No Maybe About It

A couple of nights ago I was talking with a friend about God's love.  My friend expressed doubts that he lived up to God's love.  My friend's thinking was since he many times acted in unlovable ways, God would turn His love away from His child.  Like many of us, my friend thought of God's love as performance based, something we needed to earn and continue earning to keep.  I have fallen into that trap many times myself.  I lived in that sad, dark pit for more years than I care to remember. 

Nothing could be further from the truth given in the Bible.  God's love is not conditional.  It can not be deserved or earned.  He gives it freely and completely and eternally.  The next day after having this conversation, the daily devotional I read was exactly about this topic.  LOL  God is amazing that way. 

Some years ago, as I was driving in my car (I've come to the conclusion most of my breakthroughs come while in the car or jogging....something about moving maybe lol).  I can't even remember where I was going or what I was listening to, but I remember being so clearly corrected by the Lord on this topic, that I just started weeping.  I finally understood the fact that God's love was based on HIM, not on me.  I was convicted of putting myself above God's mercy and love, making His character and heart dependent upon my ability to "behave."  I set myself above God.  This was, and still is one of the most freeing corrections and conversations I have ever had with the Lord. 

Psalm 13:5  But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me.

Jeremiah 31:3  Long ago the Lord said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.

John 3:16  “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 5:8  But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

Romans 8:35-39   Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?  (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”  No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,  neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 1:4  Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.

Hebrews 12:6  For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”

On and on and on the Scriptures speak of this unearn-able love that the Lord lavishes upon those who choose Him.  A love that is based in His character, based on who HE is and not on ourselves.  Amazing, eternal, complete love.  To not accept or believe this love is to set ourselves above the Lord.  It is to believe that He is incapable of love in even the smallest of ways.  It puts limits on His love, believing Him to be stingy and mercurial with it.  Our salvation was based on His love.  Why would our walk with Him be based on anything else?

This is not a love that spoils us.  Not a love that gives us everything we want.  Not a love that doesn't correct when necessary.  Love that capitulates to our every whim, giving us things that would not be beneficial to us and doesn't correct us when we do wrong, would not be real, perfect love. 

I am praying that this will help those who are reading this understand the depth of God's love.  That you will realize, like I did that day in the car, that we are not in anyway above God's great love for us.  It was a revelation for me.  Convicted and filled with joy...  Repentant and set free...only God can do that all at the same time.  I am praying that He does that for anyone who doesn't believe they are
lovable.  When we get this knowledge deep down in our hearts, it will teach us and enable us to love others the same way.  I'm still working on that part! 

I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit.  Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him.  Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love it.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.  Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.   (Ephesians 3:16-19)  In Jesus' most loving Name.  Amen. 

Read and meditate on 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.  This is how God loves us. 

1 Corinthians 13:4-7  Love is patient and kind.  Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.  It does not demand its own way.  It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.  It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.