This week's sermon: "God So Loved the World, Part 2"

The free offer of the gospel in John 3:16 represents a glorious love. God loved the world—the sinful, fallen, rebellious world—and gave his Son so that all those who believe have eternal life. This is an amazing love.

But God's love goes beyond John 3:16. There is more to his love than the free offer of the gospel. There is a "great love" with which God loves his chosen people and awakens them from the dead and gives them new birth, loving them with an invincible, never-ending, covenant love.

Yes, God loves the world with the love of John 3:16. But this love doesn't cancel out his other loves. Christians should be joyfully eager to let the Bible speak comprehensively about the multi-faceted love of God.

David Mathis (@davidcmathis) is an elder at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Twin Cities, and works as executive pastoral assistant to John Piper. He and his wife Megan have twin sons (Carson and Coleman) and live in Minneapolis. David is co-editor (with John Piper) of Thinking, Loving, Doing, most recently, and Finish the Mission, forthcoming. Yep, he plays rec softball and went yard in his last game.