3:16 - "For God"

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. - John 3:16

"For God".  This is a very important phrase in this verse and one that is too easily missed.  Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning God".  In other words, before there was a beginning to anything we are familiar with, there was God.  Simply put, God is.  There is no timeline that can be applied to God.  God is.  When Moses asked how to answer those who would ask "What is His name?", God replied, "I AM WHO I AM.  You shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"  Jesus commented in John 8:58, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."  There is no timeline than can be applied to God.  God is.  This phrase make it clear from the beginning that God did this.  God and only God did the work.  No one helped, man was not involved, nor was any other power or thing or spiritual being.  God did this and God is.

While we may decide that this verse contains God's intent in a very condensed manner, many people will refuse to hear it simply because of this very first phrase.  If you don't believe that God exists then why would you read or listen to this verse?  You would immediately turn it off or tune it out upon hearing this first phrase.  Psalm 14:1 says, "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'"  But, asking someone to believe the Bible to prove to them that God exists, the same God who wrote the Bible is counter-productive.  This is circular reasoning.

If I tell my kids to listen to what I say and believe in me, that I only have their best interest in mind because I love them, do they always believe me?  Not at all.  Why not?  I have never done anything against them, but have only tried to help them.  Yet they don't always trust me.  In order for them to trust me regarding something they have no knowledge, they will have to have faith in my words. 

The same is true with God.  In order for us to trust Him regarding something that we have no knowledge, we will have to have faith in His Word.  This is the first choice.  And so there is our heavenly Father, who only has our best interest in mind and who loves us perfectly, has never done a single thing against us, and has only tried to help us, yet, we don't always trust Him.  We turn to our self.  We don't always listen or follow His directions. 

Here at the beginning of this verse, God forces a choice by refusing to sit quietly in the back and try to lure the reader, the hearer, or the recipient of this Message through camouflage.  Today, I think we spend way too much effort trying to not look like Christians and hoping people will see who we are and ask us about us.  How cowardly!  This is not the way of God.  He has never not been who He is.  "I AM WHO I AM."  There is no need for Him to hide Himself or His ways.  There is no wrong in them and everything about Him will only help whomever looks upon Him.  If they would only look!  There is no need for us to hide who we are since what we know will only help everyone who might ask to become whole again.  Why do we doubt that the God in us is insufficient for those that might see it?