What Does God So Loved Mean to You?

 

What does God so loved mean to you

By Barbara Latta @barbaralatta

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16 NKJV).

Those of us who have grown up in church have heard John 3:16 quoted over and over. We learned that verse as a child and could spit it out at the drop of a hat. It is printed on cards, cups, plaques, and banners.

But over familiarity can cause words to lose their meaning.

Do we really know what Jesus was saying when he told this truth to Nicodemus? What does God so loved mean to you? How does John 3:16 change your life?

God so loved….

This is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and gave his Son (1 John 4:10).

We can’t love God apart from Him loving us first because there is no love in us without Him.

The world…

God’s gift is available to all who will receive it.  …Not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9b). Unfortunately, not everyone will receive eternal life, but it’s not because God didn’t give it.

That He gave….

He gave His Son from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). He knew His creation would sin and He made a way to redeem the lost. God loved His created ones made in His image so much he was willing to give Himself to pay for the wrong that we do.

He gave by putting His Word into the form of flesh. The word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14)

God was walking and talking with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden until they sinned. They threw away their intimacy with their Creator.

God was walking and talking with mankind in the form of Jesus, but most did not recognize him. They threw away the God that was before them.

He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him (John 1:11).

Love came down from heaven, but He didn’t have to.

But made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:7-8).

This gift from the Father was presented to the fallen earth wrapped in swaddling clothes. In insignificance and with no earthly fanfare, He was born in the normal human way. He became one of us, so He could identify with our hurts, fears and temptations (Hebrews 2:18).

Jesus came to earth through a bloody human birth and left the earth through a bloody human sacrifice.

What does “God so loved the world” really mean? It means love came down…so we could be lifted up (Psalm 145:14).

Christmas brings us the cross.

Merry Christmas and may God bless us every one!

What Does God So Loved Mean to You (click to share on X)

 

 Image by Bruno from Pixabay 

4 Lessons I Learned From Vacation Bible School

 

by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta

When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel. (Judges 2:10)

What happens when the youth of today have nothing to feed on except what the world gives them? A repeat of Judges 2:10.

Abba's Heart - 31 Stories of God's Love for His Children

 

by Barbara Latta

This month two books I have contributed devotions and articles to have been released.

It’s not a coincidence that both focus on the love of God. Maybe the Lord is trying to tell us something.

He really, really loves us!

Start the Year the Best Way - Know You Matter to God

 

by Barbara Latta

Do you ever feel as if you are simply a number in the mass population of this world? With over 7 billion people occupying this planet, it’s easy to feel insignificant. We may struggle with what purpose we have or what can we as one person do to make any difference.

We may have read John 3:16 over and over and know that God loved the world so much He gave us Jesus. But we may struggle with how much we matter to Him as individuals.

Love - The Gift That Keeps on Giving

 

Love the gift that keeps on giving

by Barbara Latta

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16 NKJV).

John 3:16 is probably the most familiar verse in the Bible. It is printed on cards, cups, plaques, banners, hats, and shirts. This scripture shows us God’s heart and is the gift that keeps on giving.

The danger of familiarity is that the words can lose their meaning.

Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin, but one who sought the truth, had a difficult time understanding what Jesus told him. He viewed the words from a physical, human perspective. But God’s words are always spirit and truth.

What does John 3:16 really mean?

4 Ways to Live in an Intimate Relationship with God

by Barbara Latta

4 ways to live in an intimate relationship with God

Love is the foundation upon which all biblical doctrines rest. It is the cement that holds all other revelations together. How can we trust our heavenly Father to save us, provide for us, or heal us if we question the depth of His affection?

We can’t walk in power without knowing the heart of the Father. Jesus came to restore fellowship between God and man. But sometimes life pours doubt on the fire of God’s Word and we may question His motives toward us. We don’t feel connected because we have allowed something to distract us from knowing we are His beloved.

Here are 4 ways we can live in an intimate relationship with God:

1. Make scripture personal. Familiarity with passages of scripture threaten the absorption of the deeper meaning. Banners display John 3:16 in various places, but that doesn’t mean everyone who reads the sign believes the words. But if we will take the time to contemplate the intent of the verses and insert our name in the message, the scripture becomes personal. And that is what our heavenly Father desires. The Bible is His love letter to us. Individual and personal.
2. Don’t compare the Lord’s character to human emotions. He tells us to worship in spirit and in truth, not with emotions (John 4:24). Our human minds cannot comprehend the heart of the Master of the universe. We compare His devotion for us to human feelings because our minds reason that our value is based on what we do or how good we can be. We learn this because human acceptance and rewards are based on performance. We must perform well in careers and education to be rewarded with raises, good evaluations, and excellent grades. But God’s delight in us is based on who He is, not what we do.
3. Accept what He says by faith. Faith comes by hearing His Word (Romans 10:17). We may not feel His love at times, but that doesn’t change the truth. We should believe He is passionate toward us because He said so. We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19 NKJV). We can’t love God first because there isn’t anything in us to love Him with until we live and dwell in the life He shows us. Under grace we accept His sacrifice. He is the One who did the work.
4. Make Him our Priority. Instead of seeking to have our needs met, we simply need to seek the Father and the overflow of that relationship will result in taking care of everything in our lives—physical, emotional, relational, financial, and spiritual needs. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you (Matthew 6:33).Jesus reprimanded Martha because she was too concerned about earthly things. Her sister Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to His words and their Teacher said, “But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42).

