⁹By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.

Every Christian has been saturated with John 3:16, which is John’s gospel counterpart to our verse today: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

God’s love is not just a feeling of warmth or an emotional inclination; it is something that can be seen in His actions on our behalf. It is clearly evident. Of course, we today can’t physically see Christ dying on the cross. And even if we could, the action by itself is not the complete statement on love; Christ’s death needs interpreting by God’s stated intention. As the inspired apostle Paul writes, “And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing” (1 Cor. 13:3). A sacrificial action without love is meaningless.

But we know from Scripture that Jesus died for us out of genuine love, not to gain some benefit for Himself, though it did bring Him great joy to do it (Heb. 12:2). His ultimate goal was to save us, and He promised that He would give us eternal life (1 John 2:25). We get to live as having eternal life now. It just does not get any better than that for us who believe.

Christ’s death on the cross was the manifestation of God’s love. We understand that in that action, God’s grace and mercy trumped our condemnation. That’s love. Nothing required God to forgive us, other than His nature of love. That is what He is all about! He “so” loved.

Whereas John 3:16 tells us God “so loved the world,” 1 John 4:9 makes it more focused on those who come to believe. God sent Jesus into the world; there is no confusion there. This was “His only begotten Son.” The blanket intentionality was God’s love for the world. But the full manifestation of His love is visible in believers through our lives. God loves all people, but His love does not find root nor fruition in unbelievers.

God’s love was (and is) not limited in any way; it goes out to all human beings, for we are all capable as His image bearers of receiving His love. But not all receive it! Only those who believe in what God accomplished in Jesus on the cross become children of God (John 1:12) and enter into His love. As believers, we can appreciate and bask in His love for us. But we also have a responsibility to love others the way God loved and continues to love us.

Lord, teach me to love as You have loved me, that I may live and walk in love.