Ever thought to yourself or heard someone else say, “If God loves the world so much, then why all the suffering in the world?”
In order to ask that question you’d have to completely misunderstand the love of God. You’re under the impression that God is still showing love to people. Listen, God hasn’t shown love to people in 2,000 years. Confused? If you knew the love of God you wouldn’t be.
Romans 5:8 (NKJV) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
God isn’t showing love to people today. And don’t hold you’re breath, God will not be showing love to people in the future either. There is one demonstration of the love of God. Only one. There won’t be another. That is, that Jesus became a door for us to access everything that is the Father’s. I am referring to the cross.
I am not saying that God does not love you. But I am saying that He is not currently demonstrating it. He demonstrated it 2,000 years ago in what Jesus did for you. It is only peoples ignorance of this that would cause them to question the love of God.
Galatians 2:20 (NKJV) …I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Notice the past tense Paul uses here: “loved.” He doesn’t say Jesus loves him (which is the only way the church knows how to say it). He says Jesus “loveD” him — with a D — past tense.
Why would Paul say that Jesus loveD him and not say Jesus loveS him? Because Paul knows where the love of God was demonstrated. And therefore Paul would never ask a silly question like, “If God loveS the world, why so much suffering.” Because Paul knows that Jesus already took all the suffering of the whole world in one day. Paul knows that Jesus already fixed everyone’s problems, saved everyone from destruction and gave everyone what is the Father’s. Paul knows that Jesus already loveD him. Jesus doesn’t have to do it again. All God’s love for the world was expressed in one day. Hear that? On one day.
Stop looking at nature as if it shows the love of God. It doesn’t. Stop looking at your family as if they show the love of God for you. They don’t. And stop waiting day to day as if God demonstrates His love for you each day. No, He doesn’t.
He showed His love for you one time, on one day. And it will never happen again. Why? Because He did so much on that one day, He couldn’t have given you any more. There’s no part of what He has that He has not shared with you. Just because the world, in it’s flagrant ignorance, doesn’t receive the love that God showed, and goes on bound to death, doesn’t mean that God didn’t love them. They just don’t receive it. And that’s on them — not on lack of love from God.
For you the believer, the love of God that Jesus showed on the cross is now inside of you. All that Jesus provided is in you because you believed. Just keep seeing what Jesus has done and that love (what Jesus provided) will manifest in your life. Promise.
In John 3:16 the word “so” literally means “in this way, in this manner” (look it up for yourself). So I have represented that in the verse below. It changes the meaning quite a bit when reading it the way it was originally intended to be read:
John 3:16 (NKJV – brackets mine) For God [in this way] loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
God doesn’t need to show love to anyone. The world needs to receive it. The church just needs to understand it’s in them.
Reform Church 