When we accept the mercy and grace that has been given to us, we change.

• God’s love can keep us out of sin. If we are grounded in Him, then when temptation comes or when painful events happen, we won’t react in a sinful way or retaliate in defense. We will know God’s power supersedes all. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? (Genesis 39:9).
• God’s love frees us from the fear of man. The fear of people’s opinions will constrain us because we try to please them instead of the Lord (Galatians 1:10). The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trust in the Lord shall be safe (Proverbs 29:25).
• God’s love shows us how to relate to others. Until we know how much our Creator cherishes us, we can’t truly give to others in an unselfish way. Our relationship with Him will overflow to other relationships. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:5).

The valentine of heaven wasn’t a card sent through an angelic mailbox. It was blood running down a wooden cross to soak into the cursed earth. One drop would have been enough, but he used it all to show us He goes over and beyond and does much more than we need.  He paid the highest cost, and we were given the freest gift.

Happy Valentine’s Day—from Jesus.

Join the conversation and share your thoughts.

4 ways to live in an intimate relationship with God (click to tweet)

What does love really mean?

by Barbara Latta

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in

Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16 NKJV).

Those of us who have grown up in church have heard John 3:16 quoted over and over. We learned that verse as a child and could spit it out at the drop of a hat. This scripture is probably the most familiar to everyone, even those who don't know God personally.

But like most things that we bandy about, it can become overused words that lose their meaning.

Do we really know what Jesus was saying when he told this truth to Nicodemus?

God so loved….

This is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and gave his Son (1 John 4:10).

We can’t love God apart from Him loving us first because there is no love in us without Him.

The world…

God’s gift is available to all who will receive it.  …Not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9b). Unfortunately, not everyone will receive eternal life, but it’s not because God didn’t give it.

That He gave….

He gave His Son from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). He knew His creation would sin and He made a way to redeem the lost. God loved His created ones made in His image so much he was willing to give Himself to pay for the wrong that we do.

He gave by putting His Word into the form of flesh. The word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14)

God was walking and talking with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden until they sinned. They threw away their intimacy with their Creator.

God was walking and talking with mankind in the form of Jesus, but most did not recognize him. They threw away the God that was before them.

He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him (John 1:11).

Love came down from heaven, but He didn’t have to. But made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:7-8).

This gift from the Father was presented to the fallen earth wrapped in swaddling clothes. In insignificance and with no earthly fanfare, He was born in the normal human way. He became one of us, so He could identify with our hurts, fears and temptations (Hebrews 2:18).

Jesus came to earth through a bloody human birth and left the earth through a bloody human sacrifice.

What does “God so loved the world” really mean? It means love came down…so we could be lifted up (Psalm 145:14).

Christmas brings us the cross.

Merry Christmas and may God bless us every one!
Join the conversation and share your Christmas thoughts.

TWEETABLES
What does love really mean? (click to tweet)
Christmas brings us the cross (click to tweet)

Gun Control Doesn't Address the Real Issue, the Real Issue is...

by Barbara Latta

Gun control doesn't address the real issue

Waking up to the news of another shooting has become too common. Gun control is always at the forefront of politics and becomes more prevalent with every act committed with a firearm. The second amendment is defended by those who want to keep their guns, and those on the other side think confiscating all guns will stop murder.

If every gun was disposed of, murder and violence would still be prevalent. Cain killed Abel with a rock. Guns weren’t available and Cain still committed murder. When a person harbors hatred in their heart, violence will be the result. Bare hands can kill.

Cain became angry and jealous because God accepted his brother, Abel’s, sacrifice but did not accept Cain’s. Cain obviously didn’t follow God’s command about the sacrificial offering or his would have been accepted, as well.

God addressed the issue before the murder took place.

“If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it” (Genesis 4:7)

God was telling Cain to take care of the issue in his heart before he acted on sin’s desire. Rule over it.

Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder,’ and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment. But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment” (Matthew 5:21-22a).

So you see, it’s not a gun control issue—

The Focus of 2018 - The Real, Nitty-Gritty, Bloody Sacrificial Love of God

by Barbara Latta

John 3:16 is plastered on billboards, posters, signs at ballgames and quoted in Sunday School. The verse has become a mantra of sorts and has been heard so many times we have become numb to the meaning. The world doesn’t know what it means, but sadly, much of the Christian world doesn’t know the depth of this scripture’s meaning.

For years, I read verses about God’s love and I knew He loved me, but the depth of that intimacy sometimes evaded me. I saw myself as one of the masses of the billions of people on earth, but I didn’t always feel the personal-ness of it.

Last week this blog was about a baby whose purpose in being born was to die. That's hard to absorb. If I knew the baby I had given birth to was going to grow up to die so mean, filthy, evil people could live, would I still want to give him to that world? I have to admit, not me.