Let me see... I don't care to throw scripture around as you all should have studied the Bible also and I am sure you know the Bible words quite well altho knowing the words and getting the essence is two different things.
for GOD so Loved the WORLD that WHOSOEVER believes in Him shall not perish but have ever lasting life.
Sorry for this but to get the whole take:
John 3 King James Version (KJV[SUP]14 [/SUP]And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
[SUP]15 [/SUP]That whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
[SUP]16 [/SUP]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.
[SUP]17 [/SUP]For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
[SUP]18 [/SUP]He that believes on him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
[SUP]19 [/SUP]And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
[SUP]20 [/SUP]For every one that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
[SUP]21 [/SUP]But he that does truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Jesus said The fields are white and ripe for the picking pray for the workers to the harvest.
One man sows and another reaps. One man lays the corner stone and another builds upon it. But in all God is the finisher. As the workers we find the lost sheep and bring them to God with love and He is the finisher who puts them through the fire to remove the dross.
In this part I know much. The dross is much depending on the person sometimes we practice what we preach and sometimes we go through a great fire to learn what is right and to remove the pain and misery we have accumulated through our lifetime.
God says 'judge you not lest you be judged also' and when you bring a fellow man into correction do so with love and understanding lest you should slip also and need his understanding.
For this cause did God give us the NT of Jesus Christ because of mankinds hard heartedness towards his fellow man.
God is a God of the living and not of the dead.
Years ago I also thought I knew the meaning of the Bible through my fleshly eyes but God is loving and forgiving if we diligently seek Him. I too condemned and then at one point God led me through the NT and I now see God in a totally different light and I look upon my fellowman in kinship no matter who they are or what their choices are. It is the way in which we let our light of God shine through us so others may see and want of it also.
Let your love light shine from the highest mountain.