THE LOVE OF GOD

"That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 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" (John 3:15, 16).

What do these words mean?

"God so loved the world," kept in their context! It means that God so loved His elect that are in all nations as believers, for sure. The only way we know who the elect of God are is by the fact that they are believers. These are called chosen ones in Ephesians 1:4 called sheep in John 10:27. We call them the elect because some of the elect ones are not believers yet. But they will be. "That whosoever believeth in him," this means that any person in any nation that is a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ has eternal life. It means Jehovah loved a people outside the Jewish nation. This fact is still repulsive to the Jew. He can't believe God could love (put His blessings on) the Gentiles, as He had blessed the Jewish nation, that is, to speak to them, to be their God and them be His people. This love is limited to believers, even those in the Jewish nation or throughout the world this explains the "whosoever".

"Believeth in him," that is, in Jesus as the Messiah. This also was a new thought to them as a people and as a nation. This was also repulsive to them. They looked on our Lord as a man. They could not see Him as He was, indeed, the Son of God come down from heaven. The only people who have ever seen Him in this manner have done so by faith. We are talking about believing in Him to save their soul. Believing that He is the only one that can take away our sins by the sacrifice of Himself. We are not talking about an historical belief, or an intellectual belief. We are talking about a belief that God the Holy Spirit gives to the elect when He quickens them together with Christ.

It moves us with compassion to hear people say they are a believer in Jesus, when we know that they believe a lot of other things, too, such as believing in their church membership, their baptism, their obedience, etc. Why are we grieved? They are not really believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. They believe in Him plus a lot of other things. We sing the Song, "Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe." It is not, a part to Him I owe and a part I give myself credit to, that I am saved. Believeth in Him as what? As the only begotten Son of God that came down from heaven (verse 13), and ascended back to heaven, that is, after His death, burial and resurrection (I. Cor. 15:3) and this in order to pay our sin debt. God gave His Son, the only way sin can be remitted. John 3: 16 does not tell us why people believe, but according to Ephesians 2: 1-10 we are told, "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins." This quickening seems to be totally ignored in modern day teaching.

We are also told that faith is a gift of God. Most people teach that man has ability within himself to believe. And his believing will bind God to give him eternal life. Hence no love in this, no gift, no grace, just works and more works. This love of God is effective to give eternal life. Any love short of giving eternal life is not the kind of love spoken of in John 3:16. Does God have two kinds of love? One for believers and another kind for unbelievers? If so, let someone come forth with the Scripture to teach this. In John 3:18 unbelievers are condemned already. As long as they remain in unbelief they shall remain condemned. In verse 36 He tells us the wrath of God abideth on them that believe not. Does God love those that His wrath is abiding on at the same time? Does God love those already in hell! and those that are going there? If so, His love didn't do them any good. John 3:16 tells us of a love that gives eternal life. Can you believe God loved Gentiles too, enough to give them eternal life, by giving His only begotten Son. Eternal life was a new thought to them. Their thoughts were restoring the kingdom to Israel. A literal kingdom to a nation of people. Eternal life, you must be born again, born of the Spirit, what is this? Where does this life come from? In John l0:28 Jesus said, "And I give unto them (His sheep) eternal life." There are many that have trouble believing God is the giver of eternal life, all those that are depending on their good life they live, those that think they have to help God save them, that God has a part and man has a part. Man contributes nothing toward his salvation. Then there are those who believe they can lose this gift of eternal life. If so it was not eternal, if words mean anything at all. 

By Elder Walter Herin