John 3:16 “God so loved the world” – global
It has been often said that the first mention of love in the Bible is of that of Abraham for his son, Isaac. “And [God] said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of” (Gen 22:2). In a few words, this pictures the greatest of loves, that of the Father for the Son, and the enormous sacrifice the Father would make. Indeed, love of God for His Son is taken up in the first mention of love in the New Testament, when at the Lord’s baptism, there is the voice from heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt 3:17; also Mark 1:11, Luke 3:22).
But the first mention of love in John’s gospel is that of God’s love for the world. This gives the global aspect of God’s love, where no-one who has been brought into this world is excluded.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
“The world”, of sinful, rebellious enemies of God, contrasted with God’s love, which is sacrificial – “He gave His only begotten Son”, His dearest and best. This love, this sacrifice fully meets the direst need of the world, “should not perish”. And it pays and incalculable price to give the greatest reward, “have everlasting life”.
Romans 5:8 “God commendeth His love towards us” – all believers
This verse is true for the whole world, but in the context in which it is written, its addressed to all those who are believers.
“But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8).
When he says, “died for us”, the apostle Paul is referring to those who have shown faith and so have been justified: “Therefore being justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1). God didn’t wait for us to reform, to deserve His love. God showed His love and Christ died while we were “without strength … ungodly … sinners”.
God’s love for us, His believing people, is unfailing love. As the apostle says later in chapter 8, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? … [nothing] shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:35, 39).
Galatians 2:20 “the Son of God who loved me” – individual
This is now highly personal.
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Gal 2:20)
‘Head knowledge’ might agree with John 3:16 in saying, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son”. But faith takes this global truth and makes it intensely personal, “the Son of God who loved me, and gave himself for me”.
This is staggering. The Son of God is eternal and coequal with the Father, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). The Son of God is the creator and sustainer of all, “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). And yet this Son of God took interest in me! And while it is true that that He died for the world, He made the ultimate sacrifice of Himself for me.
Global, for all believers, individual – this is the love of God for us.
Richard