For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
New International Version (NIV)
For God so loved . . . Whom does God love? One preacher said, "Fill in the blank with your own name." True. I know we know that God loves each of us and all of us. We rejoice in this. What if we fill in the blank with the names of those with whom we have conflict? Does God so love tyrants and dictators and criminals and mean people?
The gospel of John and the letters of John often use the word "kosmos" or world in a negative way. "Love not the world or anything in the world. For if anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them" (1 John 2:15-17). Then he defines the world as the "lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life." God does not love the sinfulness of the world, but he does love sinners.
As I walked yesterday, I remembered a little chorus from a Point of Grace song. "God loves people more than anything. God loves people more than anything. More than anything he wants them to know, he'd rather die than let them go. God loves people more than anything." God loves you that much -- so much that he did not send his Son to condemn the world but to save it. We are part of that world. So are all the rest of the people.
Pray with me:
Father, thank you for loving us so much that you gave your one and only Son. Thank you that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Teach us to love people, all the people, the same way you do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
I want to invite you to join me in memorizing 52 passages this year from the 2017 set of Fighter Verses. You can find the Fighter Verses App at the App Store on your phones or via this link http://fighterverses.com/the-verses/fighter-verses/. As we study the Bible this year, let's look at each text and learn what it says about God.
Joyfully,
Duane
Copyright 2017. All Rights Reserved.
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