공동체와 양육

The Good News: You are Loved (John 3:16-18)

2009.04.12Rev. 에디 변

God loves you just as you are, and he gave his only Son so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. Receiving that gift means trusting in Jesus Christ alone.

God loves you just as you are (vv. 16)

Every person longs to be loved, and that longing is built into the human heart. The good news begins with the fact that God so loved the world, meaning not just the physical earth but everyone in it: you, me, and our neighbors. The world tells us that love must be earned by how we look, how much we earn, or what we achieve. The gospel says otherwise. God loves you as you are, and that love is the first message he has for you.

Your value never changes because you bear God's image

God created man and woman in his image, and that gives every human life its worth. Like a bill that keeps its value even when it is crumpled, stepped on, or called worthless, your value does not depend on what others say or what you have done. Harsh words from parents and the failures of your past cannot erase the value God sees in you. God made you, and he cherishes you.

Love gives, and God gave his only Son

Love is always giving, and God is love, so he gave his one and only Son. The greatest gift one can give, as in marriage, is one's whole self, and Jesus gave his whole life. Sin is not just taking candy or telling small white lies; it is a condition of the heart that affects our character, our motives, and our conduct. Paul writes in 1 Timothy 1:15 that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and his blood washes away every sin.

God did not send his Son to condemn the world (vv. 17)

John 3:17 makes clear that God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it through him. Jesus did not come to point the finger and declare people hell-bound. He came to save us from our sins and to purchase a place in heaven for us, as Revelation 5:9 says that by his blood he purchased people from every tribe, language, people, and nation. The value of his blood is infinite, and he would rather die than live without you.

Eternal life is a gift that must be received by faith (vv. 18)

John 3:18 says that whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already. Eternal life is not only a place but a person, Jesus Christ, and God offers him to you. A gift is yours only when you take it. Believing is more than agreeing that these things are true, since even demons believe and shudder, as James 2:19 tells us. Believing means that you stop trusting in yourself and your good works and trust in Jesus Christ alone.

Apply to Life

  • Let us respond to God's love, since to do nothing is to reject it.
  • Let us consider whether we have ever received the gift of eternal life that God offers through his Son.
  • Let us stop trusting in our own works and place our full trust in Jesus Christ alone.
  • Let us believe that we are loved by God and that our value does not depend on what others say about us.

This summary was made automatically from the sermon's captions and may differ from the sermon.

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