For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
The above words are some of the most well known and well loved in all of scripture. There is a very, very good reason for that. In a brief statement, the apostle John expresses what is at the center of the heart of God. John shines a bright light on the character of our great God. In these words, we are reminded of the plan that God always had for our salvation. We are reminded of the lengths and depths to which God goes in order that we might be rescued. We are awed by the sacrifice, the devotion, and the humility that were demonstrated by the Father and the Son. John 3:16 is a text that we never tire of reading or reflecting upon. In a nutshell, it is the gospel. As people who (rightly) call ourselves Christians, we are challenged to understand the depth of that moniker. To be ‘Christian’ is to be a follower of Jesus Christ. To be a follower of Jesus Christ is to be an imitator of Christ—it is to be a person who lives in this world in the ways that Jesus Christ lived in this world, as far as we are able to do so (with the consistent guidance of the Holy Spirit, of course!). It means that our relationships change, our worldview changes, our attitude changes, and our desires and passions change. It means we develop into a people who are sacrificial, devoted, and humble—just like the One we claim as our example. As we continue our discussion of humility, let us all pray that God will form us more closely into the image of Christ.
–Ricky