For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through (by means

of) him might be saved. –  John 3:16-17

Begotten – single of its kind, only  –  Anyone ever bought a “one of a kind”?  What is the value?

Perish – to destroy fully  –  no confession of faith.  Set aside for those that did not receive their “gift”. 

Everlasting – without beginning and end, that which always has been and always will be

Saved – deliver or protect, heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,  And  fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.  And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?  There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.  – Luke 17:15-18

Healed – to relieve (of disease):–cure, heal,

And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole. – Luke 17:19

Whole –  Same word as “saved”  4982

When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick. – Matthew 15:30

Saved – deliver or protect, heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.

Let’s go back to Everlasting for a moment.  How long is that?   I state above it is without beginning and end, that which always has been and always will be

Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.  –  Jeremiah 1:5

Everlasting (another word is “perpetual”) has new meaning in John 3:16.  God has always known you.  Can you imagine that God knew you in the beginning?  He lived in an eternal realm.  

You are without beginning or end and it is more well known through our pronunciation of faith in Him.  God has always known you.  In forgiveness, you have been given a new lease on life through His purchase of you with His blood.

Once again  with a bit more explanation:

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.  –  Jeremiah 1:5

Salvation is an unspeakable gift:

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.  – II Cor 9:15

Unspeakable – indescribable, no having the ability to expound upon

All we have to know is this:

that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;  – Romans 10:9

“And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; –  Luke 12:8

and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  –  Phil 2:11

Upon this confession the first Adam in you dies.  The sin nature is gone.  Then comes the training of the soul by the indwelling spirit to overcome sin in the believer’s life. 

We are forever saved, yet only by the constant oversight of the spirit over our soul to confess and conform to the likeness of Christ until we defeat those sins entirely to no more sin in those areas.  It’s called growth and maturity.

I heard talk of the Christmas tree.  I’m not going to debate the issue of the tree as pagan or otherwise.  What I did hear however is that the idea of the tree can be related to the cross in a sense that there were presents under the tree.  When I heard this I also heard something else.

Below the “tree” or cross was a present as well.  It was the blood that fell from our Savior as he hung upon it.  I tie this with gifts as it were to the gift of life given us.

Have you gone to the tree and received your present?  It’s been sitting there since the crucifixion of Christ.  Waiting for you to go there and claim your gift.  You name was written on that gift the day it was left there.  It’s always been there.  Waiting for you.  Do you see it?  It’s yours.  Claim it by confessing you have a fallen nature and it needs His touch to restore that nature so that fellowship with Him is restored.

The first Adam lost that fellowship.  Since that time God has laid out the plan to restore that fellowship with His creation.  That plan is found in the Bible from Genesis 1:1 to Rev 22:21.  In between God shows us the groaning of creation to come back to God, even though it sometimes might not have known this was what was needed.

God is searching for YOU to fellowship with.  If you feel that is not to the level it should be, you should take a moment to search yourself and find that empty spot in your being and fill it with Him.  Let God take control over your shortcomings, your aches, your pains, your anxieties.  Even your fears.  Simply take God for what He is and what He desires of you.  Simple salvation.  Complete surrender.