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.”
We cannot be saved without God’s wondrous grace. All that is expected of us to accept in faith what the Lord is offering us. It is completely beyond the ability of man to save himself. This single verse refers to five divine wonders. These are all supernatural things which are outside the ability of human beings to accomplish.
The first is the wonder of God’s love: For God so loved the world… This agape love only comes from God. It is a love which reaches out to supply the needs of others. It is so utterly self-sacrificing that it did not hesitate to pay the biggest price to save a lost world. This love is so big and magnificent that we cannot fathom its height, breadth or depth. It has a sublime nature which is completely different from the covetous love of fallen man, which is only aimed at exalting himself, promoting his own interests and dominating others. When the Lord saves our souls He pours out His agape love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5).
The second is the wonder of the gift: God gave His only begotten Son. There is nowhere on earth a perfect, sinless man who could offer himself as a substitute for sinners to pay the penalty for their sins. We were doomed. But Jesus Christ became man to sacrifice Himself as the spotless Lamb of God who died on the cross to atone for the sins of lost humanity. He is the supernatural God-man without whose sacrifice there would be no salvation to us.
The third is the wonder of faith. From God’s point of view, all unsaved people are unbelievers whose minds have been blinded by the god of this age, who is the devil (2 Cor. 4:4). The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and imparts to us the gift of faith to accept the Lord Jesus in faith as our Saviour.
The fourth is the wonder of preservation. Those who believe in Jesus Christ will not perish. Everything on earth is subject to ageing and perishing – nothing can escape this process. But the Lord offers us through His Son a life which will never perish. No human being can offer this to you, but the Lord extends this offer to all.
The fifth is the wonder of life: We can have everlasting life. All Christians receive the gift of eternal life from God. By His wondrous grace we receive a life which will continue forever in heaven. All unsaved sinners are subject to eternal death, but by grace we who believe received an immortal life.
Prayer: “Thank You, Lord, that You did not surrender fallen man to his fate. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, but by grace You freely saved all who believe in Jesus Christ. Work in the hearts of many people to accept this wonderful offer of salvation. Those who refuse it are faced with the grim reality of eternal death: ‘For the wages of sin death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Rom. 6:23). We thank You for the precious gift of eternal life and accept it by faith. We ask this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.”
Reference: Johan Malan
