The Book - The Man Who Loved The Truth.
SACRIFICE OBEDIENCE AND SALVATION
Yes, Jesus paid the price with his life to reconcile mankind to God. He regained for the human race what the first man, Adam lost through disobedience. However it should be noted that it is only believers that will not perish. And it is urgently necessary that we find out what kind of believer it is that will not perish.
James the brother of Jesus gives us a useful clue. This is what he says: " You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder. ( Jas 2:19 )
Now it should be obvious that these believing demons are in no way going to be rewarded with salvation. They know full well what their destiny is and that is why they shudder. So what do we mean by this word believe.? Actually, the word is often used to mean acknowledgment or agreement. And it is in this sense that it is used in the above scripture.
But the word believe in ( John 3:16 ) means a lot more than that. Eternal life is not going to be handed out to people who just agree that there is a God, and that there is nothing else to think or do about it. An excellent rendering of this verse is found in the Amplified version of the Bible. In it there is in brackets the words ( Trusts in, -Clings to and Relies on.) Thus we get a fuller and accurate understanding of the subject. This also is completely in accord with God's Will, the only God of truth.
A very clear picture regarding the result of Jesus Christ's sacrifice is found in the book of Hebrews. Here it is: " Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and once made perfect, he became the SOURCE OF ETERNAL SALVATION for all who obey him. ( Heb 5:8-10 )