“For God so Loved the World…”
John 3:16
“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.”
This verse of Scripture is one of the most familiar
of all verses. However, most people take little or no time to
delve into the richness of doctrine that is found therein.
These words of our Lord declare the glorious news of
salvation which has been provided for wretched sinners by a
Holy and Gracious God. If men and women will obey its
instructions, they will be granted a new life in Christ and
eternal life, joy, and peace. Sadly, many people are content
to “hear” the Gospel, but not many have a heart’s desire to
“obey” the Gospel! Let us take a moment to consider each
great truth found in this verse. I pray that its truth will
penetrate hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit, and
salvation will be wrought in sinners’ lives.
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A GREAT GOD
“For God…” The first thing we are instructed to
take note of is GOD. Many people do not know the God
described here. So many people have created a “god” of
their own imagination. They have made themselves a “god”
that condones their sin and overlooks their wickedness.
Though most people are convinced that they have an
accurate view of God, they are wrong!
Isaiah 55:8 says,
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your
ways my ways, saith the LORD.” This verse should act as a
warning to all of us that we need to believe in and know the
God of the Bible and not a “god” of our own imagination.
Let’s take a moment and look at the characteristics of the
God of the Bible.
God is Sovereign
The word Sovereign just means “above all,
supreme ruler, having all authority.”
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“For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art
exalted far above all gods.” (Psalm 97:9)
“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and
there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me.”
(Isaiah 46:9)
God is Almighty
Almighty means that He has all power. The fact
that God is Almighty also means that He has the power to
save anyone. No sinner has ever sunk so low in sin that
God could not save him. Nothing is too hard for our God!
“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there
anything too hard for me?” (Jeremiah 32:27) We may look
at our circumstances and say, “It’s just too hard.” This,
however, is not the case, for our God is the Almighty one!
God is Holy
If there is a characteristic of God that people most
like to overlook or misconstrue, it is His holiness. When
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people are confronted with the holiness of God, they
quickly begin to understand that God cannot and will not
tolerate sin.
“For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of
Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am
holy.” (Leviticus 11:45)
“God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the
throne of his holiness.” (Psalm 47:8)
God is Just
God does all things right and well. Never can God
be accused of doing something wrong or unfair. Abraham
testified that God is just in Genesis 18:25b: “…Shall not the
Judge of all the earth do right?” There is no deceit in God,
and He is no “respecter of persons.” He rules justly and
fairly at all times, even though we may not understand His
ways.
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God is Merciful
Because God is holy and just, He must condemn
sin and judge the sinner. This is indeed a frightful thought
that men and women must face the judgment of God! What
a blessed relief it is to learn that another characteristic of
God is His mercy! It is the mercy of God that enables men
and women to be forgiven of sin and escape the awful
judgment of God.
“The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and
plenteous in mercy.” (Psalm 103:8)
God is All-Wise
All wisdom and knowledge belongs to God. He
knows everything and has never had to learn anything.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your
ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are
higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your
ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)
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God is Gracious
God wants to show grace to all mankind. He cares
about us and wants to be gracious to us. Grace is defined as
“the unmerited favor of God.” If we were honest, we would
acknowledge that man does not deserve the gracious favor
of a Holy God. What a loving God He is that He would
want to be gracious to sinners such as us!
“But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and
gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.”
(Psalm 86:15)
“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding
riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ
Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:7)
I trust you will choose to believe the Bible account
of God and not what the devil or your own deceitful heart
wants you to believe!
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A GREAT LOVE
“For God so loved…” One of the most misused
words in the world today is the word “love.” People use the
word “love” so lightly and flippantly. Love represents an
incomprehensible truth about God. Ephesians 3:19 says,
“And to know the love of Christ, which passeth
knowledge…”
Although God’s love cannot be easily explained
and comprehended, it is a love so strong that it caused Him
to send His “only begotten Son” to come and die for
sinners. Even though His Son had to die in order for us to
be saved, this did not stop Him from sending Him. The
prospect of death and suffering did not extinguish the love
God has for us. This love exceeds anything we can possibly
imagine. It is a love that will never fail, and there is nothing
that we can compare to the love God has for us!
“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love
wherewith he loved us,” (Ephesians 2:4)
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“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us,
and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
(1 John 4:10)
A GREAT GIFT
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son…” There has never been a gift given that can
match the gift God gave His creation over two thousand
years ago. God gave His “only begotten Son” to this sinful
world. He provided a Way of Salvation.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
Salvation hinges on the Son of God. Every plan
that God has and every purpose that God has is centered on
Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Salvation does not rest in
“dos and don’ts”; salvation rests fully on the Son of God.
Salvation is not found in a denomination, or in
church membership, or in baptism, or even in a man.
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Salvation is in the “only begotten” Son of God. If you have
Him, you have life! In order for us to have life, we must
place our faith in the Gift that God has provided. The Lord
Jesus Christ is the Great Gift given to us by a Great and
Loving God!
