For God So Loved Us
The most familiar verse in the Bible tells us this: “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).
The love of God was shown by giving His Son to die for us on the cross. When the Bible says that God gave His Son, it means that He gave Him to suffer and to die for our sins. The greatest gift that was ever given is the gift of Jesus Christ.
Because God gave His Son to die for us, He can give us eternal salvation as a gift. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). “For you have been saved by grace through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).
A gift can only be accepted, but it must be accepted on the Giver’s terms. God’s terms are that we believe in and obey Jesus. That we trust in Him and love Him. Jesus is the only one who ever pleased God the Father by living a perfect life. We can please God by knowing Christ. When we trust in Jesus, the one who actually pleased God by His righteous life, we ourselves are pleasing to God because He chooses to see us through what Christ did for us. His righteousness will be imputed to us.
Imputed righteousness means that we get credit for what Jesus has done. God credits (imputes, gives) the perfection of Jesus to our account. And we can live for Jesus and love Him forever. Free from sin. The believer in Christ is free from sin. “And having been set free from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:18).
“Therefore repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19). “Because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2).
This is the good news of the Gospel. Jesus died for you and saved you and you are completely free from sin. Look to Christ and be saved. Live your life for Him.
Dewayne Dunaway
