God so loved the world

Peter Jeffery
© Day One Publications, www.dayone.co.uk, used with permission

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16).

These words spoken by Jesus are probably the most famous in the Bible and certainly the most widely preached. This isn’t surprising, because there’s so much to learn from this verse. It’s no exaggeration to say that there’s enough truth here, if properly understood and acted upon, to gain you a guaranteed place in heaven!

The verse tells us of two parties—God and the world. It also tells us a most important thing about these parties: God loves, and the world perishes.

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O perfect life of love

by Henry Williams Baker, 1821–77

1 O PERFECT life of love! 
  all, all is finished now, 
 all that He left His throne above 
  to do for us below. 
 
2  No work is left undone 
  of all the Father willed; 
 His toil and sorrows, one by one, 
  the Scriptures have fulfilled. 
 
3  No pain that we can share 
  but He has felt its smart; 
 all forms of human grief and care 
  have pierced that tender heart. 
  
4  And on His thorn-crowned head, 
  and on His sinless soul, 
 our sins in all their guilt were laid, 
  that He might make us whole. 
 
5  In perfect love He dies: 
  for me He dies, for me! 
 O all-atoning sacrifice, 
  I cling by faith to Thee. 
 
6  In every time of need, 
  before the judgment throne, 
 Thy work, O Lamb of God, I’ll plead, 
  Thy merits, not my own. 
 
7  Yet work, O Lord, in me 
  as Thou for me hast wrought; 
 and let my love the answer be 
  to grace Thy love has brought.