My apologies for the delay in getting this post out; between my mom’s ongoing health issues (I help care for her) and my own speaking engagements and other commitments, I haven’t had as much time to work on this blog as I have previously. Unfortunately, this is unlikely to change in the near future, and it is very likely I will only be updating once a week, perhaps twice if I have the time to continue my Quotable Notables series. I appreciate your understanding and support!

When I was accepted into the seminary, I had no idea where I would live, what I would do for work, or anything else, really. I didn’t particularly care, as I was convinced that God had called me and would therefore provide whatever I needed, but my mom felt differently. She insisted on coming along with me in order to help me get settled. At the time, I thought she was being a bit over the top, but looking back, I admire her willingness to drop everything to be there for me when I needed it–and her support was invaluable.

That was not the only time my mother prioritized me over herself; I can think of half a dozen examples off the top of my head. She worked multiple jobs to help support our family when I was younger, but still made sure to be present at all my important events. She always supports me, even when she doesn’t agree with me. When I think about God’s love for humanity, my mother comes to mind as one of the clearest examples of that kind of love. God loves us, is committed to our welfare, and would do anything for us, just like my mom would for me.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, ESV)

This passage is often called “the Gospel in miniature” because it summarizes the biblical message of salvation in a single sentence. “For God so loved the world” highlights God’s limitless love for everyone, regardless of human actions or societal boundaries. “That he gave his only Son” signifies God’s sacrificial, voluntary gift to redeem humanity. “That whoever believes in him” tells us that whoever wants it, regardless of who they are or what they’ve done, is able to receive the gift. “Should not perish but have eternal life” offers a future of everlasting life.

The Greek word for love that is used in this passage is a form of agape. Agape, you may remember, signifies a sacrificial love, one unconditionally committed to another’s welfare. In this passage, God is described as not just loving the world with affection, but with an unwavering commitment to its welfare, willing to do whatever is in their best interest. The “plain English” of this passage supports that idea, with the mention of “giving” His Son as a sacrifice in order to give those who believe in Him eternal life.

Some may ask, how can we say He loves the whole world, but the gift of eternal life is only for those who believe? Simply put, it’s because He doesn’t force the gift on to us; when He created us, He gave us free will, the ability to make decisions for ourselves. Without that ability, we couldn’t have a genuine relationship with Him; He’d be making the decisions, including choosing to have a relationship with Him, and that’s not what He wants. He loves us too much to do that to us; as a result, even though He wants to save us, to have us live with Him forever, He leaves the final decision up to us.

Others may ask, how can we say He is committed to our welfare when bad things happen to us? The answer to this question could be its own blog post, and perhaps will be some day, but I will provide a brief explanation here. First, you must remember that God is not the only being exerting influence in this world; satan is working against humanity to drive us further away from God. Second, sometimes people use their free will to our detriment. Neither of these facts mean that God doesn’t love us and isn’t committed to our ultimate good; in fact, He often takes bad things in our lives and makes good come from them. And everything will be made right when Christ comes again.

As I’ve said before, an incorrect understanding of love can lead to many other incorrect understandings, including an understanding of who God is and His love for us. I think many people view love as a warm, fuzzy emotion where you just want to make your loved one happy, or where you protect them from everything and anything that could harm them. Since God does not give us everything we want, and does not stop every bad thing from happening to us, they conclude that either God does not exist, or that He doesn’t really love us. An incorrect conclusion based on faulty logic.

Love involves choice, not just emotion. Love can and often does motivate a person to make their loved one happy and to protect them, but not above the ultimate good of the loved one. Sometimes we need to fail, to be disappointed, to be hurt in order to learn and grow. The fact that God allows these things to happen doesn’t disprove His love for us. On the contrary, I think it proves it.