` Immanuel (i.e. God with us)'.

With such stupendous passages before us, it is evident that salvation called for something more than might.

Right seems to be involved. In the birth of this Child, we see God's unspeakable gift, His own self-sacrificing love,

and at the same time a recognition of the claims of righteousness that cannot be swept aside. Right, not might, is

triumphant. God is represented as `A just God and a Saviour' (Isa. 45:21). The Gospel plan is so arranged that `He

might be just, and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus' (Rom. 3:24-28).

Before embarking on the great subject of the Person of the Saviour, let us pause to consider some of the ways in

which Salvation is spoken of in relation to sin and its consequences.

Salvation is from; to; and by.

Salvation saves `from sins'

(Matt. 1:21).

Salvation saves `from wrath'

(Rom. 5:9).

Salvation is `by grace'

(Eph. 2:5).

Salvation is `by faith'

(Eph. 2:8).

Salvation is `by hope'

(Rom. 8:24).

Salvation is `to the uttermost'

(Heb. 7:25).

The Scriptures make wise `unto salvation' (2 Tim. 3:15).

`Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved'

(Rom. 10:13).

Neither is there Salvation in any other :

`For there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved' (Acts 4:12) .

No good purpose will be furthered by multiplying references; those which have been quoted make it evident that

Salvation comes from God, is mediated through Christ, is made known through the Scriptures, is received by

faith, and is entirely an act of grace unmerited by the one who is saved.

`None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him' (Psa. 49:7).

`For God so loved the world (i.e. For God loved the world like this)' (John 3:16).

Perhaps the most repeated text in the whole Bible is John 3:16. We have elsewhere drawn attention to the

importance of the use of logical particles. John 3:16 commences with the word `For', which links it with verses 14

and 15, and refers us back to the symbol of the brazen serpent, lifted up in the wilderness. There can be no shadow

of doubt but that the Saviour Himself endorsed this reference back to Moses and the serpent, for every occurrence in

John of the words `lifted up' refers to the death of Christ. Let us see them for ourselves.

The Type `As Moses ... so the Son of Man' (John 3:14).

The Fact `When ye have lifted up the Son of Man' (John 8:28).

The Purpose `If I be lifted up from the earth' (John 12:32).

`Signifying what death He should die' (John 12:33).

The Question `The Son of Man must be lifted up?

Who is this Son of Man?' (John 12:34).

The second feature of importance in John 3:16 is the true intention of the word `so'. `God so loved the world'.

Here are some of the ways this word is used :

`Jesus therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat thus on the well' (John 4:6).

When John wrote his first epistle, he enforced this thought by using slightly different words :