Day 19 - How To Love Like God
- Pastor b.Side
- Feb 19
- 3 min read
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” - John 3:16
Love is a word used in many contexts, and its meaning has become very confusing. People “love” certain foods, activities, pets, and people. Yet, we all understand that the quality of affection varies for each person. People “love” differently based on personality, culture, or mood. This becomes more confusing when we consider the statement in 1 John 3:8, which says that God is love. What is love?
“For God so loved the world…”
John 3:16 explains how God loves. God loved the world, and he loved it in a specific way. He showed his love by giving a gift: His “only begotten Son” for a particular purpose. If we understand Jesus’ description of Himself in John 3:16, we’ll see why God “loved” the world this way and hopefully develop a clearer understanding of what “love” truly is.
“He gave His only begotten Son…”
The phrase “only begotten” is “monogenes” in the original Greek language. This Greek word is made up of two English words. The word “mono” means “one.” The word “genes” is where we get the English word related to genetics, like DNA. Putting the words together refers to something that’s “one of a kind.” Jesus is “one of a kind.”
How is Jesus unique? He is the “Son” of God. This doesn’t mean that Jesus is a younger descendant of God; it means that He is the Heir of God. Jesus inherited every eternally self-existing and self-sustaining attribute and purpose of God the Father. Jesus is God in the flesh. He is the only human being born as God to fulfill all of His own eternally unconditional promises.
“That whoever believes in Him should not perish…”
This means that when God “loved the world,” He revealed Himself uniquely to fulfill His eternally unconditional promises. Jesus explained which promise matters most. He came to save the world from the eternal consequences of sin, death, and hell. Love is the revelation of Jesus as God in the flesh. Love is the work of God to die for the sins of the world, giving us a chance to escape the eternal consequences of our depraved souls. Love is God, the work of God to condescend and die to Himself for the spiritual gain and benefit of others, even people who hated Him.
This is the Biblical standard and definition of love. It’s hard to understand why God would do this. It’s also hard to comprehend how God performed this miracle. Still, the historically documented testimony of Jesus from eyewitnesses like the Apostle John proves that God’s love surpasses all other versions of love and our understanding of it.
Prayer for today
Our heavenly Father, we thank You for revealing and explaining true love. Help us understand that Your love is supernatural, specific, intentional, and spiritually centered. Help us fulfill the great command You gave to love as You do. Fill us with Your Spirit, equipping us to die to ourselves for the spiritual benefit and gain of others, even if they don’t like us. We ask these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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