For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

I get loving something you created, but not to this extent. Why does he love the world so much to give his only Son for it?

Martin Q. Blank said:

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For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

I get loving something you created, but not to this extent. Why does he love the world so much to give his only Son for it?

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My $0.02 - God is a community of perfectly self-emptying love. It is WHO, WHAT AND HOW God is, his essence. The world exists because God wanted it, not because he needed it. He loved it into existence. He sustains it by his love. To do anything other than offer his divine love, i.e. himself, would be to be less than God is, less than God's essence.

Jesus nailed to the cross in writhing agony is an imago Trinitatis

Scripture states that God is love (1 John 4:8) and desires all men to be saved (1 Timothy 2 3-4). It is His nature.

FTACo88-FDT24dad said:

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Martin Q. Blank said:

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For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

I get loving something you created, but not to this extent. Why does he love the world so much to give his only Son for it?

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My $0.02 - God is a community of perfectly self-emptying love. It is WHO, WHAT AND HOW God is, his essence. The world exists because God wanted it, not because he needed it. He loved it into existence. He sustains it by his love. To do anything other than offer his divine love, i.e. himself, would be to be less than God is, less than God's essence.

Jesus nailed to the cross in writhing agony is an imago Trinitatis

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Agree.

Random thought is that the "world" was a display of God's power and manifestation of His glory. We are all image bearers, made in his likeness.

10andBOUNCE said:

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Random thought is that the "world" was a display of God's power and manifestation of His glory. We are all image bearers, made in his likeness.

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Yes we are. The natural follow on question seems to be what does that mean? God did not exist corporeally when those words in Genesis were written. What does it mean to be made in the image and likeness of God?

10andBOUNCE said:

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Random thought is that the "world" was a display of God's power and manifestation of His glory. We are all image bearers, made in his likeness.

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Agree. And I believe He loves everything made in His image.