So!

SO!

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.

The thing that we need to note here is that we must be born again. It takes the death of Christ and the resurrection of Christ -- He must be lifted up. Since He has been lifted up, since He bore our penalty, the Spirit of God can regenerate us. And we must be born again -- that is the only way God can receive us.

The motivation for all of this is that God so loved the world. God never saved the world by love, which is the mistaken thinking of today. It doesn't say that God's love saved the world, because the love of God could never save a sinner. God does not save by love, friends. God saves by grace! Ephesians 2:8-9: 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. Now, how does God save? God saves by grace. But God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever (you can write your name in here and I can write mine) believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Notice that with the word believe is the little preposition in which means to believe in Christ. That is, we trust Him as the One who bore the penalty for our sins. This is a personal thing. We must each believe that He died in our place and in our stead. My friend, you must believe that He died for you.

I. IT’S AN ENDEARING LOVE

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.

We have people we know saying, “Oh, I love my husband so much,” or, “Oh, I love my wife so much” or our children or parents, etc. I think that’s wonderful that we can say that. But, my friends, nobody, can love you like God can. Look at the word “Love” in verse 16. The Greek word is agapao. You may say you love someone, or something, but you say it with the Greek word phileo, which is the type of love we have for one another. Agapao is the love that describes a Godly love, a love like nobody else can give you. Phileo is a humanistic type of love. My friends, what I’m trying to tell you is that NOBODY can love you like God can love you. The Bible says in John 15:13 - Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. The same word in a difference tense, agape is used. We can NEVER show God the kind of love He shows us.

it shows the utmost extent of love. Even this love for friends has been rarely witnessed. A very few cases-like that of Damon and Pythias-have occurred where a man was willing to save the life of his friend by giving his own. It greatly enhances the love of Christ, that while the instances of those who have been willing to die for friends have been so rare, he was willing to die for enemies-bitter foes, who rejected his reign, persecuted him, reviled him, scorned him, and sought his life, 1 John 4:10, Revelation 5:6,10. It also shows us the extent of his love that he gave himself up, not to common sufferings, but to the most bitter, painful, and protracted sorrows, not for himself, not for friends, but for a thoughtless and unbelieving world.

Look at John 21:15-17: 15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

Agape is a godly, sacrificial, perfect, or unconditional love. Phileo is often described as a brotherly, fond, or emotional love.

There are many, many people in the world today that have a Phileo type of love for the things of God. But they also have a form of “agape” love when it comes to their families. We will die for our husband, wife or children, but not necessarily for the Lord Jesus Christ. We go to ball games, graduations, plays, etc. that our children are in, but we’re too busy for church, VBS and the like because we are too busy with other things. How different is God’s love for us than our love for him!