John 3:16 is not very understood. A little later in John 3 it shows God did not intend His message to bring condemnation but to give salvation
Therefore if we believe salvation is supposed to be hard to obtain we are missing the point. It is hard because we are evil. We need to have true relation with God. I am not one to speak for I may not have true relation.
The rich man wanted eternal life but he thought he could deserve heaven and didn’t see himself as a sinner. Yes we would have to follow Jesus but the rich man thought he needs to be perfect to enter heaven and that he can attain it. Jesus showed him his sin which is love of possessions and because he realised he can’t be perfect he went away sorrowful. He didn’t want to admit he is not perfect but wanted glory on earth and in heaven. He wanted Jesus to say his works may earn him salvation without knowing he does not deserve salvation without faith and works can’t earn it even if one thinks he is not perfect yet but he doesn’t think he is a sinner
If he accepted that he is not without sin he would have followed the cross
Therefore it is difficult to be a true believer and you have to maintain it but when you are you have power unto righteousness
Therefore though the way to heaven is difficult as Paul said the gospel is the power of God so he is not ashamed of it and St. Peter says we are kept by the power of God for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Paul said to the Phillipian jailer believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. There is power in a honest believer and true repentance but today is the day of salvation.
To believe in Him means also to believe all His words. Therefore one would be sorry if he ever sins. Therefore Jesus said not everyone who says to Me Lord Lord will enter the kingdom of God but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. But they were cast away because they never had relation with Him. A close person said to me He didn’t say depart from me you sinners but I never knew you then he says depart from me you sinners. I think it is because those who are truly born of God as John says will not sin as lifestyle. But if they sin they will regret it. Today is the day of salvation tommorow is not promised
To have relationship is difficult you must pray to really
That doesn’t mean you can delay repentance and sin wilfully
It could be the devil telling me to say it is easy so people slacken and don’t do His commandments and perish
But if ones heart has faith as St. John says what overcome the world is our faith we will keep all the commandments
Romans 10 (NKJV)
Israel Needs the Gospel
10 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for [a]Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
5 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.” 6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7 or, “ ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
