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THE KING’S BUSINESS
any of us can. It is a mark of how senseless to the* meaning of God’s Words the best o f us are that we can ever repeat John 3 :1 6 without won der and weeping. Many a hard heart has been broken by these words. While. God loved the whole world, and because of His love to the whole world gave His only begotten Son, that love for the world becomes effect ive only in those who respond to it by believing, in Him whom that love gave : ‘Everyone who believeth in Him” obtains eternal Hfe, and every one who does not believe in Him per- isheth. Those who do believe and thus obtain eternal life would have perished (indeed, were already per ishing) if they had not believed. This is the plain implication of the words used. On the one hand it does not matter who the person is or what he may have been or done in the past, the moment he believes on the only begot ten Son of God, that moment he ob tains eternal life (cf. v. 36). On the other hand, it does not matter who the person is, or what he may have been or done in the past, if- he does not believe on the only begotten Son of God he must “ perish.”, There is no other way to escape but believing on the Son. The words translated “ be lieveth on Him” ,are very meaningful.; The literal translation would be “ be? lieving (present participle) into Him.” They represent a present and continu ous believing and they also represent the faith as sinking into and resting upon the peyson, believed in. To be lieve on any one according to this phrase -means to put and rest your confidence in and on that person : to put confidence in him as what he claims to be and offers himself to be. Any one who thus puts his confidence in Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, and rests his confidence on Him as what He claims, to be and offers Himself to be, has everlasting life. He may have been the vilest of sin-
men; He came and died because God did love men.. His atonement was not the cause oi God’s love; it was the result o f God’s love. God’s love did not begin in His atoning death, but His atoning death began in God’s love. His coming and His death were the supreme proof that God did love men (cf. 1 John 3 :1 6 ; 4 :1 0 ). The object of God’s love was, the whole world, and the context shows it as a world that was. alienated from Him and perishing. There is not one per-’ son in the whole mass of lost men whom God did not love and in whose behalf He did not send His only be gotten Son.. This is shown not only by the expression “ the world” but also by the expression “ whosoever” (or more literally “ every one who” ). The verse not only sets forth the universal scope of God’s love, but also the character of His love. This is seen in the word “ so” and the words which describe what the “ so” means, namely, “ that He gave His only be gotten Son.” The character of the, love of God, as set forth in these words, is, (1 ). That it was unlimited in its greatness, stopping at no sacri fice, willing to do anything for those loved (cf. Eom. 8 :3 2 ). (2 ). That it was self-sacrificing, giving, His very best and dearest for the sake of those loved. (3 ). That it was a holy love,; willing to save men, but only, saving them on the ground that was compat ible with His holiness, on the ground of the atoning sacrifice o f His own Son (cf. Rom* 3: 25, 26). There is a whole world of meaning in the word “ so” when taken in this, connection, but it needs rather to be pondered than to be expounded. It is reported that when the Missionary Nott announced this text in preaching to the inhabit ants'of Tahiti, they asked, “ Is this really true ?” And when he assured them that it was, they exclaimed, “ Oh, and canst thou speak o f such love without tears ?” It is a wonder that
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