For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Cassius D'Souza
God loves all his children and he wants all his children to love him.
To achieve this he broke all barriers between himself and us, even at the cost of bearing immense suffering, humiliation and death on the cross.
The least we can do is acknowledge this sacrifice and the cost he paid only so that we may know his love for us.
If you call that being Christian then so be it.
James Kraft
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that HE gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, that WHOSOEVER believeth in Him, should not perish, but HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.
So God is no respecter of persons. First John 2:2. And He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world. He died to pay the sin debt of every man, women and child on the face of the earth on the cross.
But only those who accept his free gift of eternal life by faith in what He did for us are saved. John 3:18.
Once we believe on Him alone for the free gift of eternal life, we are a child of God forever. John 1:12.
First John 5:13 These thing have I written unto you that BELIEVE on the name of the Son of God, that ye may KNOW YE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. Eternal life means forever.
Jesus has never lost one sheep. Hebrews 13:5 He will never leave us or forsake us.
All our friends can leave us and forsake us, But Jesus never will. His love is an abiding love even when we do not love Him.
He still loves us even if we get angry at Him.
Second Timothy 2:13. If we believe not, after we have once believed, He abideth Faithful. He can not deny Himself. His Holy Spirit that lives in the believer. Ephesians 1:13-14 and Ephesians 4:30.
The GIFT of God is eternal life. Romans 6;23. Romans 3:26-28. Jesus paid the penalty for all our sin debt in full. John 3:18. Romans 4:5-8. He has imputed His perfect righteousness to us apart from works. Jesus paid it all and we paid 0. You cannot boast in 0. The GIFT of God is eternal life. A gift is paid in full in advance of giving the GIFT.
A reward is something you earn or work for. Eternal life is a free gift from God because no one can earn it. Romans 11:6. Romans 4:5. Romans 3:26-28. Jesus paid the penalty for all our sin on the cross 2,000 years ago.
First John 2:2. Since He paid for the sins of the whole world, then we know He paid for all our sins. Since we have no sins to pay for, we know we will go to heaven whenever we die.
John 6:47. Jesus said it, we believe it, and that settles it.
John 10:28-29. No one can pluck us from His hand. He has a hold of us.