God So Loved the World
“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” (John 3:16, KJV).
There are 25 words in this verse.
The first 12 words speak of the Lord, His love, and His gift.
The last 12 words speak of the blessing of eternal life to any and all who believe in the Lord.
The middle word is “SON.” That’s very appropriate because Christ is the center of all.
The fact that the Lord loves the world so greatly does not mean that the Lord approves of the actions of the world. He does not! However, regardless of the sinfulness of man, the Lord still loves the world. In fact, He loves the world so much that He GAVE His only begotten Son.
“Whosoever” – What an incredible word! It shows that salvation is offered to all.
“Believeth” – All that is required of man is that he “believe” or “trust.” No work can be done and no work will be acceptable unto God. Only the finished work of His Son on the cross will satisfy God’s righteous demands for the salvation of a soul.
“In Him” – There is no other means of salvation except through faith in the very Son of God. The Lord Jesus said, “…I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6, KJV).
“Should not perish” – It is not the will of God that any perish in their sins and face His judgment. “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise … but is longsuffering … not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9, KJV).
“But have everlasting life” – What incredible words! To live forever in the presence of the Lord is almost too good to be true. If the word of God didn’t say it so clearly, we might doubt it, but here it is. God loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son to die for our sins, so that through faith in Him we can immediately have eternal life!
My friend, have you considered the value and preciousness of John 3:16? Have you accepted this free gift of eternal life by trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior?
—Answers From the Book