I John 3:1 is one of my favorite verses in Scripture. If you grew up in church you probably memorized this verse from the King James Bible as you sang the little round:
Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us
Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us
That we would be called the sons of God
That we would be called the sons of God
The New American Bible Standards says that God "bestowed" His love on us. But I like how the New International Version puts it. It says that God "lavished" His love on us. Think about that. What does it mean to "lavish" something?
When I go to Cracker Barrel to eat I always order the same thing. I guess you could say that I am in a Cracker Barrel rut. I always get country fried steak with mashed potatoes. For my two sides I always get fried okra and fried apples. Now if that meal doesn't sound appealing to you, you may be disappointed in heaven because I am pretty sure that if you know the Greek language you will find in the Bible that this is going to be the menu at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (just trust me on that one!)!
But when I order my meal at Cracker Barrel, I always give the server a special instruction. I tell them that I want gravy on my country friend steak and mashed potatoes. In fact, I want there to be so much gravy that when they bring my food out they are struggling to keep my potatoes from swimming right off the tray! I don't just want lots of gravy. I don't just want extra gravy. I want my country fried steak and mashed potatoes to be "lavished" with gravy!
And in a very real way, that is what God has done. He didn't just love us. He didn't just give us extra love. He didn't just give us lots of love. He "lavished" His love on us. Romans 5:8 says:
"God demonstrates His love for us in this...while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!"
Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us
Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us
That we would be called the sons of God
That we would be called the sons of God
The New American Bible Standards says that God "bestowed" His love on us. But I like how the New International Version puts it. It says that God "lavished" His love on us. Think about that. What does it mean to "lavish" something?
When I go to Cracker Barrel to eat I always order the same thing. I guess you could say that I am in a Cracker Barrel rut. I always get country fried steak with mashed potatoes. For my two sides I always get fried okra and fried apples. Now if that meal doesn't sound appealing to you, you may be disappointed in heaven because I am pretty sure that if you know the Greek language you will find in the Bible that this is going to be the menu at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (just trust me on that one!)!
But when I order my meal at Cracker Barrel, I always give the server a special instruction. I tell them that I want gravy on my country friend steak and mashed potatoes. In fact, I want there to be so much gravy that when they bring my food out they are struggling to keep my potatoes from swimming right off the tray! I don't just want lots of gravy. I don't just want extra gravy. I want my country fried steak and mashed potatoes to be "lavished" with gravy!
And in a very real way, that is what God has done. He didn't just love us. He didn't just give us extra love. He didn't just give us lots of love. He "lavished" His love on us. Romans 5:8 says:
"God demonstrates His love for us in this...while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!"
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