<\/p>\n
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.<\/em><\/p>\n Introduction<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you have a red-letter bible you will see that John 3:16-21 is in red, meaning these are the words of Jesus. However in Greek there is no punctuation or quotation marks. Our punctuation insertions are translational helps. It is disagreed upon whether or not these are actually the words of Jesus, or whether this is the gospel writer\u2019s commentary. I am of the persuasion that verse 16-21 is the gospel writer\u2019s commentary. One big reason being that in verse 14 and 15 Jesus refers to Himself as the Son of Man. Then in verse 16-21 the language shifts to referring to Him as the Son of God. While both are accurate titles for Christ, Jesus often referred to Himself as \u201cSon of Man\u201d, but did not use the title \u201cSon of God,\u201d while the gospel writer uses that title often.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n There is more we could say here, but I will leave it at that just so you know what perspective I\u2019m coming from.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n John 3:16 in Context<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Before we really dive into the text, I want us to consider John 3:16 within its context, because along with the mass popularity of this verse comes much twisting of this verse. There are many today who rip this verse out of John chapter 3 and give it a meaning it doesn\u2019t have. John 3:16 is a victim of great eisegesis. Eisegesis is a fancy word that describes the process of interpreting a text by reading into it what it does not say. This is opposed to exegesis, which is the process of interpreting a text by bringing out the meaning from the text itself, which of course is what we try to do. All that to say that John 3:16 is often a victim of eisegesis where free-will arminians promote this verse as a proof text against God\u2019s Sovereignty in election. Because it is such a widespread problem I want to take a few moments to refute that from the text, hopefully for your benefit and edification.<\/span><\/p>\n First, Jesus has just explained in his conversation with Nicodemus that you must be born again to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, and that the new birth is the sovereign work of the Spirit. John 3:8, \u201cThe wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.\u201d<\/em> In no way does verse 16 contradict verse 8 in which we see the sovereignty of the Spirit going where it wishes.<\/span><\/p>\n Second, you will often hear people say, \u201cwhosoever means whosoever.\u201d Well, yeah, but saying whosoever believes does not mean sinners dead in trespasses and sins can believe apart from the sovereign work of the Spirit, and according to their own free will. That has to be read into the text.<\/span><\/p>\n Third, based on the context, belief is a result of the sovereign work of the new birth. Belief is the fruit of regeneration. We don\u2019t believe in order to be born again. We believe because we\u2019ve been born again.<\/span><\/p>\n Finally, this verse is simply not discussing the matter of who or who doesn\u2019t have the ability to believe. Other texts of Scripture do, but not this one. To use it to promote free-will arminianism is a misuse of the text. This verse is simply telling us that God loved the world in such a way that He sent His Only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. This says nothing about free-will or natural ability. It just doesn\u2019t. So having given, what I hope is a very brief refutation of the misuse of this verse, let us now spend the rest of our time looking at what this verse is positively saying.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n How God Loved the World: \u201cso loved\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n When it says, \u201cFor God so loved the world\u201d, the word \u201cso\u201d is not meant to convey the intensity of God\u2019s love, although there certainly is an intensity to God\u2019s love. Rather it is saying, “this is how God loved the world,” or “this is the manner in which God loved the world,” or “in this way God loved the world.” We could say, \u201cfor God thus loved the world that He gave His only Son\u2026\u201d So, after Jesus just told Nicodemus in verse 14 and 15 how the Son of Man must lifted up as the serpent in the wilderness, John jumps in with this narration exclaiming to us: \u201cThis is how God loved the world: he gave His only Son\u2026\u201d So in our text today I want us to see how God loved the world.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Without Boundary: \u201cthe world\u201d (the nations)<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Here we understand \u201cthe world\u201d to be an expansion from Israel to the nations. God\u2019s love is not bound by ethnic roots, or national borders. He loves to the ends of the earth. By His \u201cboundary-less love\u201d we do not mean that God does not hate certain people or things, or that He is not wrathful in a righteous manner. We simply mean that His love is without boundary in regard to ethnic or national lines. Matthew 28, \u201cgo and make disciples of all nations.\u201d Isaiah chapter 2, \u201cthe nations will flow to the mountain of God.\u201d Isaiah 45:22, \u201cTurn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth!\u201d Psalm 67, \u201cMay God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be gald and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n We could go on with text after text, but I think you get the point here: God\u2019s love and plan of salvation is a plan for the nations, it is a plan for the whole earth. It came along first through Israel as the vessel to carry along the seed of the woman who would crush the head of the serpent and bring the knowledge of the glory of God to cover the earth as the waters cover the sea, not just in Jerusalem, but the entire planet. In Daniel chapter 2 the Kingdom of God is a stone that becomes a great mountain that fills the whole earth. God\u2019s love is for the world. His plan is for the whole earth. It is without boundary, in this way.