God's Great Salvation
Introduction
The writer of Hebrews asked a question. He said in Hebrews 2:3, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him?”
I want to speak to you this morning about this great salvation; about “God’s Great Salvation.” And in order to deal with this simple but profound subject, I want to look at what is perhaps the most familiar verse in all of God’s Word, John 3:16.
Years ago, an older preacher was driving down the highway returning from a meeting on a Saturday evening. God impressed upon the heart of this preacher to preach the next morning on John 3:16. The preacher contended that he already had his message prepared and felt that John 3:16 would be a text too naive and simple for his years and his congregation. Again, a hundred miles down the highway, God impressed this text, and again excuses were given. Another hundred miles down the road, God gave His message, and at last the preacher said, “Yes Lord.” (Dr. Harold Sightler from a message on “The Power of God”)
G. Campbell Morgan said, “This is a text I never attempted to preach on, though I have gone around it and around it. It is too big. When I have read it, there is nothing else to say. If we only knew how to read it, so as to produce a sense of it in the ears of people, there would be nothing to preach about.”
John Phillips in his book Exploring John said, “We have now arrived at the great metropolis of gospel truth. No other single statement in the Bible so aptly sums up God’s redemptive purpose in Christ for the human race.”
Ivor Powell in his book John’s Wonderful Gospel said, “This is one of the great treasures of the Bible. Probably it would be true to say that more has been written and said of this verse than of any other in the Scriptures.”
Martin Luther said, ‘I love this text beyond measure.’ Luther called John 3:16 “the heart of the Bible – the Gospel in miniature.”
In his book on The Gospel of John, Arno Gaebelein said, “Who is able to give an exposition of John 3:16? We do not say too much when we say, this is the most wonderful verse in the Bible.”
Let’s begin by reading the well-known words of the 16th verse. Why don’t you read it with me? John 3:16 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.
I. The Lord That Is Involved In Salvation
(John 3:16) 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.
A. His Position Of Supremacy
The Lord Is Seen Here In The Position Of His Supremacy –“God”
1. He Is Supreme In The Revelation Of The Word
God – Greek 2316. theos, theh'-os; the word means a deity, especially the supreme Divinity. This word corresponds to the Lord – Jehovah of the Old Testament.
2. He Is Supreme In His Response To The World
We read that A. T. Robertson said that the reference to “the world” (?ton ??kosmon?) indicates “the whole cosmos of men, including Gentiles, the whole human race. This universal aspect of God’s love appears also in 2 Corinthians 5:19; Romans 5:8.”
Adam Clarke said…
From the subject before him, let the reader attend to the following particulars: The world was in a ruinous, condemned state, about to perish everlastingly; and was utterly without power to rescue itself from destruction. That God, through the impulse of his eternal love, provided for its rescue and salvation, by giving his Son to die for it.
No other deity and no other system of religion responded to the world as God did. Thus, He is supreme in His response to the world!
B. The Person Of His Son
The Lord Is Seen Here In The Person Of His Son – “His only begotten Son”
1. God The Son Is Eternal In This Position
Note that W. E. Vine said…
We can only rightly understand the term “the only begotten” when used of the Son, in the sense of unoriginated relationship. “The begetting is not an event of time, however remote, but a fact irrespective of time. The Christ did not become, but necessarily and eternally is the Son. He, a Person, possesses every attribute of pure Godhood. This necessitates eternity, absolute being…” (Moule). (From Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words)
Speaking of Christ as the “only begotten Son” of God, Marvin Vincent said…
The fact set forth does not belong to the sphere of His incarnation, but of His eternal being. (From Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament)
2. God The Son Is Exclusive In This Position
The Bible Knowledge Commentary of the Old Testament says…
God’s love was expressed in the giving of His most priceless gift – His unique Son. The Greek word translated one and only, referring to the Son, is monogene, which means “only begotten,” or “only born-one.”
Jesus is the only one who occupies this position of relationship to the heavenly Father.
It was Dr. Walter L. Wilson who told the story of a woman who attended one of his meetings and waited after the service for spiritual help. When he asked her if she could quote any part of the Scripture, she said that she had once learned John 3:16 in Sunday School. So he asked her to quote it. She recited: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only forgotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Noticing that she had said, “forgotten” instead of “begotten,” he said, “Do you know why God forgot his Son?” She said, “No, I don’t.” And Dr. Wilson said: “It was because he wanted to remember you.” And then he led her to a knowledge of Christ as Savior.
II. The Love That Is Involved In Salvation
(John 3:16) 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.
A. The Magnificence Of The Meaning Of This Love
1. There Is An Abundance In God’s Love
loved – Greek (NT:25) agapao; means ? to love, to be full of good-will and exhibit the same, … to have a preference for, wish well to, regard the welfare of. (From Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
2. There Is An Attachment In God’s Love
loved – Greek (NT:25) agapao; this word has the idea of “taking pleasure in the thing, prizing it above other things, being unwilling to abandon it or do without it.” (From Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
George Matheson was a young preacher in Scotland years ago, and he had been engaged until his fiancée learned that he was going blind. There was nothing the doctors could do, and his fiancée told him that she could not go through life with a blind man. He went blind while studying for the ministry, and his sister had been the one who had taken care of him all these years. But on the evening of his sister’s marriage, his whole family had gone to the wedding and had left him alone. It was in the midst of this circumstance and intense sadness that the Lord gave him these words that begin hi well-known song… “O Love that will not let me go, I rest my weary soul in thee.”
