28 September | EVERYONE
«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
There is no one in the world who should dare to say that for him or her there is no salvation. Christ’s death on Calvary takes away that right. For someone to say, “I do not want to be saved” is legitimate, because salvation is a matter of free will. No one is forced to be saved. But for someone to say, “For me, there is no salvation,” is not true, because God so loved the world that He gave the most precious thing He had.
The expression “so loved the world” attempts to describe the magnitude of God’s love and falls short of it. There is no way to measure God’s love. That is why the evangelical poet Frederick Martin Lehman wrote that if all the sky were a huge piece of paper, if all the water of the sea were ink, if every leaf of a tree were a pen, and if every human being were a writer, it would not be enough to describe God’s love for humanity.
The wonderful thing about this text is that God’s love is not limited to eloquent words, nor is it a romantic and sentimental statement, but that God gave his Son in sacrifice for us.
Imagine that terrible night of the crucifixion: the Father, contemplating from heaven the sacrifice of His beloved Son who suffered the horrors of sin at the hands of his executioners. Look into the eyes of the Father as He hears the cry of the Son: “My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46). No. You and I will never be able to love that way. But God did it for us.
Now salvation is in your hands, because while it is true that God loved everyone, and all can be saved, Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is only valid for those who believe. Salvation is not imposed. It is your choice to accept it or reject it. No one has to suffer any more in the quicksand of sin. Salvation is a reality written in the blood of Jesus.
Take Action
Observe: God gave His Son to the (whole) world so that everyone who believes may be saved. Do you realize that this scope includes you? Do not wait any longer to accept the Gift par excellence! Sing “Supreme Love” (if possible, with your family).