Ticks, mosquitos, biting flies and other parasitic insects suck blood from their victims. These parasites are nearly universally despised because of their troublesome nature: they take from others, and in return give nothing but discomfort, pain and sickness.
Although bees sting, and we may fear them as a result, we do not despise them in that same way. We know they are only acting out of defense when they sting, and they give us sweet honey. Admittedly, if they could think as we do, they might have a different view of our using the word “give”—they might prefer our term robbing to describe our gathering honey from their hives. Nevertheless, a good beekeeper cares for his industrious little workers, and leaves plenty of honey behind so they can survive and thrive.
The truth is that we, very understandably, like givers and despise takers—whether they have eight, six or two legs. Yes, everyone loves a giver, but not a taker. We are repelled by selfish and greedy people, who play the angles to get “something for nothing” and are never shy about taking advantage of others when the opportunity arises. We are appalled by continual news of scam artists who take heartlessly from the elderly, the naïve and the gullible.
One of the most wonderful truths we can know is that God is not a taker. He is a giver! He gives food and water to sustain us, materials we use to build shelters to keep us dry or to make clothing to keep us warm (and handsome or pretty). Foods come in varying colors, textures and tastes—and, unlike money, they sometimes do grow on trees. They also pop out of the ground, fly through the air, and can be captured from rivers, lakes and seas.
As physical beings, we need these gifts from God to survive. For all His generosity, God requires that we pay just 10 percent “rent” on the increase He gives us—but even that requirement is a kind of “gift” that He gives, to teach us valuable lessons of giving and generosity and concern for others. As a loving Parent, God wants us always to remember the source of the good gifts we receive. He wants us to develop the virtue of gratitude, to overcome selfishness and to learn how to budget our money and other resources wisely.
The Greatest Gift of All
God has given us so many resources that allow us to live comfortably. Yet there is an infinitely greater gift He has offered us—the gift of His very Son as a sacrifice for our sins. John 3:16 tells us: “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.” We should thank God that He is a giver and not a taker, because without this gift of inestimable value we would all perish!
When our first parents Adam and Eve decided to take of the forbidden fruit—symbolizing their choice to decide for themselves right from wrong—they earned the death penalty: “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die’” (Genesis 2:16–17). Ever since, we—the entire human race individually and collectively—have been rejecting God’s law in favor of our own ignorant and arrogant assessments of right and wrong: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Remember how the Bible defines sin: “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4).
The wage we earn when we transgress God’s law is death. But eternal life has been made possible because of God’s free gift to us, given when Jesus gave His life in our stead (John 3:16; Romans 6:23). God purchased us back from death by sacrificing something far more valuable than silver or gold—the precious blood of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:18–19)! And this was not a rash decision; it was all determined from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). There is no more important message in John 3:16 than this. No greater act of love is known to mankind!
Two Misconceptions
The “golden verse,” John 3:16, holds great hope for all human beings everywhere. But the full depth of its meaning is often obscured by a general lack of biblical understanding. There are two common misconceptions about this aspect of John 3:16: God’s gifts to us—including His gift of eternal life—and the response He wants to see from us in return.
We often hear professing Christians talk with great feeling about the role Jesus plays in our salvation. Of course, we should have deep feelings of gratitude and indebtedness for His sacrifice—these feelings are very commendable. But what about the role of the Father? How often is He overlooked in considering this—left out of the picture? Yet, in John 3:16, the role of the One who gave His Son, is primary: “For God [the Father] so loved the world that He [the Father] gave His [again, the Father] only begotten Son [Jesus Christ], that whoever believes in Him [Christ] should not perish but have everlasting life.”
When some great hurt or harm comes to a child, how many parents have sincerely said that they would gladly exchange places? One has to be a parent to fully appreciate the pain parents experience when their children are suffering. It is awful enough to lose a child in an accident, but it is hard to find a more painful situation for a parent than having to watch a child die a slow and agonizing death, as in the case of some deteriorating disease. With this in mind, how many do not fully appreciate the Father’s role in that great drama of nearly 2,000 years ago? How many totally neglect the Father and only consider His Son? Yet, in this verse, and throughout the gospel of John, the Father’s role is primary and Jesus continually points us to Him.
Jesus tells us we are to worship the Father in spirit and truth (John 4:23), that He came not by His own authority, but by His Father’s (John 5:43; 12:49–50), that He came to do the Father’s will (John 8:28–29, 18:11), that no one can come to Him unless the Father draws him (John 6:44–45, 65), that He could only do what the Father willed Him to do (John 5:19), that the Father was greater than He was (John 14:28) and that He came to declare the Father (John 1:18).
