God Commendeth His Love

We have been enjoying our time studying verse by verse through the book of John in Adult Sunday School at Sharon Baptist Church. As we have come to chapter 3, the Lord allowed us the opportunity to go over that blessed verse, John 3:16. 
 
"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."
 
Perhaps no other verse in the Word of God has been so mightily used to draw men to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. As we looked at that wonderful summary verse of God's redemptive plan and His love for us, the Word of God immediately reminded us and set the record straight as to the character of our wonderful Almighty God!
 
Verse 17 states, "​For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
 
We find further in the second epistle of Peter, chapter 3 verse 9 that, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
 
For thousands of years, the Lord has been and continues to be long-suffering to us-ward. He would that all men would be saved and come unto the knowledge of the truth (Titus 2:4). The sad truth is that many choose to abide in darkness and reject the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
As the world continues to wax worse and worse, evil folks will continue to use the tactic of the Devil, which is to malign the character of God. 
 
This was Satan's tactic in Genesis 3 in his portrayal of God as holding back good from man. And evil men today, under his influence, still do the same. 
 
As I studied and prepared to teach through verses 16-21, I was reminded of how men shake their fists at God in an attempt to divert the Light from exposing their love for darkness. (Amazingly, this will continue through the tribulation period, even while God's judgment falls upon this world.)
 
One such man, who has received much notoriety, Richard Dawkins, stated this, "The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all of fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully."
 
How could someone possibly come to this conclusion? The answer is found in the Word of God.
The Bible says in John 3, 
 "18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20  For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."
 
Those that shake their fist at God, who deny what all of creation testifies and what God has put in them, do so to conceal their evil deeds. The Light has come into the world; He is the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  The choice before all men is evident. Either come to the Light, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ or remain in the darkness because their deeds are evil. 
 
John, yea the Holy Spirit, sets the record straight in verse 17, "​For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

"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."​ 

"For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged." 
Romans 3:3-4
 
If you would like to hear more than just this small except from our Sunday School Series in John, visit https://www.sharonbaptisthamptonva.com/john.html
 
 - Pastor James, Associate Pastor, Sharon Baptist Church
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