For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son...
That may come from the most famous verse in the Bible but it doesn’t mean it is understood. What is God’s love?
Today, love is generally defined in two ways:
1) a strong emotional attachment.
2) a blanket accommodation for groups of people (usually centered on behavior and ideology).
So, how do you define God’s love if those are the choices? Obviously, you don’t use those choices. Instead, you go to Scripture and let it tell you what love is.
Hatred stirs up strife but love covers all transgressions (Proverbs 10:12).
All you have to do is read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 to understand what it means that love covers sin(s). Take a look at Joseph and Mary to see this in action. He was engaged and his fiancée was pregnant. He knew he wasn’t the father. In his mind it was blatantly obvious that Mary had sinned. What did he do? He tried to find a way forward for her without excusing her (supposed) sin. He had (seemingly) every right to publicly humiliate her presenting himself as the victim of an injustice. Instead, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, [he] planned to send her away secretly (Matthew 1:19). As Paul said, love does not act unbecomingly ... does not rejoice in unrighteousness ... hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:5-7).
Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13).
Biblical love is sacrificial. The one who loves is responsible for making the sacrifice. The world has it exactly opposite. Love is defined by others making a personal sacrifice so that you can feel good about yourself. Isn’t that the requirement of the LGBTQ community? I have to sacrifice my integrity, beliefs, and values so they can feel better about themselves. Otherwise, not only am I not loving but I am a hateful bigot. Have you ever read the next sentence after Jesus talked about love being sacrificial? You are my friends if you do what I command you (John 15:14). Love is inherently connected to obeying God.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
The motive for love is hopeful change. The personal sacrifice is made so that things can turn for the better. Love doesn’t wallow in itself. As Paul said, it hopes all things. Love isn’t interested in the status quo. It wants something better for others and is willing to risk it all so they can have it. God didn’t wait for someone to do something about the sin problem. He shouldered it Himself. That’s what love is and does.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear... (1 John 4:18).
Ultimately, love is courageous. It goes out on a limb while a mean person is holding a saw. Love doesn’t wait until it is either safe or sure to be appreciated. Most of the world knows about John 3:16. But John 3:16 isn’t appreciated by most of the world. God knew that and yet He still sent His only begotten Son. That’s love.
So what does it mean that God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son? Well, it begins with Genesis 1:1. God made the decision to create. His omniscience means He knew full well what that decision would lead to. As David put it in Psalm 51:4, Against You, You only, I have sinned. Every single sin is personally aimed at God. Every. Single. One. From Satan’s sin to your sin and my sin. God has felt every sin committed by every person. Yet He still went forward with His decision to create the universe and all of mankind. Who would sign up for that kind of incomprehensible misery?
God so loved the world...
Then there is the incarnation. And the Word became flesh... (John 1:14). We will never fully comprehend the depth of that statement until we receive the glorified bodies of the resurrection that will be eternal. Only when that happens will we be begin to understand the level of love and commitment the Son had/has for mankind. The prince to pauper motif in literature doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of the Godhead’s love for us. When you are living in New Jerusalem viewing the face of God in your immortal body think what it would be to consider going back to how you are now. Then it will begin to dawn on you just what Christ did. Maybe that’s why C.S. Lewis called the incarnation “The Grand Miracle.”
God so loved the world...
And finally, there’s Calvary. The giving of the Son in totality. Death. Forsakenness. And worse: He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). The scapegoat. The Godhead saw this clearly and perfectly the moment it was decided to bring the world into existence. It is by far and away the worst obscenity to suggest that God sent His Son to experience the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual chaos of the crucifixion so that we could all be accepted and remain as we are.
It is interesting the way Jesus went from telling Nicodemus about “the world” to “whoever believes” isn’t it? Love knew that as a whole the world wouldn’t care about what God did. But there always was and shall be hope for the whoevers in the world. The people who don’t want to remain alienated from God. The people who long for change within. Hope. Courage. Patience. Sacrifice. You.
This is what God’s love is.
Merry Christmas.
