| Our verse to DATE the Word on March 16 (3/16) is John 3:16 |
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| John 3:16 says, 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. |
HIS LOVE IS SEEN IN THAT HE GAVE HIS LIFE TO SAVE YOUR LIFE Where does one even begin and what does one even say as one looks at the greatest words ever spoken and written? Before us is “the golden text” of Scripture. It is the “greatest verse” in all of the Bible. It is the summation of the entire message of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. It has within it the deepest and most profound theological truths in which a theologian can write volumes on each word yet these 25 words are so simple and easy to read and understand that a 3-year-old can know that God loves them and can save them. What should we know and understand from this verse? I humbly submit we know and understand the LOVE of God. To DATE John 3:16 is to understand and comprehend the LOVE of God. The apostle Paul prayed that we would comprehend the LOVE of God in Ephesians 3 starting at verse 17. He prayed, “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; If I want to comprehend the love of Christ and the width of that love and the length of that love and the depth of that love and the height of that love I only have to look at what Jesus said in John 3:16. Notice how wide and long and deep and high is God’s love for you! “For God so loved the world” is the width of His love. His love is for everyone everywhere. All humanity from sea to sea and from continent to continent is LOVED by God. Jesus loves ALL the children of the world. Red and yellow black and white they are PRECIOUS in His sight! As His hands were stretched out on the cross it symbolized Him reaching around the world. His commission is to take the gospel to the world, to the ENDS OF THE EARTH! How wide is the LOVE of God? His love is for everyone everywhere who has done everything wrong and against Him. How wide is the LOVE of God? It is demonstrated to us in that while we were SINNERS Christ died FOR US – for the ENTIRE WORLD OF SINNERS. “That He gave His Only Begotten Son” is the length of His love. The grave penalty for sin is death. Sin must be punished. To satisfy the wrath of God there had to be a perfect sacrifice. Though He had created the universe with all the various elements there was not one thing that could redeem a man. Peter explained it this way in 1 Peter 1:18 saying, “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” Micah asked the rhetorical question “With what shall I come before the LORD, And bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old? 7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, Ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” (Micah 6:6-7) There is nothing in God’s created world that can save sinful man. So, God has to go the full length of love and give what is most precious to Him and He GIVES His only begotten Son. “That whoever believes in Him should not perish” is the depth of His love. Romans 5:6 “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Ungodly and sinners represent all the wickedness and unrighteousness and filthiness of mankind. His love reaches to the vilest of all and pulls them out of the pit of iniquity. There is no sinner that has gone too far from His reach to keep them from perishing! “But have everlasting life” is the height of His love. He takes the one doomed, destined and deserving of hell who believes in His Son and gives them a home with Him in heaven for all eternity! Verse to DATE the Word on March 16 (3/16) is John 3:16. It says, “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.” God loves you! He loves you and everyone in the world. He loves you even though you are a filthy sinner to GIVE His Only Son for you. He will give His life so He can give you life! He so loves you He will change your eternal destination from hell to heaven if you will believe! Continue Strong knowing and accepting the greatest love you will ever know. And remember to DATE THE WORD BTW – let others know about God’s love! Share John 3:16 with others today! |