God So Loved

Pastor E. Keith Hassell

John 3:16 (NKJV) “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

I. God so loved

A. The wonder of it—God so loved!

B. God so loved because love is from God

1. 1 John 4:7 (NKJV) “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”

C. God so loved because God is love

1. 1 John 4:8 (NKJV) “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

II. God so loved the world

A. God does not desire the destruction of the world

B. In Christ God has demonstrated His desire to save the world

C. The world consists of every human soul, including you, me, and the people around us of every race, gender, color, culture, language and nation.

III. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son

A. 1 John 4:9 (NKJV) “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.”

B. 1 John 4:10 (NKJV) “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

IV. That whoever believes in Him

A. NOT believing in His existence

B. NOT believing in our good works

C. NOT believing in our assessment of our own lives

D. NOT believing in our approval before men

E. BUT believe in Him—to put your entire faith and trust in so as to cling to Him as your only salvation from sin and the judgment to come

V. Should not perish

A. The Greek word “perish” (apoletai) does not mean “annihilation” but means a final destiny of ruin in hell apart from God

VI. But have everlasting life

A. Everlasting life is not just the quantity of life but the quality of life that a person receives now and experiences forever. It is life as God lives it, and life as God alone gives it.

VII. If God so loved us, then

A. We should believe in His love for us

1. 1 John 4:16 (NKJV) “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”

B. We should receive His love for us

1. Receiving is the faith that reaches out to take what is being given

C. We should love one another as He has loved us

1. 1 John 4:7 (NKJV) “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”

2. 1 John 4:11 (NKJV) “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

3. 1 John 4:12 (NKJV) “No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.”