The Motive Which Prompted The Gift

                                                 John 3:17

                         "For God sent not his son into the world

                              to condemn the world, but that the                   

                               world through him might be saved."

         The motive that prompted this "gift"  was love, an emotion which some think too human for the Ruler of the universe.  But we are justified in believing that we ourselves are susceptible of love only because God has fashioned us in his own likeness.  Man's love is distinguishable from goodness as having more of the character of personal interest.   And the relations between God and man here is this:   Love here must be understood as involving pity and also sacrifice.   And where human love is often intense in proportion to its narrowness, and concentration, Divine love is all-embracing and includes all mankind.  This, indeed, follows from the origination of this love in the Divine mind of our God.   It was nothing in mankind except our sin and helplessness which called forth the benevolence of the heart of the heavenly Father.  So you see "the gift of eternal life is free!"  The motive is plain; "God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son" (John 3:16)  He took our sins to the cross and paid our debt.  For our debt to God is high; the wages of sins is death, and Jesus went all the way for us.

        Amen!!

Reading: ( John 3:1-36)

                                           May God Bless You

                                            And Your Families

                                                        Minister Robert A. Lail

                                                        The Cross Life Ministry