Topical Bible: The Love of God: Exhibited in The Giving of Christ

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The love of God is a central theme throughout the Scriptures, and its most profound expression is found in the giving of His Son, Jesus Christ, for the redemption of humanity. This divine love is not merely an abstract concept but is demonstrated through concrete actions, culminating in the incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Divine Initiative and Purpose

The giving of Christ is rooted in God's sovereign initiative and eternal purpose. The Apostle John succinctly captures this in John 3:16 : "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." This verse highlights the universal scope of God's love and His desire for the salvation of all who believe.

The Apostle Paul further elaborates on this divine purpose in Ephesians 1:4-5 : "For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will." Here, God's love is shown as the driving force behind His redemptive plan, emphasizing both His initiative and the relational aspect of salvation.

Incarnation: Love Made Manifest

The incarnation of Christ is a pivotal moment where God's love is made manifest in human history. In Philippians 2:6-7 , Paul describes the humility and self-emptying of Christ: "Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness." This act of condescension underscores the depth of God's love, as He enters into the human condition to bring about reconciliation.

Sacrificial Love on the Cross

The ultimate demonstration of God's love is found in the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross. Romans 5:8 declares, "But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." This sacrificial act is the heart of the Gospel, where divine justice and mercy meet. The cross is the definitive expression of God's love, as Jesus willingly lays down His life for the redemption of sinners.

In 1 John 4:9-10 , the Apostle John reiterates this truth: "This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins." The atonement is the means by which God's love accomplishes its redemptive purpose, providing a way for humanity to be reconciled to Him.

Resurrection and Eternal Life

The resurrection of Christ is the triumphant affirmation of God's love and the assurance of eternal life for believers. In 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 , Paul writes, "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive." The resurrection is the victory over sin and death, securing the hope of eternal life for those who are in Christ.

The Love of God in the Believer's Life

The love of God, as exhibited in the giving of Christ, is not only a historical event but also a transformative reality in the life of the believer. Romans 8:38-39 assures us of the unbreakable bond of this love: "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

This divine love compels believers to live in a manner worthy of the Gospel, reflecting God's love to others. In 1 John 4:19 , we are reminded, "We love because He first loved us." The love of God, as demonstrated in the giving of Christ, becomes the foundation and motivation for the believer's love toward God and neighbor.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

John 3:16
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.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Relation Between Sin and Physical Evil. --Jewish Idea of ...
... nor his parents; but that the works of God should be ... in strong contrast with it,
that Almighty love which shows ... which, view them as we may, exhibited a moral ...
/.../section 100 the relation between.htm

The Sufferings of Christ Reconciled with the Goodness of God.
... nothing of those infinite rewards which God has prepared for those who sincerely
love and serve ... thing is certain, if injustice is exhibited here, it ...
/.../a theodicy or vindication of the divine glory/chapter iii the sufferings of.htm

Christ's Intercessory Prayer.
... a holy God who cared for them, but by showing God's holiness and love present to ...
Christ revealed Him; it was the Father's will His life exhibited. ...
/.../xvi christs intercessory prayer.htm

The New Covenant: a Covenant of Grace
... sin, it became its very ally in giving the sinner ... Lord was exceeding abundant, with
faith and love." "The grace ... tells us of "the grace of God" exhibited in the ...
/.../murray/the two covenants/chapter xiv the new covenant .htm

Do are Then Make Void the Law through Faith? God Forbid; Yea, we ...
... No motive in the law can be exhibited to a selfish mind that will beget love ... the
whole length and breadth, and height, and depth of the love of God should be ...
/.../finney/lectures to professing christians/do are then make void.htm

Jesus as a Friend.
... suggested by an English preacher that Christ exhibited the blended ... great sorrow and
the influence of his love. ... the beauty and perfectness of God's thought for ...
/.../miller/personal friendships of jesus/chapter xv jesus as a.htm

Of the Loving of God in Ourselves and Other Creatures...
... As for other men, certain general duties of this nature are upon occasions only
to be exhibited towards all. ... To do all this purely for the love of God. ...
/.../chapter v of the loving.htm

On the Formation of the Character of Believers, and on Giving of ...
... as God hath prepared for them that love Him;" [3478 ... and after our likeness;" [3485]
and hast exhibited him as ... And besides all these things, O Lord God, who can ...
/.../various/constitutions of the holy apostles/sec ii on the formation of.htm

Jesus Life-Giver and Judge.
... healing of the incurable on the Sabbath resulted from and exhibited His perfect ... man,
by living in human form as the embodied love and life of God, and by ...
/.../xiii jesus life-giver and judge.htm

How Christ Performed the Office of Redeemer in Procuring Our ...
... It was no ordinary example of incomparable love towards us to ... If the Son of God was
amazed and terror-struck ... Nor was this a spectacle exhibited to the eyes of ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 16 how christ performed.htm