“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.” (John 3:16)

The heart of the Good News of Jesus Christ is found in the love of God. His love is extended to a world that has rebelled, rejected and ignored Him. With a mighty hand God brought the children of Abraham out of Egypt, led them to the Promised Land, and after they checked out the land, they rebelled against God. “And when the LORD sent you out from Kadesh Barnea, he said, ‘Go up and take possession of the land I have given you.’ But you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. You did not trust him or obey him. You have been rebellious against the LORD ever since I have known you.” (Deuteronomy 9:23-24) On the way to the Promised Land the people God brought out of Egypt complained about how God was providing for them and desired to go back to the slavery of Egypt. God acknowledged their rejection of Him, “because you have rejected the LORD, who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’” (Numbers 11:20b) The prophet Hosea would speak to how the people had ignored God and His ways. “. . . . my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. ‘Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children. The more priests there were, the more they sinned against me; they exchanged their glorious God for something disgraceful.’” (Hosea 4:6-7) This was the actions of the people of God, the rest of the world had already turned away from God. This would cause Paul to write, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (Roman 1:20-21)

Into this world God sent His love through Jesus Christ. It is a love which would take Jesus to a cross to die for the sin and the sins of all mankind. “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:9-10) While we have no love for God, His love for us brought to us hope and redemption. This is a gift extended to us by God. This gift can only be received by faith. We must believe in God and His actions through Jesus Christ. “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:25-26)

When we come to God by faith, we begin to understand the depth of God‘s love for us. Also, we can now extend and express God’s love to others. “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. . .. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” (1 John 4:7, 11-12) It is through the love extended through Jesus Christ and His love expressed through those who have received God’s love in Jesus Christ, that God is able to demonstrate His love for the world. As you and I walk daily with the Living Word of God, may God show His love to the world around us.

In the Love of Jesus,

Michael Block