The difference between perishing and living, and between condemnation and salvation, is faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus could well have come to this world as a judge and destroyed every rebellious sinner. Rather in love, He came to this world as our Savior, and He died for us on the cross! He became the “uplifted serpent.” The serpent in Moses’ day brought physical life to dying Jews; but Jesus Christ gives eternal life to anyone who trusts Him. He obtained salvation for the entire world.
The Father loves the Son (John 3:35; 10:17; 15:9–10; 17:23–24, 26; 5:20); the Son loves the Father (14:31); Jesus loves His own, His true disciples (11:5; 13:1, 33, 34; 14:21; 15:9–10, 12; 21:7, 20), and they love Him in return (14:15, 21, 23f., 28; 21:15–25). They must also love one another (13:34–35; 15:12–13, 17; 17:26). Sometimes John speaks of the Father’s love for the disciples (14:21, 23; 17:23), but more frequently of how the Father’s love for the disciples is mediated through his Son. The world, with fallen and rebellious human beings, does not and cannot love God (3:19; 5:42; 8:42).
God’s love is to be admired not because the world is so big and includes so many people, but rather because the world is so bad. The customary meaning of the word world connotes evil. The world is so wicked that John elsewhere forbids Christians to love it or anything in it (1 John 2:15–17). There is no contradiction between this prohibition and the fact that God does love it. Christians are not to love the world with a selfish love by becoming a part of it. God loves the world with the self-less, costly love of redemption.
Upon reflection, please answer these questions.
- If God loves the world, why is there a prohibition in Scripture against Christians loving it?
- Identify some things that you consider worldly and easy to love.
- How would you counsel yourself to overcome those things?
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