John 3:16-21
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
18 Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
19 And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil.
20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed.
21 But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.
----------
If you take the passage from yesterday and add it to today's, you can really see the teaching to Nicodemus in context. For that matter, it's worth it for anyone reading this message to spend some quality time reading and praying over all of John 3.
In looking at this today, I'm focusing on God's love. God SO LOVED the world that he gave it his only son. Sometimes it's easy to forget the magnitude of this gift from the Father's perspective.
Most of us on this list have kids. Imagine having just one, one life that you've nurtured since it's beginning. Would you give it away to anyone? My answer is absolutely not. No way.
That's what God did for us. He sent us Christ. Our job is to believe in him.
As I said yesterday, belief in this context means a lot more than what "believe" typically means to us today. To truly believe in Christ is to fully accept who He is, submit to His authority, and obey Him. Here's another example of Christ speaking on this very subject to the disciples in the upper room, right after he washed their feet:
John 13:34-35
34 I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.
35 This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
