ABIDING
TRUTHS IN JOHN 3:16
“For
God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him
should not perish but have eternal life.”
(Below, the
parentheses are mine, explaining the wealth of abiding truths packed into this
familiar verse. Ponder each point made.)
“For God (GOD’S DEITY)…
so loved (LOVE’S INTENSITY)
so loved (SALVATION’S CHARITY)…
the world, (THE PLAN’S IMMENSITY)…
that he gave (GOD’S GRATUITY)…
his only son, (THE GIFT’S SINGULARITY)…
that whoever (THE OFFER’S AVAILABILITY)…
believes (THE SINNER’S RESPONSIBILITY)…
should not perish (THE
BELIEVER’S SURETY)…
but have eternal life.” (SALVATION’S ETERNALITY)
NOTES:
-
The
verse begins high and ends high – God and eternal life – but in between delivers
us from the lowest depths of sin. Psalm 40:2 expresses it well: “He drew me up
from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making
my steps secure.”
-
God’s
reservoir of love, though expressed intensely, never diminishes in capacity. Man-made reservoirs all diminish with usage. Such must be refilled. But God's reservoir level remains constant even when drawn upon. And so, we teach our children to sing, “YES Jesus
loves me…”
-
The
IMMENSITY of our INIQUITY is far more match by the INTENSITY of His CHARITY.
-
AGAPAO in the Greek can be rendered “love”
but perhaps, using older English, the word “charity” is better suited. AGAPE
love is not mere emotion or feeling. It rather is a calculated response that
pours from the mind and heart to address the need of someone else. It is more
action than feeling. It does! It acts! Its objective is the well-being of its
subject. Does not “charity” befit this more than “love?” Sadly,“love” has been
reduced to mere emotion or sex in today’s world.
-
God
giving His ONLY son, Jesus, is reminiscent of Abraham taking his son, Isaac, to
mount Moriah and being willing to offer him up to God, as God had commanded.
What faith! Often God’s instructions go contrary to what we deem right and
proper, even contrary to what elsewhere He tells us. But, deep faith does what
He says and expects Him to cover the situation, never going contrary to His own
Word. And God never fails!
-
The
Amplified Bible brings out various word shadings which enrich our understanding
of the verse:
“For God so greatly loved
and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique)
Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall
not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life” (John
3:16).
When Jesus saves a sinner
that sinner “shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost).” When truly saved
the believing sinner is most certainly secure, saved for time and eternity. Jesus
promised such security when He said, “And I give them eternal life, and they
shall never lose it or perish throughout the ages. [To all eternity they shall
never by any means be destroyed.] And no one is able to snatch them out of My
hand” (John 10:28 – Amplified Bible).
More secure is no one ever,
Than the loved ones of the
Savior.
Not yon star on high
abiding,
Nor the bird in home-nest
hiding.
-Dick D. Christen
