John 3:16-21
God So LOVES the World
16 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. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 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.
God's Agape LOVE, and the distinction between "liking" and "loving" in both human and Divine contexts, is an interesting subject...This exploration of liking and love touches upon the very Essence of God's character and how His LOVE transcends our often-limited human understanding and experience...
I believe that God does not "LOVE" us without "LIKING" us also, and that Jesus taught His disciples this, fostering genuine affection among themselves...This is a profound Truth...In the Biblical understanding of God's LOVE, particularly Agape LOVE, it is not merely a sentimental feeling but an active, self-sacrificial, and benevolent will...However, this Agape LOVE is certainly not devoid of affection or fondness...For God, to LOVE is to deeply value, cherish, and desire the ultimate good for the beloved...This inherently includes a Divine "LIKING" or endearment, as He created humanity in His Own Image and delights in His creation...The Psalmist declares, "The LORD takes delight in His people; He crowns the humble with victory" (Psalm 149:4), clearly indicating God's affection and pleasure in His relationship with humanity...
Jesus perfectly embodied this comprehensive Agape LOVE of His Father...He didn't just command His disciples to love each other abstractly; He lived among them, shared meals, laughed, grieved, and formed deep bonds of friendship...Indeed, He explicitly called them "friends" (John 15:15), demonstrating the depth of His personal affection...His choice of the twelve, His patient teaching, and His intimate moments with them (like the Last Supper) further demonstrate a profound personal affection that undergirded His Divine LOVE for them...Indeed, their friendships with each other, looking through His eyes, were a natural outflow of His Presence and teachings...They were called to love one another as He had LOVED them (John 13:34), a LOVE that encompassed both deep affection and sacrificial commitment...
Mankind differs in the very real human experience: the challenge of maintaining "intense love" as we age and how relationships grow, and how it can sometimes feel like it "releases somewhat."...Human love, while powerful and beautiful, is often influenced by changing emotions, circumstances, and our finite nature...It can be a struggle to sustain the initial intensity of affection in one's younger years...This is where the contrast with God's LOVE becomes so vital...God's LOVE is not subject to the fluctuations of human emotion or the ravages of time and aging...God is always the same and never-changing, so His Eternal Agape LOVE is forever...It is His "eternal freshness of His perpetually self-renewed being."...Because "God is LOVE" (1 John 4:8, 16), His fondness, His endearment toward mankind, is His very Nature toward all His creatures and is the natural outflow of what He is to the Core...He is the One who can hold onto an Intense LOVE, eternal, because He is LOVE itself...
This brings us to the profound truth of John 3:16-18: "For God so LOVES the world that He gave His Only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life...For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him...Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s One and Only Son."...This passage is the ultimate testament to God's Agape LOVE...It's a LOVE so profound that He sacrificed His Only Son for a world that was lost, not out of mere obligation, but out of His Very Being...This LOVE is both deeply affectionate and utterly committed to our salvation...
When we, in our human frailty, "vainly try to capture with our tired but indispensable word 'love'," we indeed encounter many problems that God does not...Our love can be conditional, fleeting, or self-serving...We might think of giving up the one we love the most as an ultimate sacrifice, but for God, His giving of His Son was the ultimate expression of His inherent nature...His LOVE is the Standard, the Source, and the Power that enables us to even begin to comprehend and reflect True LOVE...We are called to participate in His LOVE, allowing His Spirit to transform our hearts so that our "liking" and "loving" become more aligned with His Divine Pattern, enduring and growing even amidst life's challenges...