“God SO LOVED the world that He GAVE His only BEGOTTEN Son, that whoever believes in Him SHOULD NOT PERISH but have EVERLASTING LIFE. For God DID NOT SEND His Son into the world TO CONDEMN the world, but so that the world MIGHT BE SAVED THROUGH HIM.” (John 3:16-17)
- SO LOVED: God, WHO IS LOVE (1 John 4:8), actively demonstrated His love through Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, and through Him, offered salvation to ALL MANKIND. God used a Jewish person (the Apostle John) to write this portion of scripture, proclaiming that God did not just love the Jews but ALL the people in the whole world.
- HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON: Begotten, (monogenēs: only one of a kind) Jesus IS and WAS and ALWAYS has been, He was made flesh so He could came and have INTIMATE fellowship with mankind. Jesus could only SUFFER and DIE if He was MADE FLESH. All Jesus did while He was on earth He did AS A MAN to demonstrate to us what we can do with a right relationship with, and a belief in God.
- SHOULD NOT PERISH: Perish, (apollumi: to destroy utterly) Man is made up of spirit, soul & body, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole SPIRIT, SOUL, and BODY be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23) When we die, our body perishes. Our spirit and soul live eternally, “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power TO CAST INTO HELL; yes, I say to you, fear Him!” (Luke 12:4-5) If we have REPENTED (A feeling of such regret for past sins as to change one’s mind regarding living that lifestyle) of our sins and ASKED GOD TO FORGIVE us of our sins, we will have ETERNAL LIFE.
NOW THAT IS INDEED GOOD NEWS…
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham