“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”
– John 3:16
We know this verse well. In some ways, too well. Reciting this verse can become like singing songs in a church service. We know the words and sing the songs without paying attention to what we are saying. It is easy to sing songs without having our hearts engaged. The same danger lurks when we quote John 3:16.
When we meditate on this verse intentionally, we are arrested by God’s great love. God has loved us, does love us, and will love us, and our Lord wants us to live continually in the light of His infinite love. God’s love resulted in His sending His only Son that we might have eternal life through Him. The Son of God came that we might also become sons and daughters of God, living in daily fellowship with Him, enjoying the eternal life that we will experience with Him completely in the future. We do well to take time on a regular basis to think upon God’s love.
Understanding God’s love is vital to Christian maturation (See Ephesians 3:14-21). As has been said many times, “God loves us as we are, but He loves us too much to leave us as we are.” God has come that we might be reconciled to Him, rescued from the power of sin, enabled to live in fellowship with Him, compelled to tell others about His gracious love. The Son of God declares, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent (John 17:3). Because God loves us, we can know Him! Salvation is about much more than being rescued from the penalty of sin; it is about knowing God.
My prayer is that we will grow in God’s love day by day. May we daily come to a fuller understanding of what God’s love means for us and for the rest of the world As we do so, we will become better witnesses of John 3:16.