Redemption #9 Only way

There remains one thing to explain. In what is perhaps the best known text of the Bible, Jesus says:

“For so God 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).

Almost everyone interprets this as a declaration of the extent of God’s love, but at first is not what it says. The word ‘thus’ or ‘for’ means ‘that way’, and rightly so, because that is the root meaning of the Greek word.
We are dealing here with typical Jewish thinking.
Someone to love is not having an emotional feeling; it is to do practical things. If you love someone you must mean that you do what is good for him.

God says in Malachi:

“I have loved you”

and immediately the counterdemand of the people is:

“Where hast thou wrought your love?” (Malachi 1: 2).

So it is with the command:

“Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44).

Česky: Ilustrace z Anglické Bible /1867/ z knihy Malachiáš ze Starého zákona. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It does not being asked to us that we would find our enemies the sweetest and most sympathetic people on Earth. To try that would be wasted energy. It prompts us to do something; we do despite their hostility, to what is good for their sake, and that we in any way possible are trying to do away with their prejudice, as would it be our natural human tendency. In that light, we understand that John 3:16 tells us what God has done for us to show us his love. It is as it were the answer to the question of the people in Malachi. Only secondarily we realize that, if this is the solution that God has chosen for us, that also tells about the extent of God’s love. But the verse initially indicates this is the way of God’s act has consequences. If this is God’s solution to our problems – and that is what the passage tells us – then it also means that this is the only way, there is no other!

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Previous

Challenging claim 1 Whose word

Colour-blindness and road code

The true light in recorded words

Not about personal salvation but about a bigger Plan

Redemption #1 Biblical doctrine of salvation

Redemption #2 Biblical solution

Redemption # 3 The imperfect animal sacrifice

Redemption #4 The Passover Lamb

Redemption #5 The perfect sacrifice

Redemption #6 Partaking his sacrifice

Redemption #7 Christ alive in the faithful

Redemption #8 Righteousness by Faith

Dutch version: Verlossing #9 De enige weg

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Additional reading

1. Creator and Blogger God 8 A Blog of a Book 2 Holy One making Scriptures Holy
2. The very very beginning 2 The Word and words
3. Looking for the perceptible or the latent or what needed for us
4. Lovers of God, seekers and lovers of truth
5. To find ways of Godly understanding
6. Bring praise to the Creator
7. A god who gave his people commandments and laws he knew they never could keep to it
8. Relating to God is it possible
9. Relationship with God: The One behind your being
10. The 1st Adam in the Hebrew Scriptures #7 Promise and solution
11. A book of life and a man born more than two thousand years ago
12. A voice cries out: contex
13. Looking for a shepherd for the sheep and goat
14. Servant of his Father
15. What is the truth asked also Pontius Pilate
16. Marriage of Jesus 2 Standard writings about Jesus
17. Marriage of Jesus 7 Impaled
18. We are redeemed; we are “bought with a price”
19. Illuminating our minds and watching out
20. Are people allowed to have doubts
21. Why are you persecuting me?
22. Back from gone #2 Aim of godly people
23. Follower of Jesus part of a cult or a Christian
24. Two new encyclopaedic articles
25. Helping websites to prepare for the last days
26. Welcome to this “Relating to God” WordPress site
27. A Start for looking at the unseen and the treasure to look forward to
28. Three new sites to discover the real Jesus
29. For Dutch speaking readers #1 On the first component of a triptych
30. Messiah for all 2015 in review
31. Forward ever backwards never!
32. As a small church needing encouragement
33. Daily Spiritual Food To prepare ourselves for the Kingdom of God
34. 100-Day Identity Makeover: Day 56
35. Hang On!
36. If we endure …
37. Jehovah’s Witnesses Circuit Assembly and a Pillar to freedom
38. Atonement and the race been bought
39. Breathing to teach
40. What Should I Preach ?

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Further reading

1. The Way
2. This is the way
3. The Power of God’s Grace
4. Summing Up
5. The Parable of the Two Sons
6. Where Do We Invest Ourselves?
7. Would You Give Up Your “Rights” for….
8. October 26 – I Never Knew You
9. Has the Church become a pathetic loser?
10. “Do I have to pray, read the Bible, go to church, etc?”

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