"Yes, GOD so loved the world that HE gave HIS only Son that whoever believes in HIM may not be lost, but may have eternal life. GOD did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world; instead, through HIM the world is to be saved. Whoever believes in HIM will not be condemned. He who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of GOD." - John 3:16-18
(The Jews had been praying for GOD to come and expected HIM to condemn the world and to punish the bad. HE, on the other hand, sent HIS own Son to the cross so that the world will be saved.
Other verses of the New Testament say that we should not love the world; which seems to contradict what we have just read: GOD so loved the world. The reason for this contradiction is that the word world has several meanings.
First, the world means all of creation, which is good since it is GOD's work. The center of this divine work is humankind, which has come under the influence of Satan [8:34 and 44]. Everything that sinful humanity creates--riches, culture, social life--is influenced, disfigured and used for evil. Hence, GOD sent HIS Son so that the world will be saved.
Yet, even though CHRIST's resurrection initiated HIS invincible power over history, a strong current of evil continues, dragging along all who refuse to acknowledge the truth. This evil current is sometimes called the world. It would be more appropriate to say: the people who surrender themselves to the Master of the world. The Scripture points to them in saying: Do not love the world, or You are not of the world [1 John 2:15; 4:6].)
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