Time and again, we find that Jesus points us to His Father. In what is often called the Lord’s Prayer—an outline Christ gave His disciples when they asked Him how to pray—Jesus told them to direct their prayers to the Father (Luke 11:2). He also gave us the right to use His [Jesus’] name—His authority—when going to the Father (John 14:13–14; 15:16).
Another misconception is more subtle. God the Father and Jesus Christ have done so much on our behalf that we absolutely must be thankful for all they have done for us, continue to do—and will in the future do. Indeed, it is true that most of mankind is not nearly thankful enough. And many professing Christians today put all or nearly all of their emphasis on what God has done for us. Sadly, this common approach can create a selfish attitude in us: God gives, we take. It may be true that “you can’t out-give God,” but this does not mean we should not respond to God’s gift by our own acts of giving in return.
We can plainly see, all around us, what happens when parents give and give to their children without also teaching them to develop a giving attitude. They often pay a heavy price by bringing up spoiled, self-centered children. Is that what God wants of us? Of course not! Obviously, our generous Creator wants us to develop the same giving, caring attitude that He has for us. Yes, what God has done for us is wonderful beyond our ability to express. But is that all Christianity is about? A shallow, self-centered understanding of Christianity, focused entirely on what God has done for us, can—without our even realizing it—turn into a very selfish kind of religion based on taking rather than giving.
Imagine a son who tells everyone he meets what a wonderful father he has—a father who bought him a car and fills the tank with gas every week, who buys pizza for him and his friends to enjoy every Saturday night, who lets him disobey his instructions whenever he pleases and pays for it all out of his own wages, while letting his son sit around doing absolutely nothing to help the family? Would anyone really think this was a wonderful father? And would such a father really be pleased by a son who did not care at all about helping his father, but wanted only to take more and more? No!
In the real world, we understand that even the most generous father, if he does not teach his children to obey, will not produce thankful children. Takers tend not to appreciate the efforts of givers. Yes, it is vital that we be thankful to God and praise Him, but if we are not developing in ourselves His attitude of giving, and we are not obeying His guidance, we are not fulfilling His desires for us. “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46; see also Matthew 7:21–23).
Jesus spoke this famous parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down’” (Luke 13:6–9).
Taken together with the Parable of the Talents, it is evident that if we do not bring forth “fruit” in our lives, we too will be cut down and thrown away:
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey… Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant… you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents… And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’” (Matthew 25:14–15; 24–30).
The Parable of the Minas also bears witness to this truth (Luke 19:11–24). We must do something with the gifts God has given us (see vv. 20–24). To be thankful for what Jesus has done for us is right and good, but to take God’s gift and do nothing with it is a selfish act—and will end in disaster. Bearing the fruits of God’s Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23) is a requirement if we want to be Jesus’ disciples: “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (John 15:8).
Sheep and Goats
Jesus explained that, when He returns, He will divide the sheep from the goats. Sheep are described as givers, those who have outgoing concern for others, who will inherit the Kingdom of God:
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory… He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you… for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me’” (Matthew 25:31–36).
People who truly and sincerely care for the well-being of others do not serve to be seen (Matthew 6:1–4). Since their charitable acts are done out of genuine concern for others, it is not surprising that they do not keep score or think highly of themselves for their service. Christ lives in such individuals (Galatians 2:20) and Christ’s way of life becomes theirs.
“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me’” (Matthew 25:37–40).
On the other hand, this parable describes goats as takers—people who care little or nothing for the well-being of those around them. Such people do not put themselves out to serve others, and their ultimate reward is to be thrown into fire and be burned up (Matthew 3:12; Malachi 4:3).
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:41–46).
This parable shows the two broad ways of life. The first is the way of give—a life of outgoing concern for the people around us. The second is the way of get—of taking for ourselves without regard for other people. In John 3:16, God declares His way of give as the way He wants us to learn. And we will only receive His gift of eternal life if we, following His example, learn that way of life and practice it ourselves, as best as we can.
God’s attitude and example of outgoing concern is seen throughout Scripture. After the Word—the one who became Jesus Christ—had given the Ten Commandments, He cried out: “Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!” (Deuteronomy 5:29).
When Jesus walked this earth, in spite of the frustrations dealing with the self-righteous and contentious Pharisees, Sadducees and other Jews of His day, He mourned over the destruction He knew was coming upon Jerusalem: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem… How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Matthew 23:37).
We are even told in Ezekiel 18:32 and 33:11 that God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. When we really understand it, the love of God the Father and Jesus Christ is unquestionable. And it is this same attitude of giving, outgoing concern that God is developing in His children. This is the way of peace and harmony that will be in the Kingdom of God for all eternity!