Online Bible Verses - 1st John 4:10 - This is Love

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10NIV

John 3:16 came through yesterday. Today we have a corollary, or adjunct, of sorts.

The Bible tells us that God took on flesh in the form of His Son and came to earth. The primary reason for that, to provide a sacrifice.

Going back to Old Testament practices established by God, we see the following theme/construct conveyed:

1. God is perfect, without flaw. Likewise, He is perfectly just and defines what is good.

2. Transgression of God’s law demands accountability.

3. Israel was instructed to choose an unblemished Lamb from their flocks, to offer as a sacrifice for their sin. A sacrificial lamb, we are all familiar with the term.

This was a foreshadowing for the ushering in of Jesus, who would stand in as the ultimate, true and final sacrificial lamb. Another more direct predictor can be found in Isaiah chapter 53.

So He took on flesh and was able to understand the physicality of being a man. He also understood pain, and what it was like to face horrific death despite being completely innocent. Not to mention He had the authority and power to stop the whole thing. Knowing He was one in the same with God, and full well that man’s transgression had to be dealt with, He was the only one worthy of standing in. Uniquely qualified. What was once perfect had been made corrupt, and the guilty would be pardoned based on a sacrifice provided by the Judge Himself.

He died for us, despite the fact we did not love Him at all.