It is only
one sentence. And that sentence contains only twenty-four words. Yet that one
sentence is packed with so much truth that we literally will not have time to
fully unpack its contents, but I will try.
From this one verse we can find at least seven truths (probably more) about the love of God. Let’s look at them now.
1. THE LOVE OF GOD IS UNCONDITIONAL. For God so loved the world
The Greek word for world (kosmos) is defined as “the ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ.” This is the world that God loved. It doesn’t say that God loved all the good guys. Or that God loved all the Jews. Or that God love all the saints. It says, “For God so loved the world.”
That God should love the world only heightens the mystery of this love. Were we to imagine a pristine world, fresh from the hand of the Creator and uninfected by evil, we could more easily comprehend God’s desire to save it. But a wayward world which not only failed to recognize its maker (John 1:10) but openly hated His approach to it (15:18) would seem a poor choice for love.
So God’s love clearly isn’t based on our spiritual condition or our moral predisposition. It isn’t based on our behavior or our attitude toward him. Rather we see here that God’s love for mankind is universal and unconditional. He loves everyone. And this is one of the things that sets him apart from every other god held up by every other world religion...
From this one verse we can find at least seven truths (probably more) about the love of God. Let’s look at them now.
1. THE LOVE OF GOD IS UNCONDITIONAL. For God so loved the world
The Greek word for world (kosmos) is defined as “the ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ.” This is the world that God loved. It doesn’t say that God loved all the good guys. Or that God loved all the Jews. Or that God love all the saints. It says, “For God so loved the world.”
That God should love the world only heightens the mystery of this love. Were we to imagine a pristine world, fresh from the hand of the Creator and uninfected by evil, we could more easily comprehend God’s desire to save it. But a wayward world which not only failed to recognize its maker (John 1:10) but openly hated His approach to it (15:18) would seem a poor choice for love.
So God’s love clearly isn’t based on our spiritual condition or our moral predisposition. It isn’t based on our behavior or our attitude toward him. Rather we see here that God’s love for mankind is universal and unconditional. He loves everyone. And this is one of the things that sets him apart from every other god held up by every other world religion...
Only
Christianity dares to proclaim God’s love is unconditional. An unconditional
love that we call grace. Christians boldly proclaim that grace really has
precious little to do with us, our inner resolve, or our lack of inner resolve.
Rather, grace is all about God and God freely giving to us the gifts of
forgiveness, mercy, and love.
So God’s love for us is unconditional. It is as Philip Yancey once wrote: “There is nothing we can do to make God love us more. There is nothing we can do to make God love us less.”
So God’s love for us is unconditional. It is as Philip Yancey once wrote: “There is nothing we can do to make God love us more. There is nothing we can do to make God love us less.”
2. THE LOVE OF GOD IS SACRIFICIAL. that he gave
According to a footnote in the English Standard Version of the Holy Bible an alternate translation of the first part of John 3:16 is as follows: “For this is how God loved the world…” How did God love us? He loved us by giving, by serving, by sacrificing. So here we learn something important about the nature of true love. Some people think they love others because of what those people do for them or how they make them feel. But God shows us that true love has nothing to do with what you can do for me, but everything to do with what I can do for you.
And what are the results of God’s sacrificial love?
According to a footnote in the English Standard Version of the Holy Bible an alternate translation of the first part of John 3:16 is as follows: “For this is how God loved the world…” How did God love us? He loved us by giving, by serving, by sacrificing. So here we learn something important about the nature of true love. Some people think they love others because of what those people do for them or how they make them feel. But God shows us that true love has nothing to do with what you can do for me, but everything to do with what I can do for you.
And what are the results of God’s sacrificial love?
3. THE LOVE OF GOD IS VALUABLE. His only
Here we see the value of the Father’s love for us. Not only was His will to give, but we see here that He was willing to give the only one He had. When you give to someone out of your abundance that is one thing, but when you give out of your poverty that is quite another. If you had several vehicles it might be seen as a noble thing if you were to give one of them to a family who had none. But if you were to give them the only vehicle you had that would be seen as something more than noble – something above and beyond the call of duty – it would been seen as real sacrifice.
How many times have you heard or even said yourself: “I can’t give you that because it’s the only one I’ve got.” We’ve probably all said that. But we learn here that God didn’t have a back up. God didn’t have a spare. But he loved us so much that he was willing to give us the only one he had. “The power and passion of God’s love comes across, not through a supposed special meaning of the Greek word involved, but through the length to which God was willing...
Here we see the value of the Father’s love for us. Not only was His will to give, but we see here that He was willing to give the only one He had. When you give to someone out of your abundance that is one thing, but when you give out of your poverty that is quite another. If you had several vehicles it might be seen as a noble thing if you were to give one of them to a family who had none. But if you were to give them the only vehicle you had that would be seen as something more than noble – something above and beyond the call of duty – it would been seen as real sacrifice.
