GOD'S LOVE IS THE CAUSE OF CONVERSION-Part 3

The 3 members of The Godhead, mutually love each other-
John 3;35-''The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.''

John 17;24-''Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me; for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.''

I Corinthians 2;10-12-[Turn].

John 16;14-'' He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you''.
God is the fountain, from which, love proceeds.

Next, in the attributes, belonging to God, as A Holy and Intelligent Spirit, we may consider, what may be called ''The Affections''.
God does somethings similar to the affections in man.

They are ascribed to Him as love, hatred, anger, etc.
From These, everything carnal, sensual, or with any degree of imperfection in it, must be removed.

Love stands first, in the affections, because God is love-but, love is not God's chief attribute.
Both holiness and life precede love, in The Divine Order.
God is so holy, that He cannot look upon sin-
Habbakkuk 1;13-''Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity; wherefore lookest thou upon them that that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he/''
Justice protects His Holiness.
God's Justice must be satisfied, for holiness to manifest love, to the sinner.

Next, we find that, God's Love has a specific object--The World.
Now the statement, ''Love is of God'' does not mean, that it comes from God, in the same way, that light comes from God.

It is not asserted of love as it is of light; ''And God said, Let there be light; and there was light''
[Genesis 1;3].
He does not say, ''Let there be love, and there was love''.
God's Love does not shine upon all people without exception, as The Light of Nature does.

Now, this love of God is a saving love, not a love, which merely tends toward Salvation.

Next, we see, that the words, ''God gave'' expresses the absolute freeness of the gift.
''Giving'' and ''Receiving'' are relative terms, one presupposing the other.

God never gives something, that is not received.
The Gift, However, is not to every individual;
for, to whomever He gives His Son, He gives all things freely with Him-Romans 8;32-[Turn].

Since love is God's Gift, whoever God loves, receives His Gift.

The World, Christ came to save, is not completed.
This is why, God is long suffering-2 Peter 3;9- [Turn]...[Comment]

Now, there is no marvel so great, no mystery so unfathomable, as this-that The Great and
Good God,
Whose Perfect Righteousness, flames in indignation, at the sight of every iniquity,
and Whose Absolute Holiness recoils in the presence of every impurity,
loves the sinful world, and has so loved it, that He gave His Son, to die for it.

John is teaching ''The Universalism of Christianity'' in contrast with ''The Nationalism'' of The
Old Testament.
In this universalistic and Anti-Jewish Gospel of John, what is more natural, than to find ''the world'' brought into contrast, with Jewish Exclusivism/

Christ DID NOT COME, to make Propitiation for The Jews only.
God's Elect are not The Residual of The Great Conflagrational.

They aren't the ashes of the burned up world, gathered sadly together, by The Creator, after the
catastrophe is over, so that He might make, a new and better beginning with them, to replace that which has been lost.

The Elect Themselves, are not The World, as it is, in its sin, lying in The Evil One;
but, The World, with its promise of renewed life.