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THE WORLD THAT GOD LOVES (JOHN 3:11-21)

REFLECTION

The theme for our reflection is “The world that God loves” The world refers to God’s creation which includes mankind as the beneficiaries. God’s love is unconditional and redemptive care for His creation, especially human beings whom He has created in His Image and according to Genesis 1:26 but for mankind’s disobedience or sin. We shall reflect on the truth that God made the ultimate sacrifice as the demonstration of His love for the world, and all that He requires from the world or mankind is for him or her to have faith in Jesus Christ, and as a result of that faith, live as a child of the Light and not as a child of darkness.

Beloved in the Lord, we must respond to God’s love for the world by having faith in Jesus Christ, accepting and following the examples of Jesus as the Light of the world in whom our salvation is assured. It is for this reason that Jesus assured us, “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. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17) Paul, also put it this way, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) Beloved in the Lord, until the second coming of Jesus Christ, we continue to live in the dispensation of grace and the abundant and unconditional love of God for the world. In other words, if there is any better time for the world to be saved, it is now because “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9).

It is important to know that having faith in Jesus is not an excuse to continue living in sin with the erroneous belief that God’s love abounds for the world therefore He will forever continue to be gracious. Paul addressed this erroneous belief when he wrote to the Romans, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died of sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin — 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.” (Romans 6:1-7). It means we cannot continue to live in sin because “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do Ephesians 2:8-10

Dear friend, since we have been saved through faith in Jesus who is the demonstration of God’s love for the world, then our faith must compel us to follow the perfect examples of Jesus who is the Light of the world. We cannot walk in the Light and continue to harbour darkness in our lives. It is for this reason Jesus admonished us “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. John Testifies Again About Jesus “(John 3:19-22). To be concise, faith gives us an assurance of God’s love and salvation through Christ, again faith also means a life dedicated to following Jesus as the Light of the World so that we shall be counted as children of righteousness. Do you have faith in Jesus and has this faith caused you to live as a child of the Light? Let us remember that “ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21) Let us follow Jesus in faith and obedience to the will of God.

In summary, we have learnt that God made the ultimate sacrifice as the demonstration of His love for the world, and all that He requires from the world or mankind is for him or her to have faith in Jesus Christ, and as a result of that faith, live as a child of the Light and not as the child of darkness.

PRAYER

Thank God for His unconditional and gracious love for the world. Holy Spirit, strengthen our faith and help us to live as children of the Light. Amen.