John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish… I. THE LOVE OF GOD. 1. If God so loved this guilty world, then what an unplumbed depth of grace must have been in His heart! For the object of His love is not the world in its first condition when He pronounced it "very good," but the world ruined by sin and condemned for apostasy. There would have been no wonder had the world been drowned. Yet without any change in our claims or character He loved us. And this love is not a mere relenting which might lead to a respite, or simple regret which might end in a sigh. There is no merit in loving what is lovely. There is nothing about man but his misery to attract the Divine attachment. Man's sin is not his misfortune, but his fault. And the marvel is there is nothing God hates so much as sin, and yet no one He loved so much as the sinner. 2. If God so loved this little world, then surely His love is disinterested. This orb is truly a "little one," yet it has called out emotion, which mightier spheres had failed to elicit. 3. If God loved this fallen world and not the world of fallen angels His love must be sovereign. "Be not high minded, but fear." God spared not the angels that sinned, and if thou art spared thou hast no reason to boast. 4. The fervour and mightiness of this love arrest our attention — "so." II. THE GIFT OF GOD'S LOVE. We estimate the value of a gift by various criteria. 1. The resources of the giver. Our Lord declared that the poor widow gave truly more than the wealthy worshippers. 2. The motives of the giver. One may heap favours on a fallen foe to wound his pride. 3. The manner. If it be withheld until wrung out, or if it be offered in a surly spirit, it sinks at once in importance below the lesser boon offered in frank and spontaneous sympathy. 4. The condition of the recipient — whether rich or needy, and in what degree of need, and the extent to which the gift is adapted to him.Now let the love of God be tested by these criteria. 1. The resources of the Giver are infinite; but in the donation of Christ you see the limits of possibility. If Christ be God what gift superior can be presented? or if He be the Son of God what richer love could be exhibited? 2. God's motives were perfectly unselfish. 3. His gift is the only one that could have profited us. 4. What adaptation there is in it to man's dire need I III. THE DESIGN OF GOD'S LOVE. 1. To rescue man from perishing. 2. To confer upon man the boon of everlasting life. 3. To do this for all who believe: (1) of every character; (2) country; (3) rank; (4) age. (J. Eadie, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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. |
    |