First Baptist Church, Pelham
Without a doubt John 3:16 is the most familiar verse of the Bible. We see it on bumper stickers, interstate billboards and even on posters at various sporting events. Within this one verse John conveys God’s tremendous passion for people. “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.” The sending of Jesus into the world is based solely on God’s passion for people.
Elsewhere the apostle Paul says, “God demonstrated his own love for us in this: while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Both the sending and the sacrifice of Jesus were motivated by the passionate love that God has for humanity.
If God didn’t love you so much then there would be no Christmas story and Easter would not be possible. If God didn’t love you so much there would be no prospect of salvation and no shred of the abundant life. If God didn’t love you so much then He would have poured out His rightful wrath against you because of your rebellion. But God does love you that much so He sent Jesus to the cross as your substitute. God’s love is not based upon your performance but upon His passion.
Many times we try to do good things for God in order to somehow win God’s favor but the reality is that God is head-over-heels in love with you and this love is not based on your ability but upon His attributes. He loves you not because you are all that good but because He is all that great. Knowing God through the person of Jesus Christ is a gift from God. Your job is to receive it. You receive it by faith. By faith you talk to God in prayer, turn from your sin and trust Jesus as Savior. It was John R.W. Stott who said, “The only function of faith is to accept what grace offers.” God offers you salvation today. It is yours for the taking.
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