For God so Loved the World John 3:16

For God so Loved the World John 3:16 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. This verse of Scripture is one of the most familiar of all verses. However, most people take little or no time to delve into the richness of doctrine that is found therein. These words of our Lord declare the glorious news of salvation which has been provided for wretched sinners by a Holy and Gracious God. If men and women will obey its instructions, they will be granted a new life in Christ and eternal life, joy, and peace. Sadly, many people are content to hear the Gospel, but not many have a heart s desire to obey the Gospel! Let us take a moment to consider each great truth found in this verse. I pray that its truth will penetrate hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit, and salvation will be wrought in sinners lives. 1

A GREAT GOD For God The first thing we are instructed to take note of is GOD. Many people do not know the God described here. So many people have created a god of their own imagination. They have made themselves a god that condones their sin and overlooks their wickedness. Though most people are convinced that they have an accurate view of God, they are wrong! Isaiah 55:8 says, For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. This verse should act as a warning to all of us that we need to believe in and know the God of the Bible and not a god of our own imagination. Let s take a moment and look at the characteristics of the God of the Bible. God is Sovereign The word Sovereign just means above all, supreme ruler, having all authority. 2

For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods. (Psalm 97:9) Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me. (Isaiah 46:9) God is Almighty Almighty means that He has all power. The fact that God is Almighty also means that He has the power to save anyone. No sinner has ever sunk so low in sin that God could not save him. Nothing is too hard for our God! Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me? (Jeremiah 32:27) We may look at our circumstances and say, It s just too hard. This, however, is not the case, for our God is the Almighty one! God is Holy If there is a characteristic of God that people most like to overlook or misconstrue, it is His holiness. When 3

people are confronted with the holiness of God, they quickly begin to understand that God cannot and will not tolerate sin. For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. (Leviticus 11:45) God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness. (Psalm 47:8) God is Just God does all things right and well. Never can God be accused of doing something wrong or unfair. Abraham testified that God is just in Genesis 18:25b: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? There is no deceit in God, and He is no respecter of persons. He rules justly and fairly at all times, even though we may not understand His ways. 4

God is Merciful Because God is holy and just, He must condemn sin and judge the sinner. This is indeed a frightful thought that men and women must face the judgment of God! What a blessed relief it is to learn that another characteristic of God is His mercy! It is the mercy of God that enables men and women to be forgiven of sin and escape the awful judgment of God. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. (Psalm 103:8) God is All-Wise All wisdom and knowledge belongs to God. He knows everything and has never had to learn anything. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9) 5

God is Gracious God wants to show grace to all mankind. He cares about us and wants to be gracious to us. Grace is defined as the unmerited favor of God. If we were honest, we would acknowledge that man does not deserve the gracious favor of a Holy God. What a loving God He is that He would want to be gracious to sinners such as us! But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. (Psalm 86:15) That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:7) I trust you will choose to believe the Bible account of God and not what the devil or your own deceitful heart wants you to believe! 6

A GREAT LOVE For God so loved One of the most misused words in the world today is the word love. People use the word love so lightly and flippantly. Love represents an incomprehensible truth about God. Ephesians 3:19 says, And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge Although God s love cannot be easily explained and comprehended, it is a love so strong that it caused Him to send His only begotten Son to come and die for sinners. Even though His Son had to die in order for us to be saved, this did not stop Him from sending Him. The prospect of death and suffering did not extinguish the love God has for us. This love exceeds anything we can possibly imagine. It is a love that will never fail, and there is nothing that we can compare to the love God has for us! But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, (Ephesians 2:4) 7

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10) A GREAT GIFT For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son There has never been a gift given that can match the gift God gave His creation over two thousand years ago. God gave His only begotten Son to this sinful world. He provided a Way of Salvation. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6) Salvation hinges on the Son of God. Every plan that God has and every purpose that God has is centered on Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Salvation does not rest in dos and don ts ; salvation rests fully on the Son of God. Salvation is not found in a denomination, or in church membership, or in baptism, or even in a man. 8

