The Love of God
A Sermon on John 3:16
Originally preached May 8, 1966
Scripture
16¶ 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.
Sermon Description
What does it mean that “God so loved the world”? In this sermon on John 3:16 titled “The Love of God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones looks beyond a superficial interpretation. This verse tells that great truth about just how much God loves the world. It is the love that sends one’s own son to die a torturous death upon the cross for vile sinners. This verse also tells just who He dies for: the world. This is not just any world, but it is a world that is sinful and rebellious. It is a world that hates God and His ways. It is the world of humanity who would rather live and die in their sin instead of repent and submit to God. The sermon calls the listener to ask: “Do you know God’s love as redeemer and savior or are you a part of the sinful world that hates God and who spurns His holy love given in Jesus Christ?”
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon focuses on John 3:16 which says "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."
- The verse is frequently misunderstood and misinterpreted. It must be examined carefully.
- The verse continues the conversation with Nicodemus from verses 11-15. It should not be isolated.
- The central theme of the verse is God's love displayed in salvation through Jesus.
- God's love is demonstrated in what He gives us - eternal life through belief in Jesus. Eternal life is the opposite of perishing.
- Perishing means being dead in sin, living for the world, and being outside of God's life. It leads to eternal punishment.
- Eternal life is a quality and quantity of life. Qualitatively, it is sharing in God's spiritual life. Quantitatively, it lasts forever.
- Eternal life begins now and continues after death into eternity. It is enjoying fellowship with God.
- God gives eternal life through faith alone in Jesus, not by good works or human effort. It is a gift received by faith.
- Faith in Jesus means believing in His person and work - that He is the Son of God who died to save us from our sins.
- Faith is immediate rather than delayed. When the truth is seen, faith responds at once. There is no need to wait or become better qualified.
- "Whosoever" shows that eternal life is available to all who believe, regardless of sins, age, race, or any other factor.
- No obstacle, no matter how great, can prevent someone from receiving eternal life through faith in Jesus. The only requirement is faith.
The Book of John
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.