1 John 4:9-10 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world… Mark in illustration of the immensity of that love — I. THE DIGNITY AND WORTH OF HIM WHO WAS GIVEN TO THE WORLD FOR ITS MANIFESTATION. "God sent His only-begotten Son into the world." This was the first step in the demonstration of His matchless benignity. II. Observe, as a further illustration of God's love as here set forth, THE CONDITION TO WHICH HE FREELY SURRENDERED HIS SON. "He sent Him into the world." "He sent Him to be the propitiation for our sins." And think! — this love has been shown to you! All this God did to prove Himself gracious to you — to you, the most ungrateful and hard-hearted here this day, who do not, will not love Him in return? III. Consider a third particular which the text adduces in illustration of the great love wherewith God has loved us, namely, THE GLORIOUS END, IN RELATION TO OUR RACE, WHICH THAT LOVE CONTEMPLATED. "God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him." That which the apostle here means by "life," is happy existence — existence in connection with the highest and fullest development of all our powers, both of perception and enjoyment; existence in the possession of the Divine favour and love, moral rectitude, and internal purity. A life is it whose vigour no power of disease can undermine, whose actings are superior to waste and fatigue, whose duration is lasting as Jehovah. Oh! what, then, must be the measure of that love which gave Christ to procure for us such a benefit as this? IV. Consider, in the last place, how marvellously this love is enhanced by the fact, THAT IT WAS LOVE TO THE UNLOVING. "Herein is love," says our text, "not that we loved God." What should be the effect upon us of such contemplations. 1. Love begets love, and if God has so loved us, we should surely love Him in return. 2. Love is exemplary. and if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. (C. M. Merry.) Parallel Verses KJV: In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. |
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