Anchor My Faith

Love

Scripture: John 3:16

We have been looking at eight key words that make up John 3:16. So far we have covered seven of the eight. I decided to set aside the word love until last and devote more time to it. We will begin that study with this lesson.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 ESV). Many call this a free will offer of the gospel. This verse has been used over the centuries to bring a multitude of people to salvation in Jesus Christ, but through misuse it has resulted in many being deceived into thinking they have eternal life when they actually do not. If the heart has been prepared and is ready this verse may be all that is needed to encourage a person to embrace Jesus Christ for salvation. But if the heart is not ready then the verse is used as leverage to persuade or to convince the mind to ask Jesus into one’s heart. A person may pray the sinner’s prayer and be sent on their way thinking they are now a Christian when actually they are not and in the days ahead when they see no change in their lives they wonder about the value of the Christian faith.

During my early years serving in China, I was guilty of convincing people to pray to receive Christ. Two of these were good friends of mine and during the months after their supposed conversion, I saw no evidence of a new life in Jesus Christ. One day, during a quiet conversation, one of them confessed that they had prayed to end the pressure I was applying for them to pray. This person also confessed that my other friend had done the same thing. This caused me to consider my witness and my part in the spiritual birth process. More will be said on this in future lessons.

We know that God loves the people of the world because he sent his Son to die for them, opening the door of eternal life to anyone who believes in him. But is there a more precious experience of God’s love than this? When a man chooses a woman for his wife, is his love for her more intimate than his love for others? Consider the cultural context and think about the bride being formed for God’s Son. In that culture at the time of Jesus, the father of his son would chose a bride for his son. Thus, would it not be expected that the Father would choose those who make up the bride and present her to his Son? “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (John 6:37 ESV). Is there a different love for those chosen compared to God’s love for the world? Those chosen are adopted as God’s children and as the bride, will be eternally loved by Jesus. Would these not be loved more deeply than the remaining sinners of the world?

Does God make choices and if he does are those choices fair? We will consider this in our next lesson.

Prayer

Father, John 3:16 as a most wonderful offer of love for which I am thankful, but when I consider you choosing me, who was spiritually dead and a rebellious sinner, and being willing to transform my life and adopt me into your family, I experience a much greater love than the general love you have for the world. Your choice of me confirms your overwhelming love for me and brings me to my knees in humble thanks.