"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.For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." (John 3:16-17)
What an amazing promise: "For God so loved the world..." Friends, you have to really stop and think—God loves you. He wants the best for you. He wants to open his heart to you and fill your heart with health and happiness. "For God so loved the world that he... gave." This is a window into the heart of God. Everything in nature gives. Notice how the streams flow ever onward, wherever they pass bringing life, lush and full of blessings.
Just as the stream keeps flowing and never seems to run out, blessings from God flow to the children of men. He calls into our hearts so we'll understand that he loves us. But how could God show his great love for us? He gave his only begotten Son. He gave him to pay for your sins and my sins so we would have the opportunity to develop characters fit for the fellowship of heaven for eternity.
But what is character? Character is made of choices that are often repeated until they become habits. Habits form our character, and character chooses our destiny.
This is why Jesus came and died on our behalf—so the great love of God would be displayed to a world that has believed the lies of Satan. A world that is suffering. A world that is full of self-interest, where people don't care about you but only about stepping on you for their own gratification and benefit.
And why did he give his Son? So that whosoever—and my friends, this "whosoever" is you and me—"whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." This verse speaks of the coming judgment of the world. God has told us very clearly in his Word that he's coming back soon, and when He does, this world will be judged.
It's very important for you to understand that the door of mercy for this world is about to close, and Jesus gave his life so that you would not perish with the ungodly ones who have chosen to go against God's word and commandments. He died so that you will have everlasting life—a life that measures with the life of God.
Some say, "God doesn't love me. God doesn't care about me. Look at all those bad things that have happened." Friends, you must understand: the Bible clearly shows that all this evil you see around you does not come from God. It comes from sin, that is disobedience to God's law. Indeed, the word of God tells us an enemy has done this. I pray that you recognize the beautiful words God leaves in the very next verse: "For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved."
I'll leave you with some homework: please read verses 17 to 21, and there you will see what the real deal is. It's a matter of choice—your choice to accept Jesus as your savior or to reject him and choose Satan as your master.
May God help us today to choose Jesus and to know that in these beautiful verses of John 3:16-17, he reminds us that he loves us and wants to save us.
To help you remember this beautiful truth every day and keep God's word close to your heart, we've created these items. You can find them below or by visiting DoGood7.com, clicking "Shop & Share" from the main menu, and searching for John 3:16-17.
