MESSAGES
The Love of God (John 3:16)
Who would give their life, out of love, for someone who doesn't love them, but instead commits transgressions and doesn't please them?
Paul wrote:
Romans 5:
7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Paul was pondering that for a righteous person someone might even dare to give their life, but for sinners, only a great love could motivate such an action.
And Jesus demonstrated this immeasurable love through His death.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
It was because of God's love for humanity that Jesus came to the world as a man.
It was because of Jesus's love for humanity that He died on the cross, enduring all kinds of humiliation and suffering, becoming a curse so that the curses of sin and disobedience that were upon us would be eliminated, wiped out.
Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”.
Through Jesus's sacrifice, the curse of sin imputed to man by God, because of the disobedience of Adam and Eve, who are the parents of all humanity, disappears.
Genesis 3:17 ... cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life.
God has always warned man that the result of sin would be death.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We were condemned to death by the curse of sin, and Jesus suffered this for us. He died on the cross, and that is why we have the right to eternal life, because death was defeated on the cross with the forgiveness of sins.
But Jesus came to His own, and they did not receive Him.
John 1:
11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.
12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
In other words, Jesus's sacrifice only takes effect for those who receive Him, because this way they will STOP BEING CREATURES to BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD.
Many have ignored the power and the scope of God's Word, thinking, perhaps, that the Word of God is a mere fantasy or a fairy tale.
But Jesus's words are unmistakable and very clear, and whoever ignores or despises them is certainly rejecting Jesus Himself, just as many have already done and are doing right now.
John 14:15 If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Luke 14:26 If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
Make no mistake, JESUS WILL DEMAND FROM US OBEDIENCE TO ALL OF HIS WORD, FOR HE IS LIFE AND DISOBEDIENCE LEADS TO DEATH.
Mark 13:31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
