PART THREE
I would like
to speak to the issue of the love of God for the world, (John
3:16). We are told that God so loved the world, meaning in a very special way,
a very special love was manifested through Christ's death. This
special love is a love that saves sinners from condemnation. This
special love exhibited by the Father coincides with Unconditional
Election in that it is an unconditional
love for many people worldwide in its scope. It is no longer limited
to physical nation of Israel, the apple of His eye. The Father's
love gift of Christ was not conditioned on any good works of man,
including prayer. No man first prayed, "Father, send us a
Savior to save us from our sins," in order to motivate God
to take action. No. The Father took action before any man thought
to ask. In fact, His decision to take action came before His act
of creation. Jesus was the Lamb slain before the foundation
of the world, before the world was created. In this respect God's
love in sending us a Savior is unconditional. In this same respect
God's special love for His Elect is unconditional. Those whom
He so loves, He actually saves to the uttermost. His decision
to save them predates their conscious need to be saved. This is
predestination.
Unconditional Election is God's special
love for certain sinners given before they loved Him -- before
they asked Him for help or for salvation.
We know that
Scripture teaches us God is immutable. He never changes, I,
the Lord, changeth not&.the same yesterday, today and forever.
A question soon arises. If the Lord never changes, then He must
have so loved the world in the Old Testament times as well. How
then could He 'love the world' in the days of Noah, when He destroyed
every man, woman and child, with the exception of 8 humans? What
kind of 'love' is that? Can you imagine Noah sticking his head
out of the Ark's porthole shouting to the people
as the flood waters rise, "Don't worry, fear
not. God loves you. That's why He's drowning you!" It sounds
absurd, does it not?
In fact, God
did love Noah and his family, which is why He actually
saved them. They alone comprised the world of God's love. The
rest of mankind were judged and condemned. This, too, showed God's
love --- His love for justice and the appropriate accompanying
punishment. To Noah, the Lord revealed His love of saving grace
and mercy. To the rest of the world, the Lord revealed His love
of merciless judgment, commensurate with the crime.
Noah had done
nothing to earn this saving grace, while the rest of mankind did
everything to earn their just judgment. Noah found favor, while
the others did not. The decision pertaining to whom God will love
enough to actually save from judgment emanates from the mind and
will of God alone. It is unconditional, independent of man's will
and good works.
I will have mercy on whom
I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have
compassion. So then it is not of him
who willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth
mercy.
In John 3:16,
Jesus was teaching the hard truth that God actually loved goyim,
the gentile dogs whom the Jews despised. This truth had been taught
in the Old Testament through many examples, including Noah, though
the Jews did not perceive it.
Furthermore,
John 3:16 teaches the Protestant doctrine of
salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
The special love of God results in saving grace which must precede
all. Christ alone is the sacrificial gift who propitiated the
Father. It is by belief or faith in Christ as the only One who
merited salvation for us that we escape damnation. Thus, John
3:16 teaches another essential Protestant
doctrine: justification by faith alone. Once we are justified,
we cannot be lost or condemned. God does not change. Nor do His
decrees. This great truth is little understood today, causing
false teachings to arise in abundance.
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