Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. - 1 John 3:16

    Out of necessity on our behalf; out of love on his behalf, Christ died for his sheep. God needs nothing—we need everything. The need of sinners and the love of God is culminated in the person and work of JEHOVAH-JIREH (The Lord will see—The Lord will provide—The Lord will be seen—in that order). The apex of God’s INFINITE (not measurable: without any finite or measurable limits), unchangeable, sovereign love is perceived ONLY in God’s Lamb willingly sacrificed. The love of God for sinners is ONLY perceived by those chosen sinners for whom Christ laid down his life—HEREBY PERCEIVE WE THE LOVE OF GOD.

    It is ONLY in the VICARIOUS (done or endured by someone as a substitute for someone else) death of Christ that his sheep perceive their incomprehensible need of Him. It was only when the dying thief, with God-given eyes of faith, saw the dying Lamb of God, and in his death saw both God’s love for him and his need for Christ, that he cried out for mercy, LORD, REMEMBER ME when thou comest into thy kingdom (Lk 23:42).

    It is evident that those who embrace a universal love of God and a universal redemption do not perceive the love of God. Universalism annihilates the love of God and deifies the sinner. The holy perception of both the love of God and our great need for Christ constrains or moves the child of God to love for him and the brethren, even to the sacrificing of ourselves to him and them. If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple (Lk 14:26), because he laid down his life for us we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.