Dedicated To The Men of God Who Preach the Word of God As It Is To Men As They Are

















"Preach The Word"

Amazed At His Love
(Author: Tom Walker, D.D.)

Text: John 3:16

One of the greatest verses in all of the Bible is John 3:16. Some have called it "the Gospel in a nutshell." Others have called it the "miniature Bible."

One thing is sure. Man is a sinner and deserves to die for his sins. God hates sin, but we learn from the Bible that he does love the sinner. We all know that a parent may disapprove of a child’s conduct, but that does not change the love of the parent.

God certainly has strong disapproval of what we were due to sin, but in spite of that He loved the sinner to the extent that He gave heaven’s best that the sinner might be saved and redeemed from his sin.

I never cease to be amazed at the wonderful love of God. We know of a surety that God’s grace is amazing. If you look up the word "amazing" you will find that it has the idea of " being confounded with fear, surprise or wonder." It has reference to something very wonderful, having an exciting astonishment or perplexity. Have you ever come to the point that you no longer wonder how He could love you, a sinner condemned unclean? I certainly haven’t and don’t believe that I ever will while the ceaseless ages of eternity roll. Don’t ever lose the "wonder and perplexity" of how God could love and save wretches like you and me.

Amazing grace speaks of a "wretch." Do you know what a wretch is?

1. A miserable person; one sunk in the deepest distress; as a forlorn wretch.

2. A worthless mortal; as a contemptible wretch.

3. A person sunk in vice; as a profligate wretch.

But, thank God the Lord saved such a wretch as me.

How true is the song Amazing Grace which says, "Amazing grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind but now I see."

If you ever get down and need a reminder of His love, this verse will be a haven and oasis for you. Since the sinner needs to know God loves him, there is no better place to take him than John 3:16.

Under the law we must die, but in grace Jesus comes and bears the penalty of a broken law, that you and I might go free by our personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Gospel of course means "good news." The Gospel speaks of the Lamb of God coming from this world into this one, by the means of a "virgin birth" that we might be saved by the grace of God. This soul stirring verse reveals to us the reconciling work of God in a nutshell.

2 Corinthians 5:19 says, "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation."

" Reconciliation" has to do with God calling back into union and friendship the affections which have been alienated; to restore to friendship or favor after estrangement; as, to reconcile men or parties that have been at variance. It can mean to adjust; to settle; as, to reconcile differences or quarrels.

There is only one way God could make us right to:

1. Fellowship with God

2. Know God.

3. Go to be with God.

It involved the sacrificial work of His darling Son at Calvary.

Recently I awoke early, in the wee hours of the morning and at that time God gave me these thoughts about John 3:16. Here is what God showed me about this most familiar verse. I trust God will bless you with it as He did me when God gave me a fresh glimpse at a very familiar verse. Take a short journey with me into the bless territory of John 3:16.

I. Love Which Is Infinite

God is an infinite God—having no bounds or limitations. The Bible says, "For God." When thoughts of God come to my mind I think of the Infinite One. He goes beyond boundaries of time and space. This John 3:16 kind of love goes back into the counsels of a past eternity, when there was no one but God in the universe.

He did not have a beginning and He will not have an ending.

God is in all places at one time. A room, a door, a prison cannot confine Him.

Man may strive for perfection, but all mankind has limitations, but on God’s part we can be sure His perfections are without bounds and limits.

Only infinite love can come from an infinite God. Mans love often has so many limitations and shortcomings, but not so with God.

It is time we got absorbed in this all reaching, unlimited love of God.

There was an old Scottish woman who was alone for the greater part of the day. Someone asked her, "What do you do during the day?"

Her response was, "Well, I get my hymn book and I have a little hymn of praise to the Lord."

She also said, "I get my Bible and let the Lord speak to me. When I am tired of reading, and I cannot sing anymore, I just sit still and let the Lord love me."

The Bible says, "For God so loved the world." God loves all of humanity. Since it is such an intense love, the little word "so" is very fitting to describe His love. Christ’s act of giving His life a ransom, helps us to understand the depths of the little word "so." Love for the will of the Father and for man motivated the Lord Jesus to give his life for sinners.

1 John 3:1 says, " Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not."

The word "so" suggests–" how much, to what extent, to what degree." That little word will be the subject of discussion when the saints of God all arrive home in heaven. When we see what He has prepared for us, you can be sure that we will talk about the wonder of it all, how God could love sinners such as you and me.

Who can plumb the depths of even a mother’s love? She loves her children like no one else can love them. Though the consideration of mother’s love is on a human level, we still cannot fully understand the strength of a mother’s love. God’s love is a divine quality love. If we cannot fully understand all there is to know about the love of a mother, then we should understand that we will never fully understand the depths and the extent of the love of God.

I believe in eternity, even the angels will still be amazed that God would go to the extent that He did to save and redeem a fallen race of human beings. I do not know that they will ever get over the "wonder of it all." It will stagger the minds of eternal heavenly creatures as to all God has done for His church.

