What does "He loved us and sent His Son" reveal about God's initiative? The Text in Focus 1 John 4:10: “And this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” Love Originates with God • Love does not begin with human affection or effort; it begins in the heart of God. • 1 John 4:19 confirms, “We love because He first loved us”. • Divine love is the fountainhead; all genuine love flows outward from His initiative. Initiative Displayed Before We Asked • God acted while we were unable and unwilling to seek Him. • Romans 5:8: “But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”. • Ephesians 2:4-5 shows the same pattern—God “made us alive with Christ” when we were “dead in our trespasses.” Love Expressed in Sending, Not Just Saying • Biblical love is more than sentiment; it moves toward concrete rescue. • “He sent His Son” echoes John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son”. • The Father’s initiative includes willing, costly action—dispatching His beloved Son into a hostile world. Initiative that Solves Our Greatest Need • The phrase “atoning sacrifice for our sins” pinpoints the target: our separation from God. • By sending Jesus, God met the need we could never meet—satisfying justice and extending mercy simultaneously. • Isaiah 53:5 prophesied this provision centuries earlier, underscoring divine forethought. Historical Proof: The Sending of the Son • The incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus are verifiable events anchoring God’s initiative in history. • Acts 2:23-24 presents the cross and resurrection as both God’s predetermined plan and physical reality. • God’s love is not abstract; it was nailed to a cross and walked out of a tomb. Call to Respond • Since God took the first step, our love is always a response, never the catalyst. • 1 John 4:11 urges, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another”. • We mirror His initiative by loving others proactively and sacrificially. Key Takeaways • God’s love acts first, best, and decisively. • The sending of the Son is irrefutable evidence that divine initiative precedes human response. • Confidence, assurance, and motivation for Christian living rest on this unshakeable reality: “He loved us and sent His Son.” |
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