"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him" (John 3:16-17).
If you had to sum up the entire Gospel in two sentences, this would be it. The Gospel tells us that God loves the world - in fact, He loves it so much that "while were yet sinners Christ died for us" (Rom 5:8). God does not judge our worthiness of Christ's sacrifice by our purity, or adherence to the law, or perfect actions. No one among us is without sin. In Christ, God judges us by the standard of his love for us. In giving his only Son, God opens the door to salvation by loving us first.
The Gospel tells us that we are saved not through deeds of righteousness but by faith (Rom 5:1); through belief, we shall have eternal life. This does not mean that our actions are without consequence: John goes on to tell us that the light has come into the world (Jn 3:19), and that "he who does what is true comes to the light" (3:21). Our actions are an aspect of faith, the part that embraces goodness as the guide of our decisions. While no one is perfect, living in faith means going toward and living within the light. If we are willing to stand before God openly, acknowledging our faults while striving always to hit the mark, we embrace the lives of faith that lead to eternal life.
The Gospel tells us that Jesus comes to save us, and not to condemn us. God desires that we have eternal life through him. Like the lost sheep, he seeks us out wherever we are and wants to bring us home safely. Like the father of the prodigal son, he looks forward to our coming with openness and forgiveness. God does not send Jesus because He desires to punish us. God sends Jesus because He want us, through the Son, to have true and eternal life.
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