<\/span><\/p>\n I love what D. A. Carson says, and I will paraphrase here: God\u2019s love is amazing not because the world is so big, but because the world is so bad.<\/span><\/p>\n The amazing thing here is not that God\u2019s love is for the world and the world is big (because to the eternal God who is the creator of heaven and earth, the world is pretty small), but that His love is for the world and the world is so bad. One single sin of one single person is so vile and so wicked before a holy God it is worthy of wrath and judgment, and yet we have a world full of sinners who are full of sin and rebellion and vile wickedness, and yet God\u2019s love is for the world! How can this be!? It\u2019s so hard for us to love people when they do us wrong and treat us badly, and yet its far worse and on a far greater scale with God and yet He loves the world!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Without Reserve: \u201cHe gave His only Son\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the sense that God loved the world without reserve is seen in the action of giving, and in the gift that He gave – His Son.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Action of Love: \u201cHe gave\u201d – without reserve<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n God was not obligated to send His Son, He gave His only Son voluntarily.\u00a0<\/span>It was out of love that God gave His Son. Love acts on behalf of the beloved.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The cross was the display of God\u2019s love. The atonement is the effect of God\u2019s love. The cross didn\u2019t make God love us, it showed us that God already did. God\u2019s love for us existed before we were Christians, before we loved Him, indeed, before we were born.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Gift of Love: \u201cHis Only (unique) Son\u201d – without reserve<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n For God \u201cso\u201d loved the world\u2026 How much does God love the world? Look at what He gave. The measure that God loved the world is seen in the giving of His Son.<\/span><\/p>\n How do we know God loves us? He gave us His Son. Look at the cross. Look at what He gave.<\/span><\/p>\n God gave His \u201cunique Son\u201d – what God gave was His best – the treasure of Heaven. God did not withhold His best, but gave it freely. This might remind us of Abraham and Isaac, because Abraham and Isaac should remind us of John 3:16. Of course, God did not allow Abraham to go through with the sacrifice, because would provide, and He has in His own Son, Jesus Christ.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n God does not accept sin or sinners, yet God loves sinners, so He dealt with sin and sinners in His Son Jesus Christ, on the cross. Love deals with sin. It doesn\u2019t ignore or accept it, it deals with it.<\/span><\/p>\n If we had a true grasp of how wicked our sin was and how holy and righteous God was, it would probably make the hair on our neck stand up to hear that God loves sinners. Especially considering that God also righteously hates. \u201cJacob I have loved, Esau I have hated.\u201d Psalm 5 has similar language. And yet He loves sinners. This is no mere human love. This is divine love not possible to come from humans. God loves sinners, so He did something about their sin. If God loves you in a saving way, He deals with your sin. Has your sin been dealt with? Are you apathetic to the sin in your life?<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Without End: \u201cwhoever believes should not perish but have eternal life.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The term \u201cwhoever believes\u201d is not a one time belief or a decision at one point in time. The Greek tense is present tense literally meaning \u201call the believing ones.\u201d So we could say, \u201cFor God so loved the world that He gave His Only Son, that all the believing ones should not perish but have eternal life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Remembering the context of the conversation with Nicodemus, being born once gives you a temporary earthly life, but being born again gives you eternal life. Being given eternal life is not something that comes apart from Christ, but it is the gift of Christ Himself, for Christ is eternal life. Jesus said I am the way, the truth, and the life! God did not only give us His Son on the cross, but He truly gives us His Son forever. We are in Him. Life in Christ. On this earth, in eternity, forever. God loves us without end.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Jeremiah 31, \u201cI have loved you with an everlasting love!\u201d Psalm 107, \u201cGive thanks to the Lord for He is good, His love endures forever!\u201d If we\u2019re going to live forever, we\u2019re going to need God to love us forever, or else we won\u2019t live forever.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Conclusion<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n So what ought we to do with all this love? Well first and foremost believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ!<\/span><\/p>\n For those of us who are believing, we don\u2019t need to force applications out of a passage like this. Some texts are just meant to teach us and to heighten our worship of God. It is God\u2019s love displayed in Jesus Christ without boundary, without reserve, and without end that saves sinners like us, not our love for God that saves us. Unfortunately our love is so often bound, reserved, and ended – both our love for God and love for others. It is not our loving God with all our hearts that saves us, but God\u2019s loving us with all of His. And yet, I think it is fair to draw out the application that those of us who have been given this love of God in Christ, ought to love in the same way: without boundary, without reserve, and without end – as fallen, sin-tainted, and imperfect as it will be.