Verse Memorization: John 3:16 - God is Loving

This week we come to a verse that perhaps you already have memorized. In fact, I am sure that most who do have this verse memorized have done so without much effort. John 3:16 is a verse that is well known by all, non-believers and believers alike. A verse that is often seen at sporting events and pasted on bumper stickers, billboards, and various social media posts.

In regard to evangelism, we've consider the holiness of God, and God as Creator. Now, if we stopped there we might be in danger of presenting a distant impersonal God. Granted Psalm 8:1-4 does highlight a bit of God's personal nature, but it doesn't explicitly demonstrate it for us, at least not in the way John 3:16 does. So, let's take a look at the verse.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 ESV

The verse starts out with the very thing we want people to know about God. God loves the world. And when we wonder in what manner and to what extent does God love the world, Jesus tells us in this verse. Another way to translate this could be, "God loved the world in this way, He gave His only Son".

So, when you wonder or if another asks, where is God's love point them to the cross. Tell them about Calvary and the shed blood of His Son Jesus Christ. There is the love of God. But Christ did not die to merely give us a picture of love, no, His death made it possible that those who believe in Him may have eternal life. If a person refuses to believe in the Son, then he will remain in his sin and perish. But if a person does believe, then by the love of God in Christ Jesus that person should have eternal life.

Keep in mind that to have eternal life is not to have a life that never ends living in a way that you desire or in accordance to your will. Rather to have eternal life is to be in and to have eternal fellowship with the Triune God, living in accordance to His will. Eternal life is to be in a right relationship with and to enjoy the sweet fellowship of both the Father and the Son by the Spirit. Thus, the love of God is demonstrated to us by God Himself sending His one and only Son to die for us, which upon our belief in Christ allows us to enter into an everlasting relationship with God.

(Logos Bible Software)