John 3:16-18 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”  NKJV

I hear a lot about Love not only in church but from various sources and sometimes it is difficult to fully determine exactly what is meant by the term.  Sometimes the word love is used for lust, covetousness, or passionate desire.  Everyone and I mean everyone, needs Love and everyone desires to love and be loved. 

There is something in the human makeup that craves love.  I would venture to say that, without love we perish.  Jesus was and is our example in all things and especially in love.  Jesus provides for us through the Inspired Record (Bible), a pattern for life and living.  He demonstrates His truth by His life and when He speaks of Love, He demonstrates and illustrates love by His life. 

LOVE can only be known through the actions it prompts.  God’s love is seen in the Gift of His Son.  1 John 4:9-10, “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only Son into the world, that we might live through Him.  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 

But this Love is not the result of any excellence in us or due to any intrinsic worth on our part.  Romans 5:8, “But God commanded His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  This Love is an exercise in the Divine Will in deliberate choice, based on the very nature of God. 

Deuteronomy 7:7-8 – “The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; 8 but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”  

2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 

There are several points to which I feel the need to draw attention as revealed in our text passage.  Consider with me:

FOR GOD SO LOVED…

Probably every Sunday school child could quote John 3:16. It is, without a doubt, the most popular and most used verse in the Bible.  It is also one of the most meaningful and powerful verses in the Bible… GOD LOVED!  Those are not empty words, but a statement filled with depth and meaning far beyond human ability to fully understand.  “For God So Loved…”  He not only loved but loves, but He Loves Unlimitedly!  God So LOVED!  He loves and loved with incomprehensible measure.

• God Is Love.

1 John 4:8b – “God is love…”

1 Corinthians 13, the great love chapter illustrates the vastness of Love.  When we consider the Love of God, we realize that He saw man’s condition yet loved him. He saw man’s rebellion but yet He loved!  Our Lord, the Bible declares, is moved with compassion toward His creation.  I have often said that God is far more willing to pardon than judge.  He desires to restore rather than destroy.  He wants to bless not condemn.

• God’s Love Is Everlasting.

Romans 8:37-39, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”    Our love is often fickle, flexible, and changeable.  Our love, for the most part, is conditional and rises or falls, increases or decreases based on conditional circumstances.  God loves us without condition and loves us regardless of our response.

I may not know all the right words to say or things to do.  I may not know much scripture or have the proper interpretation.  I may even be wrong in my theological and philosophical views.  I may stumble and transgress.  I may become fearful and fretting.  But, even in all that He Still Loves Me! That is not to say that God winks at or excuses sin, nor does He overlook rebellion!  He does love the world (people) enough to Forgive Forever!

• God’s Love Is A Holy Love.

Agape is the word to describe God’s Love and His love demands that He be merciful, but just and His love is extended to WHOSOEVER WILL.

• God’s Love Is Complete.

Nothing is lacking in the Love of God.  It sees the need for redemption and acts.  It lovingly leads to truth and life.  It satisfied the void and longing in the heart of hearts.  It is impossible to outrun God’s Love and we cannot refuse to be loved. We may reject God, but He will continue to love us.  It is as we understand the Love of God that we comprehend the impact of the statement, “For God so loved the world that He gave…”  That passage includes each of us and is God’s continual call for us to COME!

            God bless you as you go through this wonderful day in Him!