The Love of God
1 John 4:8-10, “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
This is a simple truth, the fact that God loves you and I. As followers of Jesus the idea that God loves us is a basic but powerful tenet of our faith. I know there are times in my life that I have forgotten that God loves me, and God in His patience reminds me of His love. I think one of the most amazing things about God’s love is the value it places on you and I.
“How much do you think it costs to make a plastic pen? You can buy those at 10 for a dollar so if 10 cents a piece is a profit for the retailer they can’t be worth more than a penny or so. What if you were in possession of one of those pens and I offered you a million dollars for it? Does that mean the pen is worth a million dollars? Not really, but if it’s worth a million dollars to me and I am actually willing to pay that amount for it, then it becomes a million dollar pen. What am I worth? Not a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. What was God willing to pay to get me? The blood of Jesus Christ! My worth is not found in myself, but in the price that was paid for me. To God I am worth the blood of His Son!”
I don’t know where you are at today but this is the truth you need to know. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ you need to be reminded of how dearly you are loved by your Father in heaven. If you are reading this and you don’t know Jesus Christ you need to! Don’t take another breath without accepting this simple truth. Jesus is God and He came in the flesh and lived a sinless life and died on the cross in your place to pay the penalty for your sin. He rose from the grave on the third day proving that He is God, and that He has the power to forgive your sin in its entirety. All you have to do to receive that forgiveness is believe in who is and what He has done for you. If you don’t know this to be true know it now, and let Jesus become who He died to be. Let Him save you!”
So here is a question for you to consider…Can this love get any greater than our God who came to earth to die for us? Yes, because He didn’t stop there. If His death kept us out of hell that would be more than enough; not suffering eternally is more than enough of a salvation for me. But He gives more when He says I will give you eternal life in Jesus. You don’t just avoid eternal damnation but you gain eternal life in Christ. Wow right, how does it get better? Well not only do we get eternal life we are adopted into the family of God and made a co-heir with Jesus Christ. So not only do we not suffer eternally and we get eternal life but then we get to be His children and we get an inheritance along with our Savior who, by the way, gets everything. But God isn’t done yet, no, no, no this isn’t enough for Him, He gives even more. Because on top of all of that He gives us purpose here on Earth, and abundant life here and gifts and talents He wants us to use here for His glory and other people’s benefit, and then He empowers us by His Holy Spirit to do this work so it is Him working in us and then He rewards us for the work He does in us both here and in eternity! This my friends is the love that God has for you and it never ends.
Romans 8:31-39,
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
So not only are we given this incredible love, we are promised that there is nothing in all creation that can separate us from that love. I hope this is encouraging to you today, if so, share it with someone you love!
Image Borrowed from – Getty Images
