God so loved this world

Sometimes we have to stop and think about words and phrases we may have heard too often that they lose their strength. I am reminded of that today by these few little words: God so loved the world.

Let’s take another look at that.

The phrase comes from John 3.16. It has become very popular as signage at sporting events, as eye black for some athletes, as mockery by some because they just don’t understand nor care who they offend, and as a vigilent, desperate message there is a hope.

The original text word used for God is ‘theos’. It is the word the Greeks used to describe their deities. For the Jews, the word did not mean one of the many other deities in the world but the one God in Whom all power exists. The mighty one who created it all reminded them through Jesus that the whole world was loved. That is pretty important and pretty significant.

The Creator of the universe did it for us. He did it so there would be a place for us – for God and Man to be together. The Bible says that God created the heavens and the Earth then put Man in a garden and gave him life. God put together a system and said it was good; after Man was put into the system, God said it was very good. God liked what He did. God loved what He did.

God so loved what He did. God loved. The word for love used in the Bible is ‘agapao’ – love, where love is given with no expectation of return. That kind of love sees all of the flaws, errors, and short comings and still God loves what He made. He loves because He loves; not because we did anything special to earn His love. That is the way He loves us.

God so loves the world. Some have twisted ‘the world’ part. The word in the Bible is the Greek word “kosmos”. That word meant ‘system’. What God put together was a system where God and Man could work together, live together, and do together.

As we find in John 3.16, God so loved the world… God, the mighty One of Israel, so loved the world – this system He created – that He loved – gave out of Himself with no expectation of return – and gave His only son that whoever believed on him would have everlasting life – life with God, the author and creator of the universe.

God so loved the world and I am glad. I am glad that God put His heart and life in what He loved and created.

I am glad because His love for the system He created gave me an opportunity for life; life through His son Jesus. I wish you could get to know what I know – not another religion or religious experience but one of life in a relationship with One I call God, Father, and friend. I pray you too can receive that. You can. All you have to do is ask.