I Can't Sleep

"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." John 3:16

I can't sleep and for a good reason, my body has heartburn from the evening before and my mind is fixated on this verse. It's only the most known verse in the world and in the church. Most who know Christ know the verse like the back of their hand and those who don't often know of it. What's important is to know the meaning which keeps ringing in my ears.

God so loved...this is a love that is beyond measure. A love that cannot be fathomed nor understood and is the reason we haven't already perished.

the world...according to the bible, those in the world are actually in literal spiritual darkness that Jesus spoke of in John 8:12.

He gave His only begotten Son...foreshadowed in Genesis when Abraham offered his son to God, we see God giving His Son to save those in the darkness(world). Not only that but we can already assume Christ's deity right here in this verse. Not only is the "s" an "S" but for God to give us His Son, the Son must already be there to give and when followed up with begotten we can see that Jesus is the same divine nature as the Father.

that whoever believes in Him...is a great place to start for anyone to see that Jesus was given for the salvation of everyone. There are many who use their finite understanding to discredit other races, genders, etc. masquerading as "Christians" like the KKK, Hitler, and even Mormons but if this is so, remember, whoever = everyone. While not everyone is on the same status quo on this earth, EVERYONE is able to believe and be saved.

should not perish...the word perish as defined in the Merriam Webster dictionary refers to destruction of ones self or utter ruin of ones self. For some this is the disproving of a hell since destruction usually leads to non existence. However, this is probably one of the most important places for one to know what Jesus says happens to those who do not believe in Him. Hell is described in the story(told by Jesus) of Lazurus and the rich man as a place where there is a great chasm separating those who know God and those who do not. To be separated from God is to know of nothing good and be in utter ruin thus perished. Since Gods love is the only thing that can save one from destruction, Hell is the final place for those who never knew and will never know Gods love thus perishing eternally.

but have everlasting life...for many the greatest fear is the day they will die. BUT why!!! Here we see that God gives us HOPE that lasts forever even beyond the grip of death. In other words, for those who know Christ, there is NOTHING to fear, ever. For in this life lies hope of an everlasting life to come. This is amazing.

Having eternal life is AMAZING but it isn't just what knowing the Son is about. In fact, receiving eternal life serves a purpose. To find that purpose one needs to go back to the very first part of the verse, "For God so loved...". It's unfathomable to imagine a God who loves those who despised and hated Him even though He created them without knowing His Son. To know His Son means we come to love His Son. Not only did He willingly sacrifice Himself in our place but He did this so that we could love Him forever. The whole point of our eternal salvation is to glorify God and love Him, not because He needs us but because we need Him. We didn't do anything to deserve His mercy and grace but we can be eternally grateful in praise for His love.