A GREAT OPPORTUNITY
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him…” This is
an open invitation to all sinners. “Whosoever” means that
every man, woman, and child in the world can come to God
and receive salvation through His Son.
What is the requirement placed on those who come
seeking salvation? The verse tells us plainly that we are to
believe. Whosoever will come and put their faith in Christ,
unreservedly, completely, and wholly, will obtain salvation.
The word “believeth” carries the meaning of a
continuous act. A person who is saved does not just believe
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in Jesus at one time, but they will continue to believe in
Jesus until they leave this world. 2 Corinthians 5:7 tells us
that we “walk by faith.” This is a daily relationship with the
Lord Jesus Christ. It may be said in this way: “I have
believed on Jesus; I am now believing on Jesus; and I will
continue to believe on Jesus.”
God has promised to save those that come to Him
seeking salvation. If a person will come to Jesus and call on
Him, they will be saved! People need to seek Him so they
can be saved. “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye
shall search for me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)
Hebrews 7:25 says, “Wherefore he is able also to
save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him…”
Many may ask, “Do you think God would save me?” The
Bible clearly promises salvation to those who will come to
the Savior believing. Jesus delights in saving sinners, for
that is why He came. Believe in Him! Trust in Him!
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Receive Him and be saved! What a Great Opportunity has
been given to “whosoever” will “believe” on Jesus!
A GREAT DELIVERANCE
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish…” The word “perish” speaks of that which will be
destroyed. Sin always brings destruction. It has from the
beginning of mankind and continues to do so even today.
This destruction will continue throughout eternity for those
who reject God’s way of salvation.
“For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23a)
When we looked earlier at the characteristics of
God, we saw that God is Holy. It is because of this attribute
of God that man is in trouble for his sin. Sin must be
punished by a Holy God. John 3:36 tell us that judgment is
pending on the sinner: “…he that believeth not the Son
shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
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Right now God’s wrath is resting on the unbeliever. It is
because of this that man needs to obtain the deliverance
offered in this verse. Sin’s penalty will be carried out, but
you can have your penalty paid by the blood of the Lord
Jesus Christ if you will trust in Him.
Man is also in great need of deliverance from the
power of sin. God came to save us from the power of sin
not just the penalty of our sin. When we repent of our sins
and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, our life is changed.
Sin’s power is broken, and we have a new life in Christ!
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:
old things are passed away; behold, all things are become
new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
If we will lay hold on this great promise of
deliverance, we will receive the forgiveness of sins that God
has promised us!
He keeps His promises, and we can
receive this Great Deliverance right now!
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A GREAT POSSESSION
“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.”
Eternity! This is time
without end. When we try and imagine eternity, we are
completely overwhelmed. When a person receives the Gift
that God has given, they find themselves owners of a Great
Possession: Eternal Life! Now they are not condemned to
eternal death in the Lake of Fire, but they are heirs to the
joys of Heaven.
“And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even
eternal life.” (1 John 2:25)
We have been promised eternal life by our Great
God! There is no greater security than the word of our God.
What a great possession we have in Christ! Eternal Life is
ours, and no one can take it from us.
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“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never
perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. “
(John 10:28)
What About You?
Do you know that God wants “all men to be saved,
and to come unto the knowledge of the truth”? (1 Timothy
2:4). God does not want to send anyone to Hell. God’s
desire for all men is that they will heed the warnings of
Scripture, turn from their wicked ways, and believe on His
Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the plan He has set
forward for the sinner to receive salvation.
Many want to say, “God is a God of love, and He
would never send anyone to Hell!”
However, if we
remember His attributes and we look into His Word, we
find that He is a just God who must punish sin. Yes, God is
loving and kind. However, He is a Just God as well, and He
will punish those that reject His Son.
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God wants to grant forgiveness to sinners, but He
will not do so unless they come to Him in repentance and
faith, trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. Many
people have gone to Hell in spite of God’s great love for
them. They did not have to go, for a way of salvation was
provided, but they have gone nevertheless. They rejected
the Word of God and its instructions, and now they are
suffering eternal punishment.
Will you respond in faith?
Is He lovingly
knocking at your heart’s door now? Do not turn Him away,
for He is your only hope. Will you turn from your sin to the
Savior? The Lord Jesus Himself asked the question, “For
what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world,
and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36)
Some will try and obtain salvation in their own
way. Maybe they will try church membership, baptism,
giving, good works, and many other things; but, if they
refuse to follow the “Way” God has provided, they will die
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and go to Hell. Good works never saved a single soul! Do
not stubbornly insist on your own way, but rather yield to
the truths found in God’s Word.
Many esteem the eternal destiny of their soul a
light thing. Will you? What horror and suffering awaits
you if you reject the Savior! Come to Him now so that you
may have eternal life!
For additional copies of this publication and other
publications, contact:
Sonshine Baptist Church
91 Queen St
Caloundra, Qld
Phone: 07 5491 9680
Website: www.sonshinebaptist.com.au
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