“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” ( John 3:16).
TEXT — John 3:14-16
Message
G. Rios told a story of a young homeless boy who approached a police officer during a blizzard in Chicago at the train station and asked if he knew where he could rest safe for the night. The police officer asked him to go down the road to a white house, knock on the gate and if anyone opens the door, he should say John 3:16. He did and an older woman let him in. She gave him food, hot water to bathe and a comfortable bed to sleep in till morning. In the morning, the woman took him to a big fireplace, brought out a big Bible and asked if he knew what John 3:16 meant. He replied that he never heard of that till the police officer told him the day before. Beginning with this verse, she led him to faith in Jesus Christ.
“For God so loved the world” is a message that conveys a new idea of love. The Jews before now believed that God only loved the religious (the Jews) and hated the non-religious (the Gentiles). The fact is that His love is boundless. God loves everyone, not just the religious and good. The evidence of this love is that He gave His only Son to the world to save humanity from self-destruction and consequences of transgression.
As God provided salvation for the sinning children of Israel in the wilderness, He has also offered salvation for the whole world of sinning mankind through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. No matter the religion, race, social status or sinfulness, none should be thought unworthy of God’s love and the gospel.
So, as it was in the time of Moses, faith and cure came from looking up to the brazen serpent; as many as would look unto Jesus today, confess their sins, accept Him as Lord and Saviour would be given power over sin and made sons and daughters of God.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
God is good