"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish — but have everlasting life!" John 3:16
This verse is a little Bible in itself — for it contains the whole gospel.
It shows us the source of man's redemption — God's love.
It shows us the measure of this divine love — God gave His only begotten Son.
It shows us how the redemption was accomplished — by the sacrifice of Christ.
It tells us how to be saved — by believing on the Son of God.
It tells us who will be saved — whoever believes on Christ.
It shows us what the salvation is — deliverance from perishing, and the gift of eternal life.
Any one who truly believes that God loves him — is saved; the consciousness of this blessed truth is life in the soul. A story is told of a child in Luther's time, who thought of God only with dread, as of a terrible Judge! In her stern home, God had been held before her only in this way — to terrify her. She had never heard a word about God's gentleness or affection. But one day in her father's printing office, she picked up a scrap of paper and found on it just the first part of this verse, "For God so loved the world — that He gave" the remaining words were torn off — but even this mere fragment was a revelation to her.
God loved — "loved the world", loved it well enough to give something. Exactly what He gave — she did not know — but it was enough for her to know that God loved at all, and that He loved the world enough to give anything to it. The new thought changed all her conception of God. She learned from this time, to think of Him as one who loved her — and this thought brought sweet comfort to her.
But we have the whole verse — and we know that God is love. We know just what His love gave — the most costly and most valuable gift in all the universe! This revelation should fill us with unutterable joy!
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J.R. Miller (1840 - 1912)
Prolific author and pastor of Presbyterian churches in Pennsylvania and Illinois, Rev. James Russell Miller served the USCC as a field agent in the Army of the Potomac and Army of the Cumberland.J.R. Miller began contributing articles to religious papers while at Allegheny Seminary. This continued while he was at the First United, Bethany, and New Broadway churches. In 1875, Miller took over from Henry C. McCook, D.D. when the latter discontinued his weekly articles in The Presbyterian, which was published in Philadelphia. J.R. Miller D.D.'s lasting fame is through his over 50 books. Many are still in publication.
James Russell Miller (March 20, 1840 - July 2, 1912) was a popular Christian author, Editorial Superintendent of the Presbyterian Board of Publication, and pastor of several churches in Pennsylvania and Illinois.
In 1857, James entered Beaver Academy and in 1862 he progressed to Westminster College, Pennsylvania, which he graduated in June, 1862. Then in the autumn of that year he entered the theological seminary of the United Presbyterian Church at Allegheny, Pennsylvania. Mr. Miller resumed his interrupted studies at the Allegheny Theological Seminary in the fall of 1865 and completed them in the spring of 1867. That summer he accepted a call from the First United Presbyterian Church of New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. He was ordained and installed on September 11, 1867.
J.R. Miller began contributing articles to religious papers while at Allegheny Seminary. This continued while he was at the First United, Bethany, and New Broadway churches. In 1875, Miller took over from Henry C. McCook, D.D. when the latter discontinued his weekly articles in The Presbyterian, which was published in Philadelphia.
Five years later, in 1880, Dr. Miller became assistant to the Editorial Secretary at the The Presbyterian Board of Publication, also in Philadelphia.