“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16)

Love has three components:

1. An object – the world – you and me
2. A choice and decision – love is not an emotion. Love is a decision
3. A sacrifice

Today, we come across the third component of love: sacrifice.

When God chose the world as his object of love, God made the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of the beloved. In order that we might have life, God gave up his own life for our sake. That the decision for us required a rejection of everything that is not us was most clearly demonstrated on the cross of Jesus Christ.

For all of eternity, God the Father and the Son was in perfect relationship. There was never a time when God the Father and the Son were not unity and harmony.

But when the moment came for God to choose the world to be his beloved, it necessarily meant rejecting everything and everyone that was not the beloved – even his own Son.

For the first time in all of creation, when the Son turned to the Father, there was no response…just a deafening silence.

“And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'” (Matthew 27:46-47).

Everywhere else, when the New Testament speaks about God the Father and his relationship to the Son, the verb used to describe the purpose for Jesus coming to earth is always “send” as we find in John 3:17 – “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world…”

But when God wanted to remind the world how much he loves us, the word God uses is “gave.” The Greek word means “I offer,” “I give,” “I place,” “I put.” To love us, to save us, to redeem us, God offers, gives, places, and puts his Son on the cross to pay the debt of sin for us so that we might live with Christ through his resurrection.

Wow! What amazing love!!!

God absolutely loves you and that’s the God honest truth.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16)

In order to speak about God’s love, we have to start with John 3:16. You cannot love in a vacuum. Love must love someone or something: love must have an object. Yesterday we saw that God’s object of love is the world – you and me. What is surprising about this is that God doesn’t love the perfect you and me, God loves the sinful, messed up you and me. And the most amazing news is that God loves us so much, that God refuses to leave us in our sinful messed up conditions. God transforms us through his love.

The second thing that love requires is a choice. By choosing the world – you and me – as the object of love, it necessarily requires a decision against anything that would cause harm to you and me. That’s what it means to make a choice.

This is huge!!! Love is not a feeling or an emotion. Ultimately, love is a decision, it’s a choice.

By choosing us, it is a rejection of everything that is not for our best. That’s what love does. When we love someone, we hate the things that hurt and injure our loved ones. It would be preposterous to love the things that hurt and injure our loved ones.

It is impossible to love all things. When I say I love God, it’s much like saying I love Helen, my wife. It would be preposterous to say I love Helen, but I love Lisa. And, oh. I love Margo too. Don’t forget, Heidi. Love her too! Pledging one’s love to your spouse necessarily means a rejection of everyone that is not your spouse. There is a love relationship and decision for your spouse that must exclude a decision for anyone else.

When God makes a decision to love you and me as the object of his love, that meant a rejection of everything else that is not you and me. We will see that more clearly tomorrow.

Love is not love in a vacuum. Love requires an object of love.

Love is a decision. The decision to love requires a rejection of everything and everyone that is not the object of love.

God loves you. God chose you.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16)

Love – agape.

When it comes to speaking about the love of God, you have to start with John 3:16. This is the ultimate verse that describes how God loves you and me.

The Greeks had four words that are translated as love in the English:

• agape – God’s unconditional love
• storge – Familial love
• phileo – Friendship, love shared among friends
• eros – Romantic love shared by a couple

The word for love that is used in John 3:16 is agapao – the verb form of agape, God’s unconditional love.

Love can be both a verb and a noun. Whenever we use the word love as a verb, it does not exist on its own without having an object which one loves. You can’t just love. You always love someone or something.

The reason why John 3:16 is the ultimate verse that describes God’s love for you and me is because John 3:16 tells us that the world – you and me – is the object of God’s love.

Long before we even knew about God’s love, God already loved us. Long before a child can even know that he or she is loved, the parents already love that child. In fact, the parents loved the child even before the child was ever conceived. They dreamt of the time when the child would enter their lives. Even before they knew whether the child was a boy or a girl, they already loved the child.

God loved you and loves you long before you ever became aware of God’s love for you.

Love – agape.

God so loved the world – that’s you and me! Long before we even knew who God was, God loved us.

That’s why the scriptures testify, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

You and I have always been, you and I are, you and I will always be the object of God’s love.

God loves you!!!