When I think about God’s love, the scripture that comes to mind is this well-known verse:
“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.”
If you grew up in church, John 3:16 was probably one of the first verses you ever memorized. It is a scripture I’ve known as long as I can remember. I know that its core message is of salvation, describing God’s purpose in sending Jesus to save people from the oppression of sin. Yet, part of me has questioned the action of love in this verse.
What made God love me enough to sacrifice His Son?
Why does God want me to have salvation?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes loved as
to be cherished,
to take pleasure in, or
to thrive in.
When John 3:16 says that “God so loved the world”, it means that God loved everyone. Every life that has been or will be, God showed His love for all of us through the atonement of our sins and the salvation of our lives. The use of the verb loved explains the reason God destined this major act of kindness: He cherishes us, takes pleasure in our existence, and He wants us to thrive in relationship with Him for all of eternity. If you ask me, that’s an incredible example of being truly loved.
“…indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:39
The Ultimate Sacrifice
When it comes to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Despite all the negativity that labels us as “sinners”, God loved us enough to destine His Son to die for us. God knew that we could never earn salvation through our own efforts, yet because of His love, He created a way for our sins to be atoned through Jesus’ sacrifice. Jesus took our every sin upon Himself and gave up His own life so that we may be saved—that’s how much God loves us.
It says in Isaiah 53:4 (NIV) that, “Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down… “, and Isaiah 53:5 (NLT) continues by saying, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” It was out of love, that Christ atoned for our transgressions and redeem our sin-filled lives for the good of our futures. Jesus endured the penalty of the cross for our sins so that we could be cleared of punishment, making a way for us to have a relationship with God and receive eternal life.
The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:8, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” The gift of salvation is something we will never earn; it is an exquisite gift from God. And when we choose to accept it, our every sin is washed away, every tear is dried from our eyes, and the way to eternity is paved through our relationship with Christ.
This is how much God cherishes us.
Our Lives in His Hands
“…he rescued me because he delights in me.” Psalm 18:19
God made a way for our salvation because he loves us. Our existence, our purpose, our personalities, our lives are important to Him; He takes delight in knowing us! And even more than that, God created us—our lives and very beings—with intention and purpose. As we grow in relationship with God, we learn that He loves us enough to notice us, even when we might not realize it.
In Jeremiah 1:5, God says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart…” Every time I read this scripture, I’m amazed that before we were even born, God knew us. Before our lives began, He consecrated our existence to be used for a special purpose, designing every part of our beings—our looks, our quirks, our personalities—and planning the details of our futures. That’s how intentional God was when He created us!
God’s love and adoration for us goes even further as Jesus says in Luke 12:7, “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered…” Our lives hold exceptional worth and value to the Lord, so much so that He has numbered every hair on our heads! God pays attention to the littlest, most insignificant parts of ourselves and our lives because He genuinely cares about us. (*Hair is important, I know, but counting each follicle, that’s just monotonous).
This is how much God takes pleasure in us.
“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:28
God with Us
In Matthew 28:20, Jesus told His disciples, “…And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”, and in Hebrews 13:5 scripture reminds us, “…God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” God is with us always—even in the dark, stormy nights, or bright, pleasant days, even in the disparaging grief or elating happiness, even in the deplorable heartache or the victorious triumphs—God will never leave us. Bad things are destined to happen in this sin-fallen world, but there is hope in knowing that we are held firmly in the palm of God’s love and protection.
David explains this concept best in Psalm 23, stating:
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me… Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life…” (v. 1-5, 6)
Knowing that God is always there to comfort and protect us throughout our lives is reassuring, yet the significance of our salvation doesn’t end there. Jesus said in John 14:2, “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?” The importance of Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary wasn’t just to save us from sin, but to prepare a place for us in Heaven. God doesn’t just want us to know Him while on earth, He wants to spend eternity with us, too! He loves us so much that He initiated this multi-layered rescue plan of redemption through His only Son, so that we could live in everlasting communion with Him. Isn’t that incredible?
In order for us to receive the gift of eternal life, we not only need to accept salvation, but we also need to pursue a personal relationship with God. Just like with any relationship, we must prioritize getting to know God. Reading scripture not only encourages us and helps us understand our faith, but it also tells us about who God is—His character, His promises, and His love for us. Through prayer, we build a closer bond as we talk to God about our problems, share our dreams, ask for His provision, and thank Him for our blessings. These habits connect us to the heart of God’s care and keep us rooted in the foundation of His unconditional love.
I think that understanding God’s love can be overwhelming and lots of different questions can develop from such an involved topic. But I believe that if He took time to create our lives, form our beings, and destine a purpose for our futures, then God must love us an awful lot. And if He loves us that much, then He must care a lot about us, too. It is within His loving care where we find our true worth, learn to live with intention, and believe that greater things are yet to come.
This is how we thrive in God’s love for us.
“So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” 1 John 4:16
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