The Scriptures in John 3:16 gives these words, "that he gave." God knew mankind was lost in his sins, so He took an active role and became involved in our redemption. If God had stood by the side and not provided salvation, then we would still be lost today. God provided Himself a lamb (Gen. 22:8).

Think about what He gave. He gave His Only Begotten Son.

The term "only begotten" is a term that speaks of someone who is one of a kind. There has never been and will never anyone else just like the Lord Jesus Christ. He was 100% man, minus a sin nature. He on the other hand was 100% God-----God in person, God in power, and God in purposes.

The term only begotten speaks of at least three things:

As I have already said, the Lord Jesus is one of a kind. He is unique, in a class all by Himself.

This term "Only Begotten Son" is not used of anyone else. He has a title that no one else can claim in heaven, on the earth or under the earth.

The term "Only Begotten Son" is one that speaks of His dearness and closeness to God the Father. Jesus spoke of his "oneness" with the Father. There is never any bickering or squabbling in the Godhead at all.

It is blessed to notice that God "gave." How did God give his Son?

1. Willingly- no one forced God to give His Son to redeem and save all that would come unto God through Christ.

2. Completely- even to the extent that He would die a shameful, substitutionary death.

3. Effectively- What the Father had planned worked in regard to providing a way for people to be saved and brought into fellowship with God.

God’s love moved Him to bring about man’s redemption.

Infinite–Intense—Involving

Our text verse says, "whosoever believeth in Him." Because love has provided the way for our salvation, we are invited to believe in Christ. Saving faith is not merely an intellectual awareness, but a commitment of heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ

One of the first things the Apostle Paul did when he was saved was to say, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" He acknowledged Jesus as Lord and fell in humble submission before Him.

Faith will bring about cleansing.

Illustration:

If you recall in Luke Chapter 17 ten lepers came to the Lord Jesus. They lifted up their voices and cried out, "Master, have mercy on us." Jesus saw their faith and brought their cure. He simply told them, "Go shew yourselves unto the priest." The Bible says on their way, as they went, they were all cleansed from the leprosy that had so destroyed their skin. Leprosy is a type of sin. This shows what Christ can do with our sins.

I think of the woman in Luke 8, who had an issue of blood. She came trembling and fell down before the Lord. She cried out unto him and was healed immediately.

Infinite–Intense—Involving–Inviting

Jesus said, "Shall not perish." What Christ did for us is important because it is the only thing that will save us from perishing in our sins. If Christ had not done for us what He did, we would have perished one day.

This sounds like a guarantee to me that the Christian will never be estranged from and separated from salvation again.

"Perish"-
Has at least two main ideas:

1. The idea of destruction- The idea is not that of annihilation, such as the Jehovah’s False Witnesses, but that of unavoidable stress and torment. It means to be brought to nothing and suggests an endless misery in a lake of fire.

This speaks of "eternal death" or the "second death." The worst thing in the world is not dying physically. Physical death for the saint is nothing more than the corridor that will lead us into the presence and glory of the Lord forever and ever.

The worst thing a person could experience is eternal death–which is being banished from the presence and glory of God forever and ever.

2. The idea of denial- You will lose all you could have possessed such as salvation, rewards, glory and brightness forever.

There are various crowns that will be given to God’s people. Also there will be a perfect home a perfect environment but those who "perish" miss all of those wonderful things.

VI. Love Which Is Imparted

Christ used the following words, "But have everlasting life." Love gives us a spiritual quality of life that will never end. The end result of the application of the blood of Christ to our lives is life everlasting. May we never take God’s love for granted or regard it carelessly.

Let me remind you there is only one quality of life that God gives to the believing sinner—that being eternal life. What does eternal mean? It speaks of something that is-------

1. Without beginning or end of existence

2. Immortal

3. Continued without intermission

4. Unchangeable- existing at all times without change.

Those who put their faith in Christ have everlasting life.

Thank God John 3: 16 is in the Bible

Thank God that the Christ of Jn. 3:16 is in my heart.

Thank God that the Christ of Jn. 3:16 can enter your heart.

The only thing that will make you perish, is to fail to take Him as your Savior and Lord.

Gypsy Smith said that one time a group of gypsies were forced to cross a swollen stream. Many of the gypsies drowned.

One young man made a desperate attempt to save his mother who kept clinging to him. Several times he pushed her away and said, "Let go Mother, and I can save you." She would not listen and drowned.

At her funeral the son stood by his mother’s grave and said over and over, "How hard I tried to save you, Mother, but you wouldn’t let me!"

God tried to save the Israelites, but they wouldn’t let Him. Have you allowed the Lord to make you His child and give you eternal life? God has given you a will. You must accept Him or refuse Him. May you may the right choice and choose the Lord Jesus.

If He is yours, there should be joy in your soul flowing like a mighty river.

Sermon From Tom Walker

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