B. The Manner Of The Manifestation Of This Love
This Verse Reveals The Way Of His Love
so – Greek 3779. houto, hoo'-to; or (before a vowel) houtos, hoo'-toce; adv. from G3778; in this way (referring to what precedes or follows):--after that, after (in) this manner, as, even (so), for all that, like (-wise), no more, on this fashion (-wise), so (in like manner), thus, what.
The word “so” means “in this way” or “after this manner,” and thus points us, not to the extent of God’s love, but to the expression of God’s love.
Adam Clarke said…
He has put an eternity of meaning in the particle ?houtoos?, so, and left a subject for everlasting contemplation, wonder, and praise, to angels and to men. The same evangelist uses a similar mode of expression, 1 John 3:1: “Behold, What Manner of love (?potapeen ??agapeen?) the Father hath bestowed upon us.”
2. This Verse Reveals The Willingness Of His Love
gave – Greek (NT:1325) didomi; means to give something to some one – in various senses; of one’s own accord to give one something, to his advantage; to bestow, give as a gift: to give to someone to care for his interests. (From Thayer’s Lexicon)
In St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, is a life-size, marble statue of Christ writhing in anguish on the cross. The statue is subscribed: “This is how God loved the world!”
III. The Life That Is Involved In Salvation
(John 3:16) 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.
A. Jesus Said That This Life Was Linked To Faith
1. Consider The Complete Scope Of This Faith
“Whosoever” is a compound term comprised of two Greek words…
3956. pas, pas; including all the forms of declension; apparently it is a primary word meaning all, any, every, the whole:--all (manner of, means) alway (-s), any (one), X daily, + ever, every (one, way), as many as, + no (-thing), X throughly, whatsoever, whole, whosoever.
3588. ho, ho; including the feminine, he, hay; and the neut., to, to, in all their inflections; this word is the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.
So, “whosoever” could be translated as “all that” believeth.
2. Consider The Conceptual Significance Of This Faith
believeth – Greek (NT:4100) pisteúoon; means to think to be true; to be persuaded of; to credit, place confidence in; to put faith in the gospel … used especially of the faith by which a man embraces Jesus, i.e. “a conviction, full of joyful trust, that Jesus is the Messiah – the divinely appointed author of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God, conjoined with obedience to Christ.” (From Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
B. Jesus Said That This Life Will Last Forever
1. This Life Eliminates The Perishing Of Hell
should … perish – Greek (NT:622) apollumi; means to destroy fully i.e. to put out of the way entirely, abolish, put an end to, ruin; in this context it means ?to incur the loss of true or eternal life; to be delivered up to eternal misery. (From Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
not – Greek (NT:3361) mee’ (may); a primary particle of qualified negation.
2. This Life Experiences The Perpetuity Of Heaven
everlasting – Greek 166. aionios, ahee-o'-nee-os; from G165; perpetual (also used of past time, or past and future as well):--eternal, for ever, world (began). Thayer’s says that it means without end and never to cease.
life – Greek 2222. zoe; this word is used emphatically “of the absolute fullness of life, both essential and ethical, which belongs to God, and through him. It is ?life that is real and genuine, “a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed, the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ, but after the resurrection to be consummated by new accessions (among them a more perfect body), and to last forever.” (From Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
Conclusion
As I have meditated on this verse, I’ve tried to wrap my mind around the love that God had in order to give His Son for me in my ruined and lost condition. I have two sons, each begotten and beloved, and I’ve tried to imagine a love that would cause me to deliver them up to be crucified for a world of guilty sinners.
J. Edwin McConnell was born on January 12, 1892 in Atlanta. After attending William Jewell College in Missouri, he worked with his father (who was the former pastor of First Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) in evangelism meetings for some time, playing the piano, singing, and directing the choir. In 1922, he began broadcasting his “Hymn Time” program on the radio, and was known as “Smilin’ Ed McConnell.” Ed didn’t write many songs, but I’m glad he wrote these words
Verse 1:
I am happy today, and the sun shines bright, The clouds have been rolled away; For the Savior said, whosoever will May come with Him to stay.
Verse 2:
All my hopes have been raised, O His Name be praised, His glory has filled my soul; I’ve been lifted up, and from sin set free, His blood has made me whole.
Verse 3:
O what wonderful love, O what grace divine, That Jesus should die for me; I was lost in sin, for the world I pined, But now I am set free.
Chorus:
“Whosoever” surely meaneth me, Surely meaneth me, O surely meaneth me; “Whosoever” surely meaneth me, “Whosoever” meaneth me.