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        "True Love"
        John 3:16-17
        Theme:         The sacrifice of Christ Jesus was the supreme example of God’s love for men.

        1. The Framer of Redeeming Love – "For God . . ."

          1. The Intention of Redemption

            1. Before ever a word was spoken by God in creation, He had devised the redemption of mankind as the primary means by which He would glorify Himself through eternity.
            2. We are told that "before the foundation of the world" He had already set His decree to save mankind.
              1. 1 Peter 1:20 – It was decided that the Son of God would atone for the sins of men through His blood.
              2. Ephesians 1:4 – the elect of God were chosen in Christ that they would be blameless and holy.
              3. Revelation 13:8 – the names of God’s saints were written in the Book of Life.
              4. Titus 1:2 – God the Father promised to the Son that He would give eternal life to men "before the world began" (KJV).
            3. The eternal plan of God to redeem men was something that existed totally at the counsel of His good pleasure as a means by which He would glorify Himself through expressing His kindness toward men – Acts 2:23; Ephesians 1:9-12.

          2. The Initiative in Redemption

            1. When the time was right, God sent forth His Son to fulfill this eternal purpose and redeem men – cp. Galatians 4:4-5.
            2. He came provide redemption to those utterly without hope – lost in their depravity, dead in their sin – Ephesians 2:4-10.
            3. This redemption was initiated completely by God – not as a response to something God knew we would do, but as a sovereign choice which finds its origin in God, not us – cp. 1 John 4:10
            4. It was while we were still unlovely, enemies totally alienated from God that Christ Jesus died for us – Romans 5:8.

        2. The Fervor of Redeeming Love – ". . . so loved . . ."

          1. The Force of His Love

            1. The little word "so" in this verse demonstrates the intensity of the love that God possessed for mankind that He would save them.
            2. The magnitude of the love of God is so great and measureless that its dimensions are unable to be defined – cp. Romans 8:35-39.
            3. God’s love is so immense that should we conjure in our minds the supreme scenario of love that any human has ever shown, we would only be entering the parking lot of God’s love – cp. John 15:13; Ephesians 3:19.

          2. The Finality of His Love

            1. The use of the aorist (simple past tense) in the word "loved" demonstrates that God’s love is so sure and complete that it is reckoned as settled at some point in the past.
            2. Again, that God loves us now that we have been born again is one thing, but to ponder that the decision of God to love us was made before we were made His children.
            3. The love that reaches back into eternity past and finds its culmination at the cross is viewed by God as one great established fact – cp. Jeremiah 31:3.
            4. He doesn’t have to come to love anyone . . . as though we finally become lovely – He has loved us always and there is nothing we can do to throw ourselves outside the redemptive love of God.

        3. The Fullness of Redeeming Love – ". . . the world . . ."

          1. The Beneficiaries of God’s Love

            1. When John says: "God so loved the world" to what is he referring?
            2. Certainly it is not a reference to the system of evil that has set itself against God under the direction of Satan.
            3. However, since we are told that the benefits of God’s love go to "whoever believes" "the world" here would refer to mankind which, though sin laden, and otherwise under condemnation is still the object of His care.

          2. The Broadness of God’s Love

            1. There are several different elements to the love of God that define the broadness of its expression.
              1. The benevolence of God – which refers to the good will present in the heart of God. God is benevolent toward all men.
              2. The beneficence of God – which refers to God’s good deeds often called "common grace" (rains, sun, harvests, etc…) – cp. Romans 2:4
              3. The complacency of God – which refers to the delight in the one in whom the image of God has been restored through being placed into Christ Jesus – Ephesians 1:6.
            2. It is in this sense that we see the love of God extends toward every man, woman, and child.
            3. However, the complacency of God only extends to those who are the elect, chosen of God for redemption.
            4. Hence, the work of Christ and the love of God extend to all men and is sufficient enough for everyone to be saved; but, it is efficient only on behalf of the elect.
            5. Perhaps the truest understanding of this element is that the work of God in redemption extends beyond the Jew to include Gentiles "from every tribe and tongue and people and nation" – cp. Revelation 5:9.

