Why did you even come on this thread since you had no intention of giving your interpretation of the meaning of John 3:16?
Of course you feel like you must attack me in the hope that no one will notice that none of those in the Neo-MAD camp have even attempted to answer John 3:16.
What we see is a group of people who claim to be the most spiritually enlightened of all the people on this forum but at the same time they are unable to even attempt to address John 3:16!
Shameful!
This is about the most pitiful thing I have ever seen!
I do not think there is any mystery to this at all, at least there is none if we have not become confounded by our theological systems. The simple meaning which former sinners all over the world have come to understand is that if we put our faith in Christ he will save us now and in the world to come. Jesus' promise is true and open for men of all generations and time periods. I keep hearing that Jesus taught a so-called Jewish gospel. I do not believe the Bible teaches any kind of salvation by works.
When Jesus told people to keep the commandments He was using the Law as it was intended to be used - to show the impossibility of keeping it and to silence the pride of men. "For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes
knowledge of sin.(
Romans 3:20) This truth is applicable for all fallen humanity. It is just as true before the cross as it was afterward. It did not become true one day when Paul wrote it down. Jesus used the law to demolish people's faith in themselves and then He called them to put their faith in Him instead.
An example of His method can be seen in His answer to the lawyer.
25 And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall
I do to inherit
eternal life?” 26 And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” 27And he answered, “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” 28And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE.” 29 But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (
Luke 25:25-29)
If this man or any of us were perfectly conformed to the image of the Son we would reflect perfectly the nature of God who is Love. Then Loving God and our neighbor would be as easy as first grade Arithmetic. However it was obvious the lawyer did not love the world but that he wanted to exclude at least some of them. Like a good lawyer he tried to escape the essence of all the Law through a technicality. He asked Jesus this question, not to clarify but to obscure the truth. His motive, the Bible said, was to "justify" himself (that is, to make himself righteous). Rather than admitting he was a sinner who loved himself first and foremost he wanted to falsify the scales. Jesus set the standard of Godliness - not through teaching an abstract principle but through telling a story that exemplified personified agape.
Jesus did not say to people, "do good works to be saved." To say that is to say Jesus propagated a lie for no one can be acceptable to God through the Law because no one can keep it perfectly. James said, "For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point
has become accountable for all of it" (
James 2:10) James could have expected people to become righteous by fulfilling the law. If he ever had such a thought he defeated his own purpose by setting the bar too high." Paul agrees with him in this "I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision (
as a means of achieving righteous before God) is obligated to keep the
whole law.
Jesus always called men to have faith in Him.
Whoever
believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not
obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (
John 3:36)
Jesus was not offering some "Jewish Gospel" that involves an incongruent mixture of faith and works. His is a Gospel based on faith (believe = faith). However, the step of faith (to trust in, rely upon, have confidence in Him) brings a person into God's will. Hence in this verse having faith in the Son is equivalent to being in obedience to Him.