God's act of Love.

If you have your bibles please open up to John Chapter 3. As you are turning there this morning. I just want to wish you all a happy new year, and a charge to you to make this your most faithful year to God ever. In all ways. As cliche as it may sound a new year brings new beginnings, and if you have not been faithful to God and his church today is a great day to start.

I have titled todays message this morning, “God’s Act of Love." Todays text includes one of the most famous verses in all of scripture, one that even people who are not in church know. John 3:16 “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.” And as powerful as this text is just as powerful is the context around it, and today we will see that very thing.

God’s word says this starting in verse 14. John 3:14-21

John 3:14–21 ESV

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 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. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

The main point I want you to get from the text this morning is this. God’s love for the world allows believers to have eternal life.

I want to unpack that idea in four different ways and the first is this.

Christ death shows us his love.

In this section of scripture John is using two events. One event that has already happened and another that will happen. John like we have already seen in this gospel is using the Old Testament scriptures to drive home a point, the eventual point that Christ will be raised up to die.

He brings up in the text something that happened during the time of Moses. And reading it will help us understand what John is trying to say. Numbers 21:4-9 says this.

Numbers 21:4–9 ESV

4 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. 5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” 6 Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7 And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

The text says that anyone who looked up at this bronze serpent would be physically spared from the judgment God gave them by bringing the snakes, and they needed rescue because of what they did , they sinned against God, now in this situation they would not be granted eternal life but physical safety. Spared from the deadly bite of the snake. And what they had to do to be safe was they had to look upon the serpent to live.

And all this is said to point ultimately to Jesus being lifted up on the cross. And what is significant about both the serpent and the son of man is that you had to look on both of them in order to be saved. One Physically and another Spiritually.

Jesus had to be lifted up in order that one could live. There are several places in John that allude to this idea Of being lifted up.THe first is John 8:28 “28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.”

another is ..

John 12:32 ESV

32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

John 12:34 “34 So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?””

See Jesus Christ being lifted up as we will discuss a few more times in this gospel. Is indication that he will die on the cross. And whoever believes in that may have eternal life. This is the first of 10 times we see the term have eternal life in this book. and not the last time we see it in todays text.

John uses these two verses to set up what I said at the beginning is the most famous verses of all the scriptures. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

There is a lot of meat just in that verse. First it says God, and God is the one who did this. God orchestrated his plan of salvation. He did, not man, God. God alone did this. This was his plan from the beginning to love the world in such a way.

And God so loved the world. He did not just love the world a little bit, he so loved the world. And God is not just a God of words he is a God of action. I Want to say that again for anyone who may have missed it. God is not just a God of words he is a God of action.

He actually did something about this love.

I think about my Marriage and its easy to tell my wife that I love her and I do, or my daughter that I love her and I do. But when I show my love for them in various ways they know that I love them. The ring my wife wears on her finger is a statement of Love, but it doesn’t compare to God giving us his Son.

HE showed not just the Jews that he loved them, but the whole World. Up until that point the Jews were God’s chosen people, some people from other parts of the world would come and worship the one true God, but not the whole world, and God sending his son to the world was sign of love to it. God calls people from ever tribe and nation to himself.

Its incredible to think about because God loved a world that did not love him. And whats more incredible than that is God gave them not just the gift the life, or their basic needs God gave his Son. His only Son. A priceless gift that can not even be measured in value.

If you grew up in church you would have know this verse for saying begotten. Or use the KJV and the reality is no matter what translation you use. The meaning is clear.

The word begotten or one and only comes from the word mono-yen-ace which means only, or one and only. Its means unique, radically distinctive and without equal.

There is only one Son of God, there is only one Christ and God gave him to believers in Christ.

God loved us before we were his children, and he died so we could be, I want to say that again God loved us before we were his children and he died so we could be. Amazing truth today.

But the text says this only comes to those who believe. Who have a true faith.

It says whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. There is a promise here in this text this morning and that is if you believe in him have a true faith that repents and believes that Christ can save you, you will have eternal life, but the opposite is true as well if you dont believe you will perish. His death showed us his love for us and because of that whoever believes in him can have life.

Christ death shows us his love.

Christ coming shows us his love.

God’s mission was in fact a rescue mission. He sent his Son to save. To save a particular people. Those people who would believe in him. The people were already condemned and I will talk about that in a moment. But God has to come rescue someone in order to be saved.

Its a reality that is true. 1 John 4:14 says, “14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.”

The sending of his son was an act of love and an act that would save his people.

In WW2 there was this prison camp in Cabanatuan that had 500 Prisoners of war there. These prisoners were in desperate need of being saved. They were in a situation that if they had not been saved they would have lost their life.

Here is how one history source described what was going on. POW’s of the Japanese Empire during WWII suffered some of the harshest conditions of the entire war. Japanese prison guards conducted wanton killings of their captured foes and also had them endure conditions that greatly diminished their physical and mental faculties. When the US Army “returned” to the Philippines in October 1944, many feared the Japanese would retaliate by killing POW’s held in camps well behind enemy lines.

