The Three Centres of Love

God so loved the world  John 3:16

Christ also loved the church  Eph. 5:25

The Son of God, who loved me Gal. 2:20

God's Love for the World

First, there is the love of God for the whole world, or, probably better to say, for the entire human race. The “world” of John is not the world of nature, but the world of people. The wonder of this love for the world deepens when we think what the world of men is like. The Bible never gives us a rosy view of man. It is John, writer of John 3:16, who tells us that the whole world "lies in wickedness” (1 John 5:19). Like a ship sunk in a dirty river, it is submerged under a tide of evil. The Lord Himself said - "the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me." (John 14:30). We could understand God loving the world of nature, but the idea of God knowing every secret, of loving the teeming millions of mankind, lies on the verge of being incredible. But that is the situation and God gave His only begotten Son because He so loved the world.

God's Love for the Church

Secondly there is divine love for the Church—“Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for her.”  How much Christ loved the church is described in the one simple statement: He gave Himself for the church. Christ loved the church so much that He gave Himself—sacrificed Himself totally—gave all He was and had for it. He could give no more. It is love expressed through sacrifice. The Lord Jesus gave Himself up on the cross in order that  those who would be redeemed by His grace, might be put to the proper use that God intended for man and woman.

In Rev 21:2, we read “And I John saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband”. This is the glorious picture of the Church as it will be throughout all the ages to come—”without spot or wrinkle or any such thing” (Eph 5:27).

God's Love for the Individual

Thirdly there is divine love for the individual—He loved me, writes Paul (Gal 2:20). When we read the story of the prodigal son, we feel that the father always loved that son. When he was far away rioting with the harlots, the father was yearning for him night and day. But only when that prodigal came home could the pent-up love be poured out upon the child. The prodigal was loved in the far country, but there no ring could be put upon his finger. So long as he was in a far country, the cry was not heard, "Bring forth the best robe and put it on him." (Luke 15:22). To gain these tokens of  love, the poor rebellious child had to come home, and we have to come to Gods the Father also, brought nigh by the blood of Christ. Love was then able to show itself at last in the ring, the shoes, and in the robe.

And it is just here that the love of God so infinitely exceeds the love of man. With a world of millions, every separate soul is loved as if there were no one else in the whole world. Our Lord was moved to His depths by mighty multitudes. He brooded over them with infinite compassion. He loved the world—and gave. He loved the Church—and gave. But all would be incomplete could we not add, "He loved me and gave Himself for me."  His “giving Himself for me,” is the strongest proof of the personal love of the Saviour.