"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."(NIV)
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.(KJV)
In 1971 Tim Clay had a hit song. It was number 61 in the top 100 on February 14, 1971. The words of the song were, "What the world needs now is love sweet love, not just for some but for everyone." I have often wondered if the person who wrote this song ever read this verse. In the love gift of Jesus Christ provided by God for the world we have been given love in abundance. All the love we need can be fond at the cross! Love to save. Love to heal. Love to deliver. Love that will bring you peace with God and peace with mankind. We don’t have the capacity to love anyone apart from the love of God. Wives can not love their husbands right apart from the love of God. Husbands can not love their wives right apart from the love of God. Mothers and fathers can not love their children right apart from the love of God. Children can not love their parents right apart from the love of God. Brother and sisters can not love each other right apart from the love of God. It is in discovering God’s love for us that we learn how to love each other. I can see why the theme of this popular 1971 hit song seems so true to so many. They were simply unaware of the love gift provide by God. They are caught in the allusion that what the world needs now is love when in reality God has met that need. There are five phrases in this verse when properly understood will change your life and your song!
For God so loved the world…
The word so is a small but powerful word. It says that the limitless love of the most high God is lavished upon this lowdown world. It says that the unimpeachable love of the inimitable God is bestowed upon an unworthy world. It says that the holy love of the Most Holy God is directed to the most unholy world. It says that the perfect love of the Pure and Righteous God is extended to an imperfect world. It says that the pardoning love of a Merciful God is given to a condemned world. It says that the reclaiming love of the God of reconciliation is given to a degenerating world. It says that the gracious love of the God of grace is directed to a world in disgrace. For God so love the world. I think it not improper to personalize this phrase. For God so love Gregory! I don’t know about you but I am so glad that God so loves me! I was sinking deep in sin….
That He gave…
Love is never content to simply exist. Love must act. Love is a word of action. Love proves it’s self by what it does. Love that does not serve is seduction. Love that does not listen is a lie. Love that does not provide is a phony. Love that does not fulfill is a fake. Love that does not give is a gimmick. God so loved the world that He gave. That is action! He did not give because the world was worthy. He did not even give because the world was needed. He gave because He so loved! That is grace! In this act of love we get an example of divine giving. The single motivation for His giving is His love for us. We ought give Him our time, talent, testimony, and tithe just because we so love Him! O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus, because He first love me.
His only begotten Son….
In this phrase we see the quality of the gift of God. God’s love for us not only motivated Him to give but He gave us the best that He had. He not only gave us the best but He gave the only Son that He had. There was none other like Him. He is one of a kind! God is giving us a divine example of the principle of sowing and reaping. God gave the one Son He had in order to gain many sons and daughters. Through the blood of one He now have many sons and daughters. However, in order to gain God had to give. If nothing in your life has ever touch you this ought to. I will give God my best simply because He gave me His best. We ought to understand that you can’t beat God’s giving. The more you give the more He gives to you. Just keep on giving and you find it’s really true.
That whosoever believes in Him….
In this phrase we see the object of God’s love gift. Whosoever are you and I! It’s the high and the low. It’s the rich and the poor. It’s the bad and good. It’s the happy and the sad. It’s the sick and the well. It's the up and the down. It's the black and the white. It’s the brown and the yellow. It’s the neat and the nasty. It's the weak and the strong. It’s the wise and the foolish. It’s the short and the tall. It’s the thin and the fat. Whosoever! No matter where you have been God’s love gift is for you. It does not matter what you’ve done God’s love gift is for you! God’s love gift is sufficient for all, but efficient only for those who believe! Everything I am saying is true, but the power of this Gospel is for those who believe. If you don’t believe you will go to hell, not because God did not do His part but simply because you would not receive His love gift.
Shall not perish but have everlasting life.
This phrase tells of the benefit that belongs to whosoever believes. Jesus says that if we believe we shall not perish! Shall is the perfect future tense that means that not perishing is the absolute results of believing. If you believe you wont perish! Have you ever seen anything perish? When I was a boy I saw a house perish by fire. Right before my eyes I saw a good house be reduced to a pile of worthless ash. It was consumed by the flame. So is the lot of the non-believer! They will perish by the flame! The only difference is they wont burn up just burn! Jesus says that the believer who receives the love gift shall not perish. You may grow old and feeble but you wont perish. Your body may become cripple but you wont perish. Cancer may be eating away inside your body but you wont perish. If there was no other benefit it would be worth it all just to know that no matter what I want perish. That is not all! Jesus says, "We who receive the love gift will have everlasting life." If we believe we will not die but live with Him in eternity! He will move us from mortal to immortal, from the part to the whole, from earth to the mansion in glory. He will move us to the land of no more; no more sickness, no more crying, no more dying, no more pain, no more sorrow. He will move us to a city whose builder and maker is God. To a land were the wicked will cease from troubling and the weary will be at rest. Where all of the Saints of the ages will set at His feet and be blessed!
Conclusion:
I submit to you that what the world needs now is the Gospel. They need to know that "God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." They need to know that Jesus Christ God’s Son came by the virgin Mary. Jesus, Mary’s Baby walked the dusty roads of Asia Minor healing the sick, making the lame to walk, the blind to see, the deft to hear, the dumb to talk and bringing the dead back to life. He feeds the multitudes with five loves of bread and two small fish. He walked on the water and calmed the wind and waves by His voice. He was arrested in Gethesmane. Crucified on Calvary. On a cruel Roman Cross they nail God’s love gift. There He died. He died until heaven was satisfied. He died until sinners were sanctified. He was burred. On the third day He, Jesus, , Mary’s Baby, the Lamb of God, the Bright and Morning Star, Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, God’s love gift arisen with all power in heaven and in earth! I have a new song it a medially, "Yes Jesus loves me for the Bible tells me so! Little ones to Him belong they are weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me for the Bible tells me so. O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus, because He first love me. It tells of One whose loving heart can feel my deepest woe, who in each sorry bears a part, that none can bear below. O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus, because He first love me. I never new such love before until I met the Lord.' That Love! Come to Jesus now an experence this love for yourself! He is already in love with you He died to prove it and is now a live to show it! Come to Him for He has loved you as no other can! Come and accept God’s love gift!
