CrossTalk: God loved the world in this way

John 3:16 is known as “the Gospel in a nutshell.” It is a beloved passage of Scripture and has probably been memorized more than any other passage: “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” (KJV).

God’s love for the world moved Him to act. He loved the world in a certain way, by doing a specific thing. Namely, this is the way that He loved the world: “He gave His only-begotten Son.” So, God’s love is more than a feeling in the heart. His good will toward the world led Him to action.

The same is true of human love. Love shows itself in action, not merely by pleasant emotions. When you love someone—be it a son or daughter, mother or father, husband or wife—true love cannot remain inactive.

Don’t kid yourself that you love someone if you are unwilling to do heartfelt kindnesses for them. Selfish demands are the opposite of love. True love does specific things that are objectively good for the loved one and repents of any actions that hurt the loved one.

The flip side of this is also true. For the person who is being loved, it will not do to reject the good things a person does for you or the gifts he gives to you. The surest way to stifle love is to reject the kind and selfless things that a person wants to do for you. If someone is loving you, the only way to truly receive his love, is through humble thankfulness.

So, just as God the Father expresses His love for the world by giving His only begotten Son, the only way that we receive God’s love is by receiving His Son. To reject the Son is to reject the love of the Father. It sounds crazy, but that is exactly what countless thousands do.

By the pure deception of the devil, many people see Christ and His word as the enemy. They see the infinitely good gift of God the Father and run from Him as though He were a monster, come to destroy them.

So, God’s loving kindness goes even further. Rather than becoming angry with the person who is rejecting His Son, God pleads with you and explains sincerely, “I did not send my Son into the world to condemn you. I sent Him so that you might be saved through Him.”

Don’t run away. Whatever Satan is telling you about God’s evil intentions for you are lies. Don’t let those lies prevent you from receiving the Father’s love. These are the comforting and beckoning words of God the Holy Spirit. Even the faith to believe in Jesus is given as a pure gift of God by the Holy Spirit.

I suppose that is why this passage of Scripture is so beloved. It speaks of the Gospel of the Triune God so clearly and so plainly that it beckons all to believe.

God the Father’s love moved Him to give the gift of His Son. Far from sending His Son into the world for condemnation, God sent His Son into the world to die for the sins of the world. The gift that God the Father gave into the world is not simply His only begotten Son, but His Son lifted up on a cross to pay for your sins.

It is God the Holy Spirit Himself who brings you to believe this. He fights through the devil’s lies and gives you faith that receives the love of God in the Person of His Son.