"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" (John 3:16).

In this verse we have the great gospel mystery revealed: "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son."  Love was the great moving cause that prompted every action on the part of God in the salvation of His people.  The adverb so expresses the manner; God loved the world in such a manner, that He gave His Son to die.  Not to condemn the world, for it was already in a condemned state, but the object was to save His people out of that state of condemnation.

The term world here simply refers to God's people, not only among the Jews, but also among the Gentiles, and is spoken of as world because His people are scattered all over this inhabited globe, and Jesus came to die in their room and stead, and the believer is the one that has been made partaker of the benefits of this atonement, as is expressed in the 18th verse: "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, (and we know it) because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."  Here it is clearly stated that belief, or unbelief, is not the cause of either our condemnation or our salvation, but are the evidences of our state, as you can clearly see by reference to 1st John 5:1; "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God."  The literal rendering of which is, has been born of God.  Therefore this belief is an evidence of his having been born of God, and is not the cause of it.

Again in John 5:24 we read, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life."  Not shall pass if they will believe, but the believer has already passed from death unto life.  Again, John 3:36 says, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."  This is the clear statement that the believer is already in possession of everlasting life, which is sufficient to show to all unprejudiced minds that belief is not a condition of life, but the result of life, and an evidence that Jesus died for them, and it is therefore stated that they shall never perish.  Therefore heaven will be their home.