City Life Starter

I. The Word: John 3:15-17

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  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.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”  John 3:15-17

II. Study Questions

1. How would you define love?

2. How do you measure love?

3. How did God express His love?

How do you measure love?  Is there a love gauge where you can detect an individual’s love?  How do you know if your spouse loves you?  How do you know if your girlfriend or boyfriend loves you?  Perhaps, your definition of love is based on an individual’s feeling towards another person or thing, where you are measuring love based on emotion or physical senses.  In today’s culture, they have defined love to be based on emotions and benefits.  We see this in many movies and TV sitcoms today, how we should follow our heart.  What they are really saying is how you feel at the moment, regardless of the consequences of decisions made by feeling alone.  So how do you measure love?  

In Scripture, we see what love is in terms of God’s definition, rather than how culture defines love to be. This is vital to our Christian walk as we are called to follow our Savior’s example.  You might have heard the term, “God loves you!”  What does that mean?  How do you know if God loves you or not?  How do you measure God’s love towards us?  Can you see it?  Can you feel it?  I hope you are not measuring God’s love based on feelings alone, but through His Word and how He exemplifies love through His Son.  This is exemplary love, not based on clever words or feelings, but is through love based on sacrifice.

You see, we see God’s love towards us on the cross.  He loves us so much, that He is willing to give the perfect sacrifice so that we can be restored in our relationship with Him.  In the beginning, the relationship between man and God was perfect, but sin entered the scene that separated God and man.  What is the solution?  How would He restore our relationship that has been broken?  The real question is why should He even attempt to restore a relationship with disobedient, law-breaking, unrighteous, unholy and impure beings when God is holy, righteous, pure and without sin?  Because He loves us.

You can’t exercise love without first understanding His definition of love.  When we grasp His love, how He has expressed His love to us, when we did not deserve it, then we come to the sober reality of the grace of God.  You can’t buy His love, or somehow gain it through your own measures, it is given to us freely, if we are willing to accept His sacrificial love that is exemplified through Jesus Christ.  It is when we understand God’s love, we can extend His love towards others.  Frankly, I am not sure how a person without understanding and experiencing God’s love can extend the same love towards others.

How do you know if God loves you?  Look at the cross where your Savior died on behalf of you and I.  How do you know if Jesus loves you?  He willingly obeyed God by going to the cross, and though He could call out to an army of angels to bring judgement to those who afflicted Him, He forgives His accuser’s, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

This is the love of God, and this love is available for you and I to faithfully serve Him, forgive those who have offended us, and extend love to those who do not necessarily deserve it.  The world will continue to define love to be based on feeling and selfish gain, but for you and I, as followers of Jesus, we are called to love our enemies and love our neighbors as ourselves.  May we continue to exemplify Christ through His definition of love.  JY