“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life” John 3:16
LIGHT FOR NOW: The substitution was necessary if he was to mass-produce in his resurrection.
The climax of the gospel clearly demonstrates God’s love for the sinner. That is, God’s love for the sinner is the mind-boggling details of the gospel. The very fact of the act shows that love is beyond emotive affection. Love is more than feelings and emotions. Love is the domain of sacrifice. God loved us by what he did; he did not love us by his great speeches or promises. Thus, love is to identify with and sacrifice for. Therefore, true love goes beyond what is said to what is done. Jesus did not just love us by telling us “I love you”, he gave himself up for us all; that is love. His love is seen in what he did, not in what he said; if he said it and did not do it, and then we can’t count on his love. His action proved to us that he loves us; no wonder John 3:16 echoes “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life”. Brother Paul in Romans 5:8 alludes to the same “But God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ dies for us”. The amplified version of Romans 5:8 renders it with much clarity, it reads “But God shows and clearly proves His {own} love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ {the Messiah, the anointed one} died for us” (AMP).
Moreover, in Ephesians 5:2, the same fact is stated, it reads “And walk in love, {esteeming and delighting in one another} as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God {for you, so that it became} a sweet fragrance” (AMP). Therefore, Jesus in loving sinners identified fully and completely with them. This is the gospel that we preach, (it is the love of God or the love from God). Thus, in the gospel of Christ is the unveiling of the love of God; he did not wait for us to love him before he could start loving us. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Thus, we can deduce that the love of God is not partial (that is, you saying that he has a bigger love for the good people than the bad people). His love is independent of us; his love was not an attraction to out good actions, neither was it a reaction to our bad actions; rather, his love is he who he is to us. His love is for all; meaning that everybody is included in his love.
Thus, in the gospel of Christ is the unveiling of the love of God. He did not wait for us to love him before. He could start
INSTRUCTION: You are secured in his love, so stay there.
PRAYER: Lord, thank you for your love for me which is not based on merit. Thank you for loving the way I am, and in loving me the way I am, I am no longer the way I was but rather, I am the way you are. For this, I thank you in Jesus Name. Amen!!
FOR MORE LIGHT, get the message ‘The Love of God’
QUOTE: There is no preclusion in the love of God neither is there an inclusion nor a selection, rather, his love is for all.
DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: ROMANS CHAPTER 8; EVENING: EPHESIANS CHAPTER 5
LIGHT FROM THE WORD 