        4. The Feature of Redeeming Love – "... that He gave ..."

          1. The Means of God’s Love

            1. True and pure love finds its integrity in how it manifests itself – and an inherent element in the manifestation of love is the act of giving.
            2. By sending of His Son into the world God chose the consummate means of expressing His love – cp. 1 John 4:9
            3. God’s love is seen as active in bestowing undeserved and immeasurable blessings – cp. 1 John 3:1
            4. He genuinely put the welfare of the object loved in priority – cp. Ephesians 5:25-26

          2. The Measure of God’s Love

            1. What made the love of God so powerful was the interest that generated it - God selflessly gave for our need.
            2. The love of God is described as "rich" – cp. Ephesians 2:4.
            3. "Gave" here must include the extent to which God gave – even unto the death of His Son.

        5. The Forfeiture of Redeeming Love – ". . . His only begotten Son . . ."

          1. The Distinction of the One Forfeited

            1. In the construction of this section, this phrase is placed in an emphatic position: "His Son, the only begotten One, he gave".
            2. The term "only begotten" comes from the word "?????????" – a term that denotes "peculiarity" and uniqueness.
            3. Essentially what is being emphasized here is that there is none other like Jesus or comparable to Him.
            4. He is truly "one of a kind" – the true emphasis of this term – cp. Hebrews 11:16.

          2. The Degree of the Forfeiture

            1. This special, unique, one of a kind Son was given by God – John gave is equal to Paul’s "spared not" – cp. Romans 8:32
            2. The gift of the Son to die in our place was the climax of God’s redeeming love for mankind – cp. Romans 5:8; Romans 8:32; John 15:13.

        6. The Focus of Redeeming Love – ". . . that whoever believes in Him . . ."

          1. The Appeal to Everyone to Believe

            1. The clear statement here is that "whoever believes" will enjoy the blessing of God’s gift of love.
            2. This reveals the mystery that exists in the redemption of man – the double-sided coin, if you will, of God’s absolute Sovereignty in man’s redemption and the exercise of the will of man to "choose" to believe.
            3. I believe that when the Bible states that "whosoever will" may come that it means it – Romans 10:13.
            4. Thus, there is a universal invitation given to all men to obey the Gospel and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ – cp. Acts 17:30.
            5. However, because of the depravity of man, God Himself provides each man who believes with the ability to do so – not in a universal sense, but in a specific sense – according to the counsel of His own good-pleasure – John 6:44.

          2. The Applicability to Those Who Believe

            1. Consequently, the atonement of Christ Jesus is sufficient for all men everywhere to be saved, but efficient only for those who are the chosen by God.
            2. It is necessary to understand that a "universalism" in approaching redemption must be rejected – only those who "receive Him" are given the "power to become the sons of God – even to those who believe on His name" – John 1:12.
            3. Those who are the chosen by God are manifest through their believing on the Lord Jesus Christ.
            4. This then is the other side to the "coin" – irreconcilable to the other, but essential to a biblical understanding to the mystery of redemption.

        7. The Fulfillment of Redeeming Love – ". . . shall not perish but have eternal life."

          1. The Certainty of God’s Forgiveness

            1. First we see the "negative" side – that we are spared the wrath that is reserved for those remaining in their sin.
            2. "Perish" in this context clearly means to receive divine condemnation, complete and everlasting, as a person is banished from the presence of God.
            3. Men do not have to die before they will perish – they are already perishing – already separated from the life of God – cp. John 3:18.
            4. Physical death will only make the perishing final – it is the payday for the wages of sin, but unrepentant sinners are already "children of wrath" – cp. Ephesians 2:3; Romans 2:5; 2 Peter 3:7.

          2. The Certainty of God’s Favor

            1. However, as certain as sinners are already condemned and sit under the wrathful hand of God who is temporarily staying judgment, those who are believing are already the possessors of "eternal life."
            2. We are told here that we must first be delivered from the certain death and then we are given the gift of eternal life.
            3. This is a present reality – we already have eternal life in that we have the Son of God as our own personal Savior – 1 John 5:12.
            4. However, there is also a future reference to life that is enjoyed eternally in the presence of God, freed from the presence of sin and death.
            5. This future element to eternal life is one of quality – the delights and joys of knowing the unveiled presence of Almighty God characterize it.
            6. This belongs exclusively to those in whose hearts God has done a work of grace and to which they have responded in faith.

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