God’s love for humanity is, without question, one of the great themes to be found in the pages of Scripture. Most of the religious world is acquainted with John 3:16 and its emphasis on the love of God for the world as a whole, and by implication, each one of us individually. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” While that love is seen in the physical blessings we are offered, this passage emphasizes the greater blessings found spiritually in Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, Paul can emphatically tell us that all spiritual blessings are in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). What does that say to us about how we should respond to God’s love for us?
There are those who believe God’s love is of such a nature that He would never condemn anyone to eternal punishment, that the salvation procured through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross ensures everyone eternal life. Certainly, the offer of eternal life is available to everyone, as God is no respecter of persons (Romans 2:11). “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people” (Titus 2:11). No one has to die lost, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t those who will die who do not enjoy salvation. As Jesus said, He came so people “should not perish.” All spiritual blessings are “in Christ,” so it follows one must be in Christ to gain His spiritual blessings.
How should humanity respond to the love of God in Christ to have a relationship with Him that includes the blessings He offers to those who belong to him? Just as Jesus obeyed the Father, so we must obey Him to have eternal life (Hebrews 5:8-9). That means one must be immersed into Christ (Mark 16:16). Paul told the congregations in Galatia, “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith” (Galatians 3:26). However, what kind of faith? He answers in verse 27, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” It is here we contact the cleansing blood of Christ that washes away our sins (Romans 6:3-4; Hebrews 9:14; 1 Peter 3:21). Being immersed is not earning one’s salvation, but it is faith responding to the will of God, as also are repentance and confession.
Once one obeys the Gospel, there is a particular kind of life that God desires those who are His to live. Jesus clearly said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Paul reminds us, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). The purpose of this is that we might reflect the image of God instead of the image of sin, as we must walk in His image today if we are to be in His image in eternity (1 John 3:2-3). “Until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). The consequences of living otherwise are sobering indeed. “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins” (Hebrews 10:26). Christ’s sacrifice, meaning His shed blood, does not apply to those who persist in a sinful lifestyle. One must be willing to repent (Acts 8:22), to confess such sins to God (1 John 1:9) and to seek once more to live by the righteousness of God (Acts 26:20).
God’s love for us is undeniable, but so also is His desire for us to live faithfully to His will so that His blessings in Christ can be ours (Romans 12:2). Jesus tells us, “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). May our response to God’s love be such that we have the assurance of His blessings today and of life eternal tomorrow.
