God So Loved the World
God's unfathomable love is demonstrated through the gift of His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, who willingly suffered and died to save humanity from sin and misery.
Thomas Brooks expounds on the profound love of God as expressed in John 3:16, emphasizing that God gave His only-begotten Son, highlighting the uniqueness and depth of this love. He reflects on the fallen state of humanity, illustrating how God, in His mercy, offered His Son to redeem mankind from sin and misery. Brooks portrays the willingness of Jesus to suffer and die for sinners, showcasing the divine plan for salvation and the incredible grace extended to humanity. The sermon underscores the firstness, freeness, vehemency, admirableness, and matchlessness of the Father's love, inviting believers to appreciate the magnitude of this sacrifice. Ultimately, it calls for a response of gratitude and faith in the redemptive work of Christ.
Text
"God so loved the world, that He gave
His only-begotten Son." John 3:16.
Oh! what kind of love is this, for God to give . . .
His Son--not His servant;
His begotten Son--not His adopted Son;
His only Son--and not one son of many.
We see here . . .
the firstness of the Father's love, and
the freeness of the Father's love, and
the vehemency of the Father's love, and
the admirableness of the Father's love, and
the matchlessness of the Father's love!
Says God the Father to His Son, "Here is man--fallen
from his primitive purity, glory, and excellency--into a
most woeful gulf of sin and misery! He who was once
a son--has now become a slave; he who was once Our
friend--has now become Our enemy; he who was once
near Us--is now afar off; he who was once in Our favor
--is now cast off; he who was once made in Our image
--has now the image of Satan stamped upon him; he
who once had sweet communion with Us--has now
fellowship with the devil and his demons! Out of this
forlorn estate, he can never deliver himself! Neither
can all the angels in heaven deliver him! Now this
being man's woeful case and state, I make this offer
to You, O my Son: If, in the fullness of time, You will
assume the nature of man, tread the winepress of My
wrath alone, bear the curse, shed your blood, die, suffer,
satisfy My justice, fulfill My royal law--then I can, upon
the most honorable terms imaginable, save fallen man,
and put him into a safer and happier condition than he
ever was--and give You a noble reward for all Your
sufferings."
Upon this Jesus Christ replies: "O my Father! I am very
ready and willing to do, to suffer, to die--to satisfy Your
justice, to comply with You in all Your noble and gracious
inclinations--that poor sinners may be sanctified and
saved, made gracious and glorious, holy and happy;
that poor sinners may never perish, that poor sinners
may be secured from wrath to come, and be brought
into a state of light, life and love! I am willing to make
Myself an offering for their sin. Lo, I am come to do
Your will, O God."
Sermon Outline
- I. The Unfathomable Love of God
- 'A. The firstness of God''s love: He gave His only-begotten Son'
- 'B. The freeness of God''s love: No strings attached'
- 'C. The vehemency of God''s love: He gave His most precious gift'
- II. The Desperate State of Humanity
- A. Fallen from purity and glory
- B. Enslaved to sin and misery
- C. Cast off from God's favor
- III. The Offer of Salvation
- A. God's plan to save humanity through Jesus Christ
- B. Jesus' willingness to suffer and die for humanity's sin
- 'C. The reward for Jesus'' sufferings: salvation and glory'
Key Quotes
“God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son.” — Thomas Brooks
“I am willing to make Myself an offering for their sin.” — Thomas Brooks
“Lo, I am come to do Your will, O God.” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- We must acknowledge and appreciate the unfathomable love of God demonstrated through Jesus Christ.
- We must recognize our desperate state of sin and misery and seek salvation through Jesus Christ.
- We must be willing to surrender our lives to God and follow Jesus Christ's example of love and sacrifice.