"Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us...."
"The gift of Christ is the measure of God’s goodness. God so loved the world that He permitted His Son to die for a race of rebels. This is the donation of the heavenly Father. This is the expression of God’s infinite love."
John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
2 Corinthians 5:17-19 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation."
1 John 3:1 "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not."
1 John 3:1. "Here the beloved disciple is trying to present before us the great love of God to fallen man. He cannot find language broad enough and deep enough to express this wondrous love, and he calls upon the world to behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God. How can we behold this love? By looking to the cross of Calvary. The light from the cross expresses the love God had for fallen man. John says, “Behold, what manner of love.” Behold the Man of Calvary; behold Him who is equal with the Father; behold the Majesty of heaven; behold the King of glory. God’s own dearly beloved Son—He gave Him, a freewill offering for us, and here we see the wonderful condescension of the Father. We dwell much upon the love of Christ, but we frequently lose sight of the love of the Father in giving His only beloved Son to die that we might live. We want to call your attention to the love of God for fallen man in that He did not withhold His only beloved Son, but gave Him as a freewill offering for us; and how much more will He not with Him freely give us all things? {Ms16-1886.1}
"Before the coming of Christ to the world evidences abundant had been given that God loved the human race. But in the gift of Christ to a race so undeserving was demonstrated the love of God beyond all dispute. This gift outweighed all else, showed that his love could not be measured. We have no line to measure it, no plummet by which to sound its depths, no chain by which to encompass it, no standard with which to compare it. All we can say is that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” {ST February 5, 1894, par. 9}
"Through disobedience to God’s command Adam fell from his loyalty. Thus he opened the flood-gates of woe upon our world. His posterity perpetuated his sin, while they found fault with their first parents. The depth to which men fell justified the employment of great means to procure a ransom. God saw that man could never rescue and restore himself. Therefore He exercised His divine benevolence to the fullest extent to redeem those who had lost their connection with Him. He “so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God’s love exceeds the love of an earthly father. It can be measured only by the power and strength of His character. Proportionate to His power was His infinite compassion for fallen men, and His desire to restore in them His image. The high and holy One, who inhabiteth eternity, travailed in the greatness of His power and in His immeasurable love to rescue fallen man." {ST February 22, 1899, par. 3}
"All the sufferings, all the distress that came to Him who was equal with the Father, were borne that He might bring a people to Himself. For this purpose, He laid off His royal robe, His royal crown, laid aside His high command, and stepped down to humanity. He who was the Majesty of heaven, the King of glory, died for sinners. {Ms147-1901.9} We breathe because God takes charge of the human machinery. Day by day He keeps it in working order, and He wants us to think of the infinite sacrifice He has made for us in suffering with One equal with Himself,—His only begotten Son. He consented to let Him come to a world all seared and marred with the curse of sin, to stand at the head of humanity as a sin-bearing, sin-pardoning Saviour. God has pledged Himself to receive sinners; for He “so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” [John 3:16.] {Ms147-1901.10}
Christ came to this earth, His divinity clothed with humanity, that humanity might touch humanity, and divinity lay hold upon the throne of God. In our behalf He become subject to all the temptations of Satan, and placed Himself in the power of those who clamored for His life and crucified Him as a malefactor. His death on the cross was an exhibition of the unselfishness of God. Infinite benevolence poured out all heaven’s treasures in this one gift to rescue man from Satan’s power. Through the revelation of the love of God on the cross of Calvary, the real character of the work of Satan and his agencies was demonstrated. It was shown what power would have ruled the world had not God interposed in our behalf, and, by the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, rescued human beings from the power of the enemy. {Ms88a-1905.17}
Every soul who is hid with Christ in God is clothed with the robe of Christ’s righteousness. The gift of Christ is the measure of God’s goodness. God so loved the world that He permitted His Son to die for a race of rebels. This is the donation of the heavenly Father. This is the expression of God’s infinite love. He so loved us that He gave His Son to die for us. Christ is not the cause of God’s love for us; He is the expression of God’s love for us. I would have Sister S. understand these expressions. The death of Christ is not only a channel which makes it possible for God’s love to reach her case; it is an evidence that God has loved her from her birth, and that He will love her to the end if she will comply with the laws of His kingdom. Let her, then, respond to this love. {Lt124-1901.12}
Unless indicated otherwise, all of the quotations come from the writings of Ellen White.