God So Loved the World

“For God so loved the world that He gave the only begotten Son, so that everyone believing in Him should not perish, but should have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world that He might judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. The one believing in Him is not judged, but the one not believing already has been judged, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

“And this is the judgement, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light; for their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the Light and does not come to the Light, so that his works may not be exposed; but the one practicing the truth comes to the Light, that his works may be manifest as having been done in God.” (John 3:16-21 Berean Literal Bible)

For God so loved the world

Love (agape) refers to what God prefers as He is love which is all that is godly, upright, righteous, morally pure, honest, faithful and obedient to God. So this is not a permissive love that allows us to do whatever we want to do without consequence. This love requires obedience and submission to God and the forsaking of our sins to follow Jesus in his ways and in his truth.

That He gave the Only Begotten Son (Jesus Christ)

Jesus Christ, who is God, and who is our creator God, the second person of our triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – left his throne in heaven, came to earth, and was born of a human mother, but conceived of the Holy Spirit. So while he lived on this earth he was fully human and fully God, God incarnate (in the flesh). During his ministry he healed the sick and afflicted, raised the dead, comforted the sorrowful, delivered people from demons, fed the hungry, and performed many miracles revealing his divine nature.

But that isn’t all that he did. Jesus preached repentance for forgiveness of sins, and death to sin and to self, and walks of obedience to his commands for salvation from sin and for eternal life with God. 

Although he was loved and accepted by some, he was hated by the many, and so they had him put to death on a cross. But in his death, he who knew no sin became sin for us so that when he died our sins died with him and when he was raised from the dead he rose victorious over hell, Satan, sin and death. And this was so that, by God-persuaded faith in him, we might be delivered from our slavery (addiction) to sin and so we might now walk in holiness and in righteousness in obedience to God, in his power.

[Isaiah 53:1-12; Matt 7:21-23; Matt 26:26-29; Lu 9:23-26; Lu 17:25; Jn 1:1-36; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 8:24,58; Jn 10:27-33; Jn 20:28-29; Rom 5:8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 9:5; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 11:23-32; 1 Co 15:1-8; 2 Co 5:15,21; Eph 4:17-24; Php 2:5-11; Col 2:9; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 1:8-9; Heb 2:14-15; Heb 4:15; 1 Pet 2:24; 2 Pet 1:1; 1 John 3:4-10]  

So that everyone believing in Him

Believing is continuous and active, being persuaded of God as to his holiness and righteousness and of our sinfulness and of our need to deny self, die daily to sin, and follow Jesus Christ in obedience to his commands.

Should not perish but should have eternal life

Belief in Jesus Christ is not a one-time decision we make to believe in him or to receive him into our hearts to be our Lord and Savior. Belief in Jesus Christ comes from God, is authored by God, is gifted to us by God, and is divinely persuaded of God as to his will and purpose for our lives. It is not of our own doing – not of the will nor of the flesh of man. But it is continuous ongoing belief which is evidenced by our walks of faith and obedience to God. We are those who will not perish but who will have eternal life.

[Hebrews 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23]

God did not send His Son to judge the world

Judge or to condemn – this was not Jesus’ time for coming into judgment against the people of the world. That time will come during the period of Tribulation and following that when God condemns the unrighteous to eternal damnation. 

The first time Jesus came was to save sinners out of their bondage to sin so that they would now serve him with their lives. But this does not mean that Jesus did not make judgments against people while he still lived on the earth. He certainly let all people know that if they were not believing in him, and if they did not leave their sins behind them to follow him in obedience, that they would not have eternal life with him.

[Matthew 7:21-23; Matthew 23:1-39; Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 9:23-26; John 6:35-58; John 8:31-59; John 15:1-11; etc.]

Already been judged – because of his unbelief (disobedience)

People loved the darkness rather than the Light

Darkness – evil, wickedness, sin - Those still making sin (evil) their practice, and for whom righteousness and godly living and obedience to the Lord are not their practice, they will not come into the light, into true belief in Jesus Christ and genuine salvation from sin, because they don’t want their sins exposed. So they will die in their sins. They will not have eternal life with God regardless of what their lips profess. 

But those of genuine faith in Jesus Christ are those who are coming into the Light, who are practicing righteousness and obedience to the Lord and who have forsaken their sinful practices and are daily are dying to sin, by the Spirit, by the grace of God, in the power of God.

Light – God, Jesus Christ, divine revelation, the gospel, truth, righteousness – the gospel message which says if anyone would come after Christ he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our sinful lifestyles, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we let go of those sinful lifestyles, and so we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow Jesus in walks of obedience to his commands, then we have the hope of eternal life with God (Luke 9:23-26).

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

Video Talk

https://youtu.be/xBF1zD-IzlA

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The Longer I Serve Him  

William J. Gaither

Since I started for the Kingdom,

Since my life He controls,

Since I gave my heart to Jesus,

The longer I serve Him,

The sweeter He grows.

Ev'ry need He is supplying,

Plenteous grace He bestows;

Ev'ry day my way gets brighter,

The longer I serve Him,

The sweeter He grows.

The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows,

The more that I love Him, more love He bestows;

Each day is like heaven, my heart overflows,

The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf9KgYCQ_iY

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