For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
Understanding this verse is easy when we personalize it: “For God so loved ME that he gave his one and only begotten Son, that IF I believe in him, I shall not perish but have eternal life.” There is no greater and no sweeter statement than to hear: “I love you” especially when you know that you do not deserve it and even more amazing when it is from God that we have sinned against.
It is not surprising then that this is the favorite and most loved verse in the Bible. This is a personal love relationship between God and you. The good news is that every human being has the privilege to enjoy that relationship. Scan all the religions of the world and you will not find any god that operates on the principle of love. They demand worship and sacrifice from their adherents but they themselves do not sacrifice anything as God did when He sacrificed His only Son for us.
We need to appreciate God daily and thank Him for His love for us. We need to tell everyone that God loves them. Our God does not exclude – He saves even the worst of us.
Our God is very tolerant and has delayed His return so that all people will have opportunity to be saved – 2 Peter 3:9. But when that time is over, yes, our God will be intolerant with those who rejected Him. Let us share this truth in love.
Author: Rev. Sunday Bwanhot
Rev. Sunday Bwanhot is EMS/SIM Missionary. He serves as Team leader of SIM Culture Connexions; Pastors of ECWA Chicago and ECWA USA DCC Chairman.
