Tuesday, October 15, 2019

You are Loved!


10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 1 John 4:10 NLT
We love Him because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19 MEV


  Much of this year we've been studying who God really is, despite the maligning of His character by the religious traditions of men. We've been learning how to receive all He provided for us. And learning how to walk in the freedom Christ procured for us. This is the life of Grace. That is, walking in all God has for us, not by our own achievements, but by what Christ perfectly accomplished on our behalf in the Finished Work. 

 Today, I sensed the leading to bring to remembrance a vital truth we need in order to walk in the fullness of the freedom Christ provided. This truth is something we need to continually be reminded of. That is the vital truth that we are loved by God. We are loved!

 This love from God is not based on our emotions, our response, or even our behavior or conduct. This perfect love from God our Father is rooted in who He is and not what we do. Through wrong thinking, some get the idea that God loves us, even more, the better we behave, the more we accomplish, and how much we achieve. 

 Nothing could be more erroneous. God's love is based on His perfect goodness and perfect mercy and who He is. God is love. He doesn't just have love, He is love. He is agape love, that is unearned, undeserved, unconditional love. 

 God's love has no limits, no barriers, and nothing will restrain it. There are no hinderances or blockages to this amazing love. So there is nothing you aren't doing enough of, or anything you could do or continue to do that will cause God to decrease His love for you, or stop loving you altogether. 

 God's love is eternal and never-ending. Doing more things for God isn't going to make Him love you more. Committing sins or living in immorality isn't going to cause Him to stop loving you. Certainly, doing good works, spending time in devotion and worship, going to church, reading and studying the Word, sharing your Faith is good and profitable. However, these good things won't make God love you more. 

 In order to walk in freedom, we must also know that no matter how many times we fail, falter, foul-up, or more frankly sin, God still loves us. His love doesn't wane each time we fail. His love is unmoved by our behavior. Why is this so important to know and remember?

 Look at Peter. He denied Christ three times. Surely, he felt like a failure. That he didn't measure up. He made grandiose claims that he'd never leave or forsake Jesus. Real trouble showed up and Peter was quick to say I don't know the man. 

 The way traditional religion represents God, you'd think God's response would be to reject Peter. He would say "You forsook me so I forsake you!" Yet that's not the message God had for Peter. 

But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.” Mark 16:6-7 NKJV

 God had angels herald the Good News that Jesus is alive, He is risen from the dead. There message? They said go tell the disciples and Peter. God specifically mentions Peter. No matter how Peter felt, God declared Him a disciple still. That is the Love of God! That's the restorative Love of God!

 So you see, even if you take the next toke on your joint, or the next drag off the tobacco cigarette, watch another X rated film from the video rental store, or get on the internet and view pornographic material, if you commit the same sin again and again, know God STILL loves you! God may not be pleased with the action and it doesn't honor the Finished Work, but His love for you is ever-present and unchanging. 

 His love is everlasting and eternal. Knowing how much we are loved propels us to freedom. Saturating ourselves in this love is key in changing our desires inwardly. God's Love changes us from the inside out. It's His timetable, not any man's. Embrace this Love and walk in freedom.

 In summation, God's love is everlasting and eternal. It is unearned and unconditional. We can't make Him love us more or less. Again, embrace this perfect love. This love within compels us to see life differently. We begin to look at people the way Jesus does. Instead of cursing your enemies, pray for them. Pray God's goodness overtake them. Remember His Goodness causes men to change not hardships. Receive a fresh revelation of His great love for you and bask in this love. Boast of His love for you not your love for Him. mage by DreamPixer from Pixabay