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Manila Bulletin

Reflections

God so loved the world

Reflections

God so loved the world

By Manila Bulletin

REFLECTIONS TODAY

While many times in the Gospel of John the world (kosmos) is given a negative connotation (as those who refuse to believe in Jesus or who hate him), here in this perhaps the most famous line of the New Testament (Jn 3:16) we have a very clear declaration of God’s intense and great love. God even gave his only Son so that those who believe might not perish but have eternal life. Despite the world’s resistance and sinfulness, God continues to love it. But what is the world’s response to this great love of God towards it? Has its response changed for the better with the passage of time? Or has the statement merely fallen on deaf or still-resistant ears? On the other hand, if God so loved the world, has humanity shown as much love towards it? By the way the world is suffering from abuse, it looks as if concern and love for it is not much. GOSPEL • John 3:16-21 God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God. And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God. SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2022,” ST. PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.

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