John 3:16 “…that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

“Whosoever” does not exclude anyone. Let me make this perfectly clear.  This means you, as you are, warts and all.

“Believeth” Does not mean head knowledge.  You can know a chair will hold you up but to sit in that chair is true belief that it will.  Knowing God exist is one thing but believing in God means trusting Him with the full weight of your life and soul.

“Not perish”  Yes there is a Hell.  It is a real place where people who do not know Jesus Christ as their savior will go.  Why send them to a place of torment?  Actually God sends them where they have choose to go.  People choose to trust God in their lives or trust themselves.  Those who choose to go without God will be sent to Hell where God does not exist.  Being without God will be true torment and pain.

“Everlasting life” Those who trust God for their salvation will live forever with Him in paradise.  The greatest part of this is not the streets of gold or mansions.  It will be the opportunity to get to know God face to face.  The greatest being in all the universe was willing to die so that you and Him could be friends and have the universe for a playground together.

Other post on John 3:16:
For God
so loved
the world
that he gave his only begotten son
that whosoever believeth in him should not parish, but have everlasting life.

Photo Credit: Pearly Gates by Andy Hares