Title: The Love of God / John 3:16
Subject : God's love/John 3:16
The word we want to think about together is the word of John 3:16, which is often called the “little gospel.” The word "little gospel" is not a "small, trivial" gospel, but the core that contains the gospel of the Bible in a few words, the so-called "true country". .
1. God
When talking about the salvation of people, “God” always comes first.
As I said in the last time, salvation comes not through our merits, but through the sovereign grace of God. So the text begins with the word “God”.
(1 John 4:10) Here is love, not that we loved God, but that God made us
because he loved him and sent his Son as a propitiation for our sins.
That is, God first loved us. God called us when we were sinners.
(Romans 5:8) While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, so that God
He has vindicated his love for us.
We must remember that our salvation begins with God, and we must not forget His grace.
(Psalm 116:12) With what shall I repay all the favors the Lord has given me?
(Psalm 116:13) I take the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD;
(Psalm 116:14) I will pay my vows to the LORD before all his people.
2. the world
In the words "God so loved the world", the word "world" was used to mean Cosmos, but there are not many words used in various ways in the Bible like this word.
1) In the Old Testament
In most Old Testament terms, "the world" refers to the product of God's creation.
(Jeremiah 10:12) By his power the LORD formed the earth, by his wisdom he established the world, and by his understanding
He stretched out the heavens
2) in the New Testament
A. There are times when it simply means the earth or the earth.
(John 1:9) There was the true light, the light that came into the world and gave light to every man.
(John 1:10) He was in the world, and the world was made through him.
the world did not know him
B. Sometimes understood as the realm of worldly interest.
(Matthew 13:22) They hear the word that they were sown among thorns, but
He who chokes the word by the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches, making it unfruitful.
(1 John 2:16) For all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
All are not from the Father, but from the world
(2 Timothy 4:10) Demas, because he loved this world, forsook me and went to Thessalonica...
C. It is sometimes understood as a realm ruled by Satan.
(Ephesians 2:2) In those days you walked in the midst of the customs of this world, following the rulers of the power of the air.
followed, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.
D. Sometimes it refers to the elect who is the object of God's salvation.
(John 3:17) God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world
that the world might be saved through him
E. It also refers to the new age of the kingdom of God in the future.
(Hebrews 6:5) Taste the good word of God and the powers of the world to come
3) Comparison in the Epistles of John
(John 3:16) God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son...
(1 John 2:15) Do not love the world or the things in the world.
If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
So we can see that the world in the two verses has a completely different meaning. The "world" in John 3:16 is "the world", which means the people chosen by God, and the world in 1 John 2:15 is "the object of worldly concern" or "controlled by Satan." means "world".
Therefore, salvation is not "universal salvation" in which all people in the world are saved, but "selective (predetermined) salvation."
3. Like this
In the phrase “God so loved the world,” the word “like this” was used as a word “ ”, originally referring to “this, this” as a referential pronoun, meaning “in this way” or “this way”. to be.
Therefore, the understanding of the text is that “God loved the world, and in this way and this way”, which means that God loved even to give his “only begotten Son.”
(1 John 4:9) In this way the love of God was revealed to us, that God gave his only begotten
sent into the world, that we might live through him.
4. Loving you
Among the words “God so loved the world”, the word “beloved” is the most important of today’s verses.
1) The importance of tense
Oftentimes in the Bible, the "tense" is important, and to put it simply, there are times when things in the future are talking about the past or present, and sometimes things in the past appear to have an effect on the present and the future.
In the main text, "I love you" uses the word we know well, and the tense is ( )
I used the tense "negative past", which can be understood as "because you already loved the world and those who believe".
God has already loved us. It means that He loved you before the beginning and chose you.
(2 Thessalonians 2:13) Brothers whom the Lord loves, we ought always for you
Thank God that God chose you from the beginning.
for salvation through the sanctification of the Holy Spirit and faith in the truth.
(Ephesians 1:4) He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world...
2) The meaning of God's love
A. The great love of God
(Ephesians 2:4) Because of the great love that God, who is rich in mercy, loved us,
(Ephesians 2:5) He made us alive together with Christ Jesus, who were dead in trespasses.
(By grace you have been saved)
God's love is the love that saved us from our sins, which we cannot but die in our sins.
It is a love that we cannot measure.
(Ephesians 3:18) able to know with all the saints the love of Christ, which surpasses knowledge
(Ephesians 3:19) Knowing what the breadth and length and height and depth are,
I pray that you may be filled.
(Hymns 404)
1. The great love of God cannot be described in words, beyond the high and high stars, on this low and low earth
He sent his son to save the sinner and made him a peace offering and forgave his sins.
God's great love cannot be measured, and his love that never changes. Praise the saints.
2. When the hard times pass and the glory on the ground fades, people who did not believe in the Lord cry out loud
You gave great love to the believers in the Lord, and our sins are forgiven, so will we forget that grace?
God's great love cannot be measured, and his love that never changes. Praise the saints.
3. Even if we make the sky a scroll and the sea as ink, we will not be able to record all the boundless love of God.
How can I use all of God's great love? Even if I build it up high in the sky, I will not be able to deal with it.
God's great love cannot be measured, and his love that never changes. Praise the saints.
B. longsuffering
God's love for pardoning sinners who are indifferent to God's instructions and warnings
It is called patience or tolerance.
It is said that God endured to save us, who were among the unspeakable sinners.
(2 Peter 3:15) And count the long-suffering of our Lord to be salvation...
The Apostle Paul also confesses that his salvation came through the patience of God.
(1 Timothy 1:16) But the reason that I have found mercy is that Jesus Christ first gave me all
He showed longsuffering, so that later he might set an example for those who would believe in the Lord and have eternal life.
God's patience is His love to save even one more person.
(2 Peter 3:9) The Lord's promise is not slow, as some consider slowness, but
He is patient with us, not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.
C. Unchanging
Even those who are in sin or far away from God, those whom God has called once will lead them to the day of salvation.
(Daniel 6:26) ...He is the living God, who will never change.
Those who are loved by God are not forgotten.
(Isaiah 49:14) But Zion said, The LORD has forsaken me, and the LORD has forgotten me.
(Isa 49:15) How can a woman forget her suckling child?
Will you not have mercy? If they forget, I will not forget you.
(Isaiah 49:16) I have carved you on the palm of my hand; your walls are always before me.
He is a loving God who is always with you.
(Romans 8:38) For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor authorities, nor present things,
future work or ability
(Romans 8:39) Neither height nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
*** conclusion ***
(Zep 3:17) The LORD your God is in your midst, the Almighty to save.
He does not rejoice over you, he loves you silently, and because of you
He will sing with joy and rejoice.
1. Our salvation begins with God.
2. God loved us so much that He even gave His only begotten Son.
It is a great love, a long-suffering love, an unchanging love.