 & 21 when believed.
That is why Paul said in Rom.8:6 to be carnally minded is death but to be Spiritually minded is LIFE. Jesus was sent to give us the life of the Spiritual mind when we believe towards God renewing our heart.
Thus we must understand the purpose of Jesus being sent explained in John 3:16 is to give a knowledge of God referred to as eternal life to transform us to be like Him when believed/received in the heart.
The issue we need to consider seriously also is what is the bible saying in John 3:16 is to be believed for salvation/transformation, is it that Jesus came and die in place of us, the bible did not say that, it said the word of truth saves ( - James 1:18,21 & Eph.1:13 - the gospell is the word of truth & Rom.1:16-17 the gospel is the power of God unto salvation and saves because of the Righteousness of God is in it to make man Righteous ) thus more than literal bread we are to live (maintain the transformation which is spiritual living - Rom.8:6) by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God - Matt.4:4. Thus what is to be believed for everlasting life is every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Jesus is the Word who is God made flesh, he came and gave us an explanation of God who is Love in word and deed that we may have that knowledge implanted by God in the heart that we shall be transformed when we believe or receive it.
Peter referred to Jesus as having the words of Eternal Life in John 6:68. As Col.3:10 tells us the new man in Christ is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created Him. Thus Christ was sent to give that knowledge that is life which is after the image of God who is Love. Thus it is all Christ's words of life which reveals God who is Love that is to be believed for salvation/transformation.
The bible in John 3:16 don't teach Jesus died as a penalty payment in place of you, (whether it be for past, present and future sin you did, and would do) so that your sinfulness could be overlooked by God. The bible teaches that the carnal mind is enmity with God '-Rom.8:7, thus God must renew the person mind for God to dwell with them and be in them as Love.
He came lived and died to transform us by first bringing about repentance for present idol values in our mind - Acts 5:31 which is through a knowledge of the disfavor of the divine nature towards sin, which causes a remorse for sin that leads to repentance. When a person repents and believe God in His mercy transforms the person by impalanting His knowledge in them, and even so Himself as Love. But the transformation must be maintained by continual submission to God through His word and resisting of the devil and His deceptions by the word revealed which is Life eternal.
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