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Introduction If you have a red-letter bible you will see that John 3:16-21 is in red, meaning these are the words of Jesus. However in Greek there is no […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":685,"featured_media":3795,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,25,27,30,32],"tags":[65,205,274,557,625,678,679,687,699,765,776,1014,1056,1080,1099,1105,1147,1161,1235,1365],"class_list":{"0":"post-3794","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-commentary","8":"category-faith","9":"category-gospel","10":"category-preaching","11":"category-theology","12":"tag-65","13":"tag-bible","14":"tag-christ","15":"tag-god","16":"tag-how","17":"tag-jenkins","18":"tag-jesus","19":"tag-john","20":"tag-joshua","21":"tag-lord","22":"tag-loved","23":"tag-rags","24":"tag-riches","25":"tag-salvation","26":"tag-savior","27":"tag-scripture","28":"tag-sinners","29":"tag-son","30":"tag-the","31":"tag-world","32":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/07\/t08008_10.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3696,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/testimony-concerning-the-son-of-god-1-john-56-12\/","url_meta":{"origin":3794,"position":0},"title":"Testimony Concerning the Son of God: 1 John 5:6-12","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"January 14, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 6\u00a0This is he who came\u00a0by water and blood\u2014Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And\u00a0the Spirit is the one who testifies, because\u00a0the Spirit is the truth.\u00a07\u00a0For there are three that testify:8\u00a0the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.\u00a09\u00a0If\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Church History"","block_context":{"text":"Church History","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/church-history\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/01\/great-gray-workshop1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/01\/great-gray-workshop1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/01\/great-gray-workshop1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/01\/great-gray-workshop1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3598,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/the-joy-of-fellowship-in-christ-commentary-on-1-john-1v1-4\/","url_meta":{"origin":3794,"position":1},"title":"The Joy of Fellowship in Christ: Commentary on 1 John 1v1-4","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"August 6, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Introduction The epistle of 1 John is peppered with verses that are well-known and loved by many believers. Maybe some of you have favorite verses found in this book. Verses like 1 John 1v9, \u201cIf we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/08\/pexels-photo-257360.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/08\/pexels-photo-257360.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/08\/pexels-photo-257360.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3640,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/children-of-the-devil-and-children-of-god-commentary-on-1-john-34-10\/","url_meta":{"origin":3794,"position":2},"title":"Children of the Devil and Children of God: Commentary on 1 John 3:4-10","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"October 22, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 \u00a0 Last week as we were in the first three verses of chapter 3, I briefly mentioned the fact that not all people are God's children; as the text of course talked about how Christians are God's children. This week as we move in to verse 4-10 we see\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3678,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/loved-and-assured-by-the-triune-god-1-john-413-16\/","url_meta":{"origin":3794,"position":3},"title":"Loved and Assured by the Triune God: 1 John 4:13-16","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"December 18, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"13\u00a0By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.\u00a014\u00a0And\u00a0we have seen and testify that\u00a0the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of\u00a0the world.\u00a015\u00a0Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/12\/books-reading-library-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/12\/books-reading-library-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/12\/books-reading-library-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/12\/books-reading-library-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/12\/books-reading-library-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/12\/books-reading-library-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3623,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/because-your-sins-are-forgiven-commentary-on-1-john-212-14\/","url_meta":{"origin":3794,"position":4},"title":"Because Your Sins Are Forgiven: Commentary on 1 John 2:12-14","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"September 17, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Introduction \u00a0 So here we are now to verse 12-14 of 1 John chapter 2, where John seems to take an interesting break from his flow of thought, as we saw last week how true Christians are those who love one another, and then the following verses after verse\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/09\/product-500x500-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3722,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/the-deity-of-christ-john-11-3\/","url_meta":{"origin":3794,"position":5},"title":"The Deity of Christ: John 1:1-3","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"March 11, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Introduction \u00a0 John\u2019s gospel reads quite differently than the three synoptic gospels. John is thematic and theological. Not to say the others are not of course, just that John is overtly so. There are many things in this fourth gospel that are unique to it - meaning there are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3794","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/685"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3794"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3794\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3795"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}