1 John 3:16-18; 4:9-10, Love (6)

Today is a day for meditation, on “love personified” in our Lord Jesus Christ.

·       John 3:16:  Jesus is the love of God in a person.  God loved the world; the world had an unsolvable problem; God sent a person, His only begotten Son.  There is only One of whom He said, You are My Son; today I have begotten You (Psa. 2:7).  Allow yourself to delve into the mysterious Godhead, so you remember that what God did was that He Himself came to earth to solve our problem.

·       Romans 5:8: God showed His love by doing this, sending His Son to die for us, while we were still sinners.  This defines agape.  It is love that is initiated totally within the Lover.  So here is another mystery to get lost in: the mystery of fallen angels.  The Bible is not a manual on all things angelic; Man, by God’s design, is at the center of what God is doing.  God did not send His Son to die for evil angels; but He did show His love by sending His Son for sinful Man. For indeed He does not give aid to angels; but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham (Hb. 2:16).

·       Galatians 2:20: Have you noticed so far, that the verses that speak of love personified in Christ are all on the basic Scripture memorization list.  There’s a reason for that.  The life I now live in the flesh I live by the “faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”  Two things I call to your attention.  Literally, He gave Himself “on my behalf,” in my place.  How marvelous.  The vicarious atonement of Christ.  And second, the King James was correct in my opinion: “the faith of the Son of God.”  Your translation probably says “faith in the Son of God.”  Of course, everyone knows, we must believe in the Son of God.  But the poor translation misses an amazing point: it is the faithfulness of Christ, God’s Son, to death, even the death of the cross (Phil. 2:8) that makes this possible.  It’s another mystery, the mystery of our union with Christ.  I am crucified, but only in union with Christ when He died such a death.  He had to be faithful so I would have something/Someone in which to place my faith.

·       1 John 4:9-10: God was rightfully angry with the fallen creation, including Man who rebelled against God who showed His goodness to them.  We did not love God!  He was necessarily angry, given His holiness; He cannot ignore sin.  So He poured out His wrath on HIS SON!  The atonement is truly mysterious, in that you cannot ever plumb the depths of what God did for us, in love.

·       Ephesians 5:25: You think this is all academic?  Not so!  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for her. 

·       1 John 3:16: Again, By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us.  And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.  With these last two passages, review the previous four and examine your love at home and Church.  Are we taking wrath for someone else?  Are we sacrificing your life for others?  Are we being faithful in a severe trial, that others might be benefited?