Recently, we were talking
about Mercy and Grace and the thought occurred to me that they are like two sides of
the same coin. This led to an
exploration of “What coin?” and “From what currency?” Today’s study is on John 3:16 where we’ll
explore some aspects of God’s economy.
John 3:16
For God so loved the
world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not
perish but have eternal life.
Things to think about:
The Currency
· A “currency”
is a form of money that can be used in a commercial transaction. Moreover, it has the backing of a
governmental authority, whose promise is sufficient for the establishment of
inherent value.
· I would
submit that the currency God trades in is Love. 1 John 4:8 tells us that “God
is love.” Our text above from John 3:16
says it is because “God so loved the world He gave...” His very nature is rooted in love.
The Coin
· The
incarnation of God’s love is in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ.
· In our text,
it says, “He gave His one and only Son”.
o
1 Corinthians 6:20 and 7:23 both say, “you were bought at a
price.”
· And what
price did God pay? God took His perfect Son, He of infinite value
o
1 Peter 1:18-19, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as
silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of
life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious
blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect”
· Coins have
two sides, the obverse and reverse. We started off our study saying that the
two sides of God’s coin are Mercy and Grace.
Chief among its uses, money can be used to pay off debt as well to save
for the future.
o
Mercy – not
getting what we do deserve.
§ “…that
whoever believes in Him should not perish…”
§ Romans 6:23 -
the wages of sin is death (that is, eternal separation from God).
· This is our
debt to God that we cannot pay on our own.
§ Ephesians 2:4-5
– “But
because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us
alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions…”
§ Titus 3:5 – “He saved us, not because of
works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy…”
o
Grace – getting
what we do not deserve
§ “…but have
eternal life.”
§ Ephesians 2:5-7,
“…it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated
us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order
that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His
grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”
· This is our
incalculable inheritance we have received through faith in Christ.
· God’s entire
program is predicated on His love for YOU.
There is nothing you have done that can keep Him from loving you and
there is nothing He hasn’t already done to bring you into His love.
· He has both
paid off your sin debt and secured your eternal future.
· Has our study
today helped you understand God’s Love Economy a little better?
· What should
our response be to so great a love?
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