Many believers have certain verses in the bible they like more than others. They are verses that hit a certain emotional chord that affects them in unique ways. One of the most well-known verses in the New Testament is John 3:16. For those of you who may not know it, it says this: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him (Jesus) shall not perish but have eternal life.” I remember being taught this verse and having to memorize it as a little kid in Sunday school many years ago. For centuries, this verse has been in many ways the written anthem of Christianity. If you had to sum up the New Testament in one simple but powerful verse, it can be found in John 3:16.

I remember years ago having a conversation with Pastor James about the love of God. And even though we had this talk about thirty five years ago, one thing he said always stuck in my mind. He said to me, “Many times the way we view our own father is the way we look at God.” In other words, whatever the characteristic of some male role model in your life may be, they will affect your mental image of God. Think about how true this is for a minute. If you had a father who was a hardworking man, laid back and full of compassion, your view of God is going to be totally different from the child whose father is a violent alcoholic.

I have battled with truly understanding God’s love towards me my entire life. I could never really comprehend how through all of my sins and failures He not only didn’t turn His back on me, but over the course of many years, has actually (I respectfully says this) chased after me. If you have a mental battle like I did, I pray that this attempt in writing this article may help. Maybe by His Grace it will change the image that has been ingrained in your mind about God and His love for you.

So what makes John 3:16 so popular and powerful even today? What is it about these few words that can change the life of a hardened sinner and melt the heart of a born again believer all in the same sentence? Do we really understand the full meaning of what God is trying to tell us about His love? Most importantly, how does God open our eyes to understand the fullness that His love possess?

Let’s look at the first few words in John 3:16. “For God so loved the world...” The first thing that stands out in the first line is this… Look at what it says that God loved so much… “The world.” A world that not only denies His very being but in many ways is hostile towards everything considered sacred and holy. God doesn’t love a world that is looking for or even believes in Him. He loves a world that in many ways curses and despises His name. Think of how far in this country alone, we have come from honoring the name of God. Prayers in school, gone. The Ten Commandments posted in our courthouses, that’s gone too. The world has become so rebellious that in many places it has even stopped the use of the word “Christmas” during the holiday season. How hypercritical is that? In a season originally meant to celebrate His virgin birth, now bans you from mentioning the very name of the person the season was created in honor of. People living lifestyles totally contrary to God’s word and not feeling sorrow or repentance but actually proud and boastful in their defiance. And despite this entire hostility toward Him, God continues, in a way our human minds can’t conceive, to love this world.

So what action did God take because he loved this world so much? “He gave His one and only Son.” This goes to the heart of Christianity and the part that remains so amazing that it’s almost too much for us to believe. God, because He loves us so much and wants to have a relationship with us, freely gave the ultimate sacrifice… His only Son. Now it wouldn’t be incorrect to say that God sent Jesus to satisfy the legalistic nature of His law. I understand that. But why did He really send Jesus to die a brutal death on a cross for our sins? 1 John 4:9, shows us the true motivation of God’s heart. “This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.” The main reason God allowed His Son to be beaten and die on a cross is strictly this… He loves us. Any parent out there who is reading this can’t even imagine a sacrifice such as this. Can you even think of handing over your child to be mocked, ridiculed, beaten and eventually put to death for people who don’t even want him? And through all this, even as they were putting nails into His blood torn body, Jesus did nothing but love them. It’s truly Amazing Love.

Finally who are the candidates to receive this gift of eternal life through His Son? It’s simple, “whoever believes.” Whether you’re well off financially, highly educated, or you’re homeless and living on the street, you can receive this gift through only one means. "If you believe.” Imagine that there is no sin you nor I have ever committed that wasn’t washed away by the Blood of Jesus on the cross. Christianity is not denying you ever committed these sins, it’s knowing in your heart that you are lost in them without Jesus as your savior. And unlike what many of us have been taught that God requires some sort of sacrifice or penance on our part, all of that was fulfilled by Jesus on the cross. You can’t add or take away anything to His sacrificial death. The only requirement in accepting this great gift comes in one powerful word, “Believe.” Acts 16:31 says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” His blood has opened the pathway to eternal life for all of us who have put our faith in Him.

It’s strange but even as I write this, the words don’t seem to have the full impact that in my mind I’d like to portray. There are certain subjects that I write about that I know, by God’s Grace, the examples that I give hit the mark. It’s totally different when you write about God’s Love. You see, God’s love is something that can’t be explained to you mentally. There are no words that even the greatest writers can put together to get you to completely understand the fullness of His love. But then, I realized why. It was never God’s intention to make His love just a mental concept. Here’s why. Look at these verses in Ephesians. Paul writes this prayer to the family of Christians at the church at Ephesus. Ephesians 3:16-19 “I pray that out of His glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, (individually) being rooted and established in Love, may have power, together with all the saints…” Now it sounds as though Paul is praying this prayer of strength and power for these new believers to fight off spiritual attacks or the pressure of sin right? No. Curiously, he gives us his reason when he continues… “to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge.” This Amazing Love that God has for us goes so far beyond the human intellect. According to this verse it surpasses all mental knowledge. In fact, Paul actually prays for the power and strength of the Holy Spirit to reveal it to us in our inner being (our spirit). No words that any writer, especially someone who poorly writes like I do, can explain this love to you. The only way God can reveal this love is through the Spirit’s power. The mental mind can’t grasp how wide, long, high and deep is this love. It can only be revealed into your spirit by God’s Spirit himself. And think how strong the road blocks we have set up in our minds are that they even blocked God’s love? So strong are these road blocks that it takes the Spirit’s strength and power to reveal it to us. Imagine how much He loves us that He uses His great power to make that love real to our hearts and spirit? His love isn’t magnified in our hearts through a soft whisper but through His power and strength. In many cases such as mine, there were a lot of obstacles in the way.

If you’re not a believer in Christ Jesus, we at WHM want you to leave this article understanding just one thing… He Loves You. And like He has done with all of us, he will use this amazing love to chase you until you take your very last breath. And all He asks in return for His love… Only that you believe in His Son, The Lord Jesus.

Just Something to Consider.