Words of Life Bible Study Notes: Great Statements of The Gospel 2. The Manifestation of God'S Love

WORDS OF LIFE SERIES 53 perishing world of men and women who are separated from God by their sin
(1 Corinthians 1:18).
BIBLE STUDY NOTES GREAT STATEMENTS OF THE
2. THE MANIFESTATION OF GOD’S LOVE
GOSPEL
How did God’s love show itself? How do we know He loves us? His love is
by Francis W. Dixon
declared in the words, “He gave His one and only Son…”, and notice:-
1. It was practical. We read here that God “gave”. Love must express itself, and
Study 6 THE MOST WONDERFUL PROMISE EVER MADE it does so by giving. The friend, the lover, the parent – all express their love by
(Key verse: John 3:16) their giving. The proof that God loves us is that He gave His Son to be our
Saviour. The verse does not say, ‘God so loved the world that He sent His Son”.
Our key verse is generally regarded as the greatest verse in the Bible, and it This might mean that He came to do a special work which He accomplished,
seems a presumption to attempt to say anything about this inspired sentence of but that this work did not affect us in the slightest. The fact that God did not only
just 26 words; and yet, if by doing so we can see a little more of God’s amazing send His Son but that He gave His Son, shows us that God has once-and–for-
plan of redeeming love, then it will be worthwhile. There are two reasons why it all given to us this great Gift, and He will never withdraw the Gift – look up
is felt to be the greatest verse. Firstly, no other verse is so full of the gospel, Romans 8:32.
with a complete survey of God’s redemption; secondly, no other single verse of 2. It was unique. God’s gift was that of “his one and only Son”. Think of the
scripture has brought salvation to so many people - the greatest statement of method he used to convey His love – He sent His own Son! This is the very
the gospel in the shortest possible space, God’s love being the theme. heart of the gospel message; it is the meaning and significance of the
Incarnation – look up and compare Galatians 4:4-5; 1 John 5:11-12.
3. It was sacrificial. We read that He sent “his….only Son! If God had had ten
1. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF GOD’S LOVE
sons and had sent one to be our Saviour this would have been a sacrificial gift,
1. It is divine love. It is God who loved the world. The only love that we know but He had only one Son – He gave His all.
anything about, apart from the revelation contained in this verse, is human love; 3. THE PURPOSE OF GOD’S LOVE
but God, who is the author of all human love, is the great Lover who is What was God’s great objective in sending His Son into the world? This
mentioned here. His love is divine love, for “God is love” (1 John 4:8 and 16), question is answered in the words “that whoever believes in him shall not perish
and this love is the greatest love in the world. but shall have eternal life.”
2. It is unspeakable love. He “so loved the world.” The little word ‘so’ shows us 1. The breadth of the purpose – “whoever”. This does not mean everyone, but it
the intensity of God’s love, but how intense it is no-one can say. Nowhere does does mean anyone. With the word ‘whoever’ we can go to anyone and tell them
the Bible attempt to define God’s love; it only illustrates it, and John 3:16 is the that God loves them. Some people think that salvation has been provided for
great illustration. See how the Apostle Paul describes it – look up Ephesians only a certain number of people and therefore we must be careful that when we
3:18-19. preach or share the gospel we preach it only to those people. But God loves
3. It is eternal love. We read that “God so loved the world…”. When did His love everybody, everywhere!
begin? God’s love had no beginning because God Himself had no beginning. It 2. The blessings of the purpose. Notice the words “shall not perish but have
is not true to say that God did not love us until Jesus died for us. The fact is that eternal life.” Everybody, everywhere, who does not believe on the Lord Jesus
God loved us and because of this He sent the Lord Jesus to die for us. This is Christ is perishing. Christ has saved us from that possibility if we come to Him
what our verse tells us – look up and compare Romans 5:8. His love is an and trust Him as our Saviour – see John 10:28-29 – saved from perishing, but
everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). to life eternal.
4. It is a universal love. “God so loved the world …”, not just some part of it but 3. The limitation of the purpose. God’s offer is unlimited on His side, but often it
all of it. Have you ever thought of the miracle of a universal love? Think of the is limited on man’s side, because it is the person who “believes in him” who is
millions of people in the world – people of all kinds and colours, good and bad, saved from perishing and receives the gift of everlasting life. We have His
and yet God loves them all. He does not love us only when we are good and assurance.
hate us when we are bad, but He loves us all the time, although of course He What, then, does it mean to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? This is the most vital
does not love our sin. ‘The love of God is broader than the measures of man’s question we could ask, because we are only saved as we believe. To believe on the
mind; and the heart of the eternal is most wonderfully kind.’ Lord Jesus Christ is to accept Him, to receive Him as our personal Saviour, as John
5. It is unmerited love. When we remind ourselves that God loves “the world” 1:12 makes perfectly clear. Do you have this assurance that you have passed from
we at once realise how unmerited His love is, for there is nothing lovely in any death to life?
of us for Him to love. The word ‘world’ refers to the lost (Luke 19:10), the
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WORDS OF LIFE SERIES 53 perishing world of men and women who are separated from God by their sin

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