The Love and Light of God

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God” (John 3:16-21).

These words of Jesus are among the most familiar words from the Bible… For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. We see and hear these words quoted often. They even appear on signs at football games and other sporting events. Many Christ followers believe the words spoken here by Jesus to the wise and learned teacher of Israel Nicodemus are a concise summary of the truth of the gospel. Nicodemus had asked a penetrating question… “How can a man be born when he is old?” (John 3:4). Jesus answered that spiritual truth is revealed through revelation by God’s grace and He included in His response the amazing truth that God sent His only Son into the world that we might know the love and light of God.

When you give a gift to someone and you want to show how much you love them, don’t you give your best? Don’t you want the value of the gift to reflect the value of your love? When our Father wanted us to know how much He loved us He sent His only Son. He did not send another creature, another human being, or even an adopted son. God gave His only Son because only the Son could reveal the intensity of God’s love to us and provoke the kind of response that God longed for.

Imagine how intense God’s love is. The Spirit moved John to write God so loved the world. The Spirit inspired Paul to teach that God loves sinners… “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8). The Spirit inspired John to write that God loves Christ followers, His adopted children… “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are” (1 John 3:1). Indeed, God loves the whole world with an intense love that moved Him to send His Son Jesus to give His life that we might receive life from Him.

The Spirit plainly teaches that all people are sinners… “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). What sets God’s adopted children apart from the rest of the world’s sinners? It’s all about our response to the love and light of God revealed in Christ. Jesus Christ was the love of God but He was also the light of God that came into the world He created… “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:9). When sinners approach the light of God something amazing happens. The condition of our heart is illuminated by the true light. Those who love the darkness of their evil ways are repelled by God’s light… everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, while genuine truth seekers are drawn to God’s light… whoever does what is true comes to the light. When truth seekers who have been drawn to the true light respond in faith to receive Christ, they are born again as children of God… “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13). Children of God are promised eternal life and all the blessings that come from walking daily with Christ in His glorious light… “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

As we grow up into Christ we become more like Him as we walk daily in…

The Love and Light of God.