"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." — John 3:16
It can be said with out reservation that no text in the whole Bible is more significant than this. It is the proverbial "gospel in a nutshell," the truth upon which all hope for fallen mankind hangs. Its theme is love, and that is the most important theme in the Bible. Love, this love of the God who IS love, is that which sets Christianity apart from all the other religions of the world, and its outworking in the incarnation, life and death of His "only begotten Son," is, indeed, "The Greatest story ever told." It is HIS story.
Love sets the God of the Bible apart from all the gods man has envisioned and invented in all the ages of human history. Love— His love— is bestowed unreservedly upon "the world." It is a world lost in sin, "for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God [Rom. 3:23]," but "God commendeth His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us [Rom. 5:8]." It is a world at enmity with Him "For when we were enemies," God in His love made reconciliation possible through the death of His Son (cf. Rom. 5:10). He did n ot send His Son into this teeming marketplace strapped to a neutron bomb to blow us all to hell, but sent Him to a cross to sacrifice Himself for our deliverance: "For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved [John 3:17]."
It is a world powerless to deliver itself from the morass of its own making, but In LOVE God stepped into this sorry, sordid mess and at the price of His only, beloved, Son paid the wages due us for our sin, asking for nothing in return, but that we take Him at His word, and trust Him for forgiveness and eternal salvation. "When we were yet without strength, Christ died for us [Rom. 5:6]."
Now the point of all this is, first (in order of importance.) to ask, dear reader, whether you have contemplated the glory and solemnity of this great, central truth of the Bible? Have you reflected upon the peril you face: "perishing." The world, and everyone in it, for whom Christ died, will perish without Him. The citizens of this world are rescued, one soul at a time, only through believing on His Name. "He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God [John 3:18]." If you have never availed yourself of the incredible gift of God's love, do so today! Tomorrow could be eternally too late.
There is, however, a second motive in presenting thus this great theme. It is because if the love of God is the greatest theme to confront the sinner, it is also the greatest theme to confront the believer. Love, this kind of love, the love of God as expressed in John 3:16, confronts the sinner with hope, the only real hope he has for the future. The same theme confronts the Christian with responsibility, for God (the same God) has said, in the Person of His Son in His inspired, infallible Word, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another [John 13:34,35]."
On this theme, Lord willing, we propose to focus over the next several weeks, drawing upon the definition of this love of God given in that greatest chapter on the subject, I Corinthians 13. May God give wisdom to treat it with some measure of the respect and insight it deserves.
"Pastor" Frasier
It can be said with out reservation that no text in the whole Bible is more significant than this. It is the proverbial "gospel in a nutshell," the truth upon which all hope for fallen mankind hangs. Its theme is love, and that is the most important theme in the Bible. Love, this love of the God who IS love, is that which sets Christianity apart from all the other religions of the world, and its outworking in the incarnation, life and death of His "only begotten Son," is, indeed, "The Greatest story ever told." It is HIS story.
Love sets the God of the Bible apart from all the gods man has envisioned and invented in all the ages of human history. Love— His love— is bestowed unreservedly upon "the world." It is a world lost in sin, "for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God [Rom. 3:23]," but "God commendeth His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us [Rom. 5:8]." It is a world at enmity with Him "For when we were enemies," God in His love made reconciliation possible through the death of His Son (cf. Rom. 5:10). He did n ot send His Son into this teeming marketplace strapped to a neutron bomb to blow us all to hell, but sent Him to a cross to sacrifice Himself for our deliverance: "For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved [John 3:17]."
It is a world powerless to deliver itself from the morass of its own making, but In LOVE God stepped into this sorry, sordid mess and at the price of His only, beloved, Son paid the wages due us for our sin, asking for nothing in return, but that we take Him at His word, and trust Him for forgiveness and eternal salvation. "When we were yet without strength, Christ died for us [Rom. 5:6]."
Now the point of all this is, first (in order of importance.) to ask, dear reader, whether you have contemplated the glory and solemnity of this great, central truth of the Bible? Have you reflected upon the peril you face: "perishing." The world, and everyone in it, for whom Christ died, will perish without Him. The citizens of this world are rescued, one soul at a time, only through believing on His Name. "He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God [John 3:18]." If you have never availed yourself of the incredible gift of God's love, do so today! Tomorrow could be eternally too late.
There is, however, a second motive in presenting thus this great theme. It is because if the love of God is the greatest theme to confront the sinner, it is also the greatest theme to confront the believer. Love, this kind of love, the love of God as expressed in John 3:16, confronts the sinner with hope, the only real hope he has for the future. The same theme confronts the Christian with responsibility, for God (the same God) has said, in the Person of His Son in His inspired, infallible Word, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another [John 13:34,35]."
On this theme, Lord willing, we propose to focus over the next several weeks, drawing upon the definition of this love of God given in that greatest chapter on the subject, I Corinthians 13. May God give wisdom to treat it with some measure of the respect and insight it deserves.
How I praise Thee, precious Saviour, That Thy love laid hold of me;For HIS praise,
Thou hast saved and cleansed and filled me That I might Thy channel be.
Channels only, blessed Master, But with all Thy wondrous power
Flowing through us, Thou canst use us Every day and every hour.
"Pastor" Frasier
No comments:
Post a Comment