Salvation is in the only begotten Son of God. If you have Him, you have life! In order for us to have life, we must place our faith in the Gift that God has provided. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Great Gift given to us by a Great and Loving God! A GREAT OPPORTUNITY For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him This is an open invitation to all sinners. Whosoever means that every man, woman, and child in the world can come to God and receive salvation through His Son. What is the requirement placed on those who come seeking salvation? The verse tells us plainly that we are to believe. Whosoever will come and put their faith in Christ, unreservedly, completely, and wholly, will obtain salvation. The word believeth carries the meaning of a continuous act. A person who is saved does not just believe 9

in Jesus at one time, but they will continue to believe in Jesus until they leave this world. 2 Corinthians 5:7 tells us that we walk by faith. This is a daily relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. It may be said in this way: I have believed on Jesus; I am now believing on Jesus; and I will continue to believe on Jesus. God has promised to save those that come to Him seeking salvation. If a person will come to Jesus and call on Him, they will be saved! People need to seek Him so they can be saved. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13) Hebrews 7:25 says, Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him Many may ask, Do you think God would save me? The Bible clearly promises salvation to those who will come to the Savior believing. Jesus delights in saving sinners, for that is why He came. Believe in Him! Trust in Him! 10

Receive Him and be saved! What a Great Opportunity has been given to whosoever will believe on Jesus! A GREAT DELIVERANCE For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish The word perish speaks of that which will be destroyed. Sin always brings destruction. It has from the beginning of mankind and continues to do so even today. This destruction will continue throughout eternity for those who reject God s way of salvation. For the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23a) When we looked earlier at the characteristics of God, we saw that God is Holy. It is because of this attribute of God that man is in trouble for his sin. Sin must be punished by a Holy God. John 3:36 tell us that judgment is pending on the sinner: he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. 11

Right now God s wrath is resting on the unbeliever. It is because of this that man needs to obtain the deliverance offered in this verse. Sin s penalty will be carried out, but you can have your penalty paid by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ if you will trust in Him. Man is also in great need of deliverance from the power of sin. God came to save us from the power of sin not just the penalty of our sin. When we repent of our sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, our life is changed. Sin s power is broken, and we have a new life in Christ! Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17) If we will lay hold on this great promise of deliverance, we will receive the forgiveness of sins that God has promised us! He keeps His promises, and we can receive this Great Deliverance right now! 12

A GREAT POSSESSION 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. Eternity! This is time without end. When we try and imagine eternity, we are completely overwhelmed. When a person receives the Gift that God has given, they find themselves owners of a Great Possession: Eternal Life! Now they are not condemned to eternal death in the Lake of Fire, but they are heirs to the joys of Heaven. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. (1 John 2:25) We have been promised eternal life by our Great God! There is no greater security than the word of our God. What a great possession we have in Christ! Eternal Life is ours, and no one can take it from us. 13

And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:28) What About You? Do you know that God wants all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth? (1 Timothy 2:4). God does not want to send anyone to Hell. God s desire for all men is that they will heed the warnings of Scripture, turn from their wicked ways, and believe on His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the plan He has set forward for the sinner to receive salvation. Many want to say, God is a God of love, and He would never send anyone to Hell! However, if we remember His attributes and we look into His Word, we find that He is a just God who must punish sin. Yes, God is loving and kind. However, He is a Just God as well, and He will punish those that reject His Son. 14

God wants to grant forgiveness to sinners, but He will not do so unless they come to Him in repentance and faith, trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. Many people have gone to Hell in spite of God s great love for them. They did not have to go, for a way of salvation was provided, but they have gone nevertheless. They rejected the Word of God and its instructions, and now they are suffering eternal punishment. Will you respond in faith? Is He lovingly knocking at your heart s door now? Do not turn Him away, for He is your only hope. Will you turn from your sin to the Savior? The Lord Jesus Himself asked the question, For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:36) Some will try and obtain salvation in their own way. Maybe they will try church membership, baptism, giving, good works, and many other things; but, if they refuse to follow the Way God has provided, they will die 15

and go to Hell. Good works never saved a single soul! Do not stubbornly insist on your own way, but rather yield to the truths found in God s Word. Many esteem the eternal destiny of their soul a light thing. Will you? What horror and suffering awaits you if you reject the Savior! Come to Him now so that you may have eternal life! For additional copies of this publication and other publications, contact: Sonshine Baptist Church 91 Queen St Caloundra, Qld Phone: 07 5491 9680 Website: www.sonshinebaptist.com.au 16