How many times have you heard or even said yourself: “I can’t give you that because it’s the only one I’ve got.” We’ve probably all said that. But we learn here that God didn’t have a back up. God didn’t have a spare. But he loved us so much that he was willing to give us the only one he had. “The power and passion of God’s love comes across, not through a supposed special meaning of the Greek word involved, but through the length to which God was willing...
4. GOD’S LOVE IS PERSONABLE.
Son
God’s love is not merely some abstract concept. It isn’t just a philosophy or a theological construct. God’s love was made manifest in this world through the person of Jesus Christ the only Son of the Father. Jesus Christ came into this world to reveal to us the love of God in human form.
God’s love is not merely some abstract concept. It isn’t just a philosophy or a theological construct. God’s love was made manifest in this world through the person of Jesus Christ the only Son of the Father. Jesus Christ came into this world to reveal to us the love of God in human form.
A child was
once trying to quote from John 3:16 in the King James Version, which says, “his
only begotten Son.” But the child misquoted it and said, “his only forgotten
Son.” It was one of those slips of the tongue that carried more truth than we
would care to admit. For by most people in the world today Jesus Christ is
truly forgotten. His life is forgotten. His love is forgotten. His sacrifice is
forgotten. It is our job as Christians – as God’s ambassadors – to help them
remember.
God’s love
is personable on the one hand because it was made manifest through a person –
Jesus Christ – but also as Max Lucado explained it:
There are many reasons God saves you: to bring glory to himself, to appease his justice, to demonstrate his sovereignty. But one of the sweetest reasons God saved you is because he is fond of you. He likes having you around. He thinks you are the best thing to come down the pike in quite a while… If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If he had a wallet, your photo would be in it...
There are many reasons God saves you: to bring glory to himself, to appease his justice, to demonstrate his sovereignty. But one of the sweetest reasons God saved you is because he is fond of you. He likes having you around. He thinks you are the best thing to come down the pike in quite a while… If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If he had a wallet, your photo would be in it...
5. GOD’S LOVE IS ACCESSIBLE. That
whoever believes in him
Yes, God’s love is accessible to everyone and that includes you! You don’t have to be born with the right color of skin or on the correct continent; it is not reserved for only the intellectual elite or the power brokers or financial wizards. No, the love of God is accessible to “whoever believes in” Jesus – the only Son of God. The really good news about God’s love is that it is not limited to a select few.
Yes, God’s love is accessible to everyone and that includes you! You don’t have to be born with the right color of skin or on the correct continent; it is not reserved for only the intellectual elite or the power brokers or financial wizards. No, the love of God is accessible to “whoever believes in” Jesus – the only Son of God. The really good news about God’s love is that it is not limited to a select few.
Please
understand that that He has made His love accessible to the average, ordinary
person like me and like you. He is not a distant God who loves us only from
some mystical, faraway place that is completely removed from us. Rather, he has
entered into our world and he longs to enter into our lives.
Will you believe in his Son who made the ultimate expression of God’s love by giving his life on the cross for your sins? By choosing to believe in him you access the love of God, the grace of God and the forgiveness of God. By believing in him you access the new life that only he can provide.
Will you believe in his Son who made the ultimate expression of God’s love by giving his life on the cross for your sins? By choosing to believe in him you access the love of God, the grace of God and the forgiveness of God. By believing in him you access the new life that only he can provide.
6. GOD’S LOVE IS NONJUDGMENTAL.
Should
not perish
God’s goal in sending his Son from heaven to earth was not condemn you or to show you how bad you are, how unworthy you are or how hopeless you are. God’s only desire in sending his Son was showing you His love and to draw you into a love relationship with Himself. Jesus didn’t come into the world in order to rebuke you. He came to rescue you. He didn’t come to criticize you; He came to affirm you. He didn’t come to punish you; He came to pardon you. He didn’t come to destroy you; He came to restore you. Believe on Him. Accept Christ as your Lord and Saviour. Pray the prayer of faith and invite the Lord Jesus into your life. If you need further help please get in touch with me.
God’s goal in sending his Son from heaven to earth was not condemn you or to show you how bad you are, how unworthy you are or how hopeless you are. God’s only desire in sending his Son was showing you His love and to draw you into a love relationship with Himself. Jesus didn’t come into the world in order to rebuke you. He came to rescue you. He didn’t come to criticize you; He came to affirm you. He didn’t come to punish you; He came to pardon you. He didn’t come to destroy you; He came to restore you. Believe on Him. Accept Christ as your Lord and Saviour. Pray the prayer of faith and invite the Lord Jesus into your life. If you need further help please get in touch with me.
No comments:
Post a Comment