How Great a Love!
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How Great a Love!
1 See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God. It is not yet revealed what we will be; but we know that when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is. 3 Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure. 1 John 3:1-3
Those verses are to those who have sincerely repented, and received forgiveness from God, through the sacrifice of Jesus, God’s Son. God has adopted you into God’s family! But God’s and Jesus’ love for you started long before you repented and were saved. I know some of my messages have focused on sin and judgment. That’s because I wanted you to repent to God, and be forgiven through Christ —the only way into God’s family. The Bible says, 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me. John 14:6
But now, it’s time to show you more of God’s love. From the writings of Billy Graham: “God’s love did not begin at creation, at the manger, or at the cross. God’s love began in eternity past. Before the world was established, before the time clock of civilization began to move, God’s love prevailed. But not until the Good News of Jesus Christ burst onto the human scene was the word love understood on earth with such depth, as God coming down to us in human form, an expression of unmerited love…”
The Bible says, 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16. The Bible also says, 6 For while we were yet weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man. Yet perhaps for a righteous person someone would even dare to die. 8 But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8
Did you get that? God loved you and gave His Son for you before you believed in Him, while you were yet a sinner! Now that’s love! Thus, this verse: 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:10
Think about it! In love, Jesus died in agony to pay for your sins, hoping you would repent! What kind of love is that? How agonizing is crucifixion? Googling revealed this from Azusa Pacific University: “”Crucifixion was invented by the Persians between 300-400 B.C. It is quite possibly the most painful death ever invented by humankind. The English language derives the word “excruciating” from crucifixion, acknowledging it as a form of slow, painful suffering.”” So, Jesus did not just tell you He loves you. In love, Jesus sacrificed His own human body for you!
Christ’s love for you surpasses knowledge! The Bible puts it this way:
14 For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, 19 and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19
The kindness and love of God is poured out. The Bible says, 4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love toward mankind appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly, through Jesus Christ our Savior; 7 that being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:4-7 (Grace is undeserved favor you get when you repent of your sins, and Jesus takes your death penalty!)
Not rich or influential? Don’t worry! God’s love is not exclusive. He offers it to male and female, black and white, young and old, rich and poor… Just one example from The Word of Truth, the Bible, is, 5 Listen, my beloved brothers. Didn’t God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the Kingdom which he promised to those who love him? James 2:5
A question to the “Saved”: What can separate you from the love of God and Christ? The Word of God says, 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Even as it is written, “For your sake we are killed all day long. We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from God’s love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39
God wants you involved in His love —both in His love for you, and in His love for others! God wants you to persevere! The Bible says, 5 May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love, and into the perseverance of Christ. 2 Thessalonians 3:5 God wants you to be strengthened through Holy Spirit prayers, God’s love, and the promise of mercy through Jesus. The Bible says, 20 But you, beloved, keep building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. 21 Keep yourselves in God’s love, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. Jude 1:20-21
If you haven’t sincerely repented to God, and asked forgiveness through Christ, please do! God and Jesus Christ love you, and want you to do so to be saved from judgment, and become one of “the children of God”. To those who have been saved, and are now called “the children of God”, please receive this love from God’s Word: 14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s love, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14. How great a love!