In my soul winning days John 3:16 was one of my favorite scriptures that I would read to the unsaved. There is just so much truth in John 3:16. Many people have come to know Christ as their savior by doing nothing more than reading John 3:16. If Satan had his way he would have it removed from the Bible.
Here is the Calvinist version of John 3:16.
"God only loves a few of us and has damned the rest to hell. So that those of us who have been predestinated should not perish, but have everlasting life".
Fortunately it doesn't say that at all. Here is the correct interpretation of John 3:16, line by line and word by word.
"For God so loved the world"
It was God's plan before he created the heavens and the earth that his Son Jesus Christ would be the savior of the whole world, Colossians 1:14-19. God loves all of his creation and loves the crown of his creation, humanity, so much that he gives his only begotten Son for the sins of the whole world, 1 John 2:2.
"That he gave his only begotten Son"
When God gives something it means that something must be received, John 1:12. In this case it is salvation. Salvation is offered to man as a free gift from God, Romans 5:18. If God imposed salvation (Calvinism) then it would not be a free gift it would be an imposition. If God imposed salvation then there would be no need for God to give us his Son.
"That whosoever believes in him should not perish"
This is to simple for many. Paul said that the Gospel was a simple message. The religious are the ones that want to add something to this. The Catholics insist that it is the Gospel plus your good works that will save you. There is nothing about works in this scripture. To him that does nothing more than believes in Jesus as his savior, he will be saved. Even little children understand this.
"But have everlasting life"
This is the reward or the compensation for believing in Jesus, which is eternal life. Our salvation cost us nothing, but it costs Christ everything. "For he has made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him, 2 Corinthians 5:21. This eternal life is our real life that has been hidden with Christ in God, Colossians 3:3. It is also the abundant life, John 10:10.
"For God so loved the world,that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" John 3:16.
Read this to someone today.