Responding to this threat, the US army put together a band of Army Rangers, scouts, and Philippino guerillas who pulled off a daring raid that saw them penetrate 30 miles behind enemy lines. Once they reached the Cabanatuan prison camp, they quickly overwhelmed Japanese guards and successfully rescued 500 American POW’s.

Incredible act of love and if they did not come who knows what would have been the outcome for those men.

Believers know that because he came and showed us his love ultimately as we talked about to the point of death, we too can be rescued and whoever believes in him can have eternal life.

Just like the US forces showed there love for fellow man. Christ coming shows us his love.

God’s love shows believers they are not condemned.

Verse 18. says it so clearly. Whoever believes in him is not condemned. Its as simple as that. As we learned last week those who are born again have eternal life.

There is a doctrine known as eternal security that every believer should believe. And Baptists, especially southern baptists have believed this since forming. And Eternal Security simply means that God in his love for his children secures there own salvation. Its purchased not by us but by Christ and sealed with the Holy Spirit. I could say a-lot more than that but that is its basic definition.

There is several places in scripture that talk about this idea, but let me just read a few.

Ephesians 4:30 “30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

As a believer in Christ you are sealed for the day of redemption by the Holy Spirit.

John 10:28-29 is another example of this. I can’t wait to preach this text to you later in the year but until then listen to these words.

John 10:28–29 ESV

28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

God gives the life, and in turn no-one and i mean no-one can take it away, no one can snatch it from his hand if you truly believe in God you are secure. Amazing doctrine indeed. Let me give you one more

which is the greatest proof that is true. Romans 8:38-39

Romans 8:38–39 ESV

38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Love God has for us means we are truly not condemned. God’s love for believers in him overshadows any power that try’s to overcome it. Let me say that for those who are listening online. God’s love for believers in him overshadows any power that try’s to overcome it.

In a culture looking to condemn us we serve a God who does not condemn his own. Powerful truth.

But there is another side to this isn’t there. The side of condemnation, the side that everyone is on if they don’t believe Jesus Christ is Lord.

It doesn’t matter your claim to be a good person, your generously, or any other standard that you set before yourself. IF and I want to be clear about this IF you do not believe Jesus Christ as Lord than you are condemned.

No one is born a Christian, you might have grew up in a Christian home, but that does not save you. Only faith in him does.

Romans 6:23 “23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Everyone is a sinner, I am sure you have heard that a million times, but the reality of that sin is that if you are not in Christ you are separated from God. There is no hope for you outside of him.

John does this quite often in his writings. He gives you an either or. you are either condemned or saved, which one are you. which one are you.

Believer understand that if you are in him you are not condemned.

As it says in Romans 8:34 “34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.”

Believer In the giving of Christ, Christ died that death you deserve, he died in your place, and he is interceding for you right now, and you are not condemned.

His love shows believers they are not condemned.

God’s love helps us respond to truth.

There is a proof of judgement in this text. And we know this because it says and this is the judgement.

And what the Light did was it exposed the darkness of evil. And there were two responses. One running towards the light the other running away from the light. Which again puts you into one camp or another. Do you love light or do you love darkness.

A person who loves darkness practices evil. There works are evil, and even worse these people hate the light, they hate the gospel and they dont come to the light.

Romans 1 speaks of this evil. Shows us where we are without God.. Here is just a Few verses. Romans 1:18-32

Romans 1:18–32 ESV

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

This is what scripture says happens to those who deny God.

I thought of it like this, “The world thinks that when you expose their sin you hate them, but in reality, you love them. You want to see what happened in your own life happen in theirs. When God himself came into your own heart exposing the darkness and leading you into the light.”

What the world needs in what we needed God’s love to show us our need for himself. So we become lovers of the light. And not like the Romans 1 individual.

When God exposes our need for him, it helps us respond to the truth. Respond to the light, Respond the question is Jesus Lord. The light that comes into the unbelievers heart exposes sin, and there need for him.

And whoever responds to the light does what is true. And its evident that its God who did it.

Listen to one man, “God loves his people enough to shine the light on their sin.”

Its clear when you open up the scriptures when you hear it taught that there is something different about God. That God alone can distinguish what is right and what is wrong. What is light and what is darkness.

And as John 1:9 says “9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.”

This week and last week I make you answer two important questions one are you born again? and two do you believe? Do you believe? God’s love for the world allows believers to have eternal life.

Do you see how God’s death shows us his love?

Do you see how his coming shows us his love?

Do you see his love shows believers they are not condemned?

Do you see how his love helps us respond to the truth?

If you answered yes to all those questions then rest in this new year knowing his grace, seeing his love fleshed out to you.

If you are struggling with one of those questions come talk to me. Ponder the words of scripture today. I would love to point you back to him today.

Where are you at with the Lord do you believe in him or not? The text is crystal clear, whoever believes he gives eternal life, but whoever does not believed in him is already condemned to a destiny outside of the love of God, and wrath forever.

What is your response today?

Each and every week we take this time to make a decision for the Lord. That could be responding to him in faith to be saved. Joining this church, becoming baptized, prayer, but as I have said already many times be one who responds to the word of God. Respond however the Lord leads you today.

Let us pray.