THIS IS LOVE “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.” ―John 3:16 Jesus’ propitiatory work was initiated by the Father because of His great love for us. “In this was manifested the love of God toward us,” the apostle John wrote, “that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10). Sometimes the work of Christ is erroneously depicted as a kind and gentle Jesus placating the wrath of a vengeful God, as if Jesus needed to persuade the Father not to pour out His wrath on us. Nothing could be further from the truth. God the Father sent His Son on this great errand of mercy and grace. Though Jesus came voluntarily and gladly, He was sent by the Father. Scripture consistently affirms the Father’s love as the compelling cause of Jesus’ great work of atonement. “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Though we all “were by nature the children of wrath, even as others,” God saved us because of “his great love wherewith he loved us” (Ephesians 2:3-4). Herein lays the glory of the cross. Justice and mercy are reconciled; wrath and love are both given full expression ― and all so that we might experience the unsearchable riches of Christ. What great humility and gratitude this should produce in us: humility that we were the cause of our Savior’s unimaginable suffering, and gratitude that He so willingly and lovingly experienced God’s wrath that we might not suffer it ourselves.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 04:20:40 +0000
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