God loves you, He really does!
categories: Uncategorized |Friday November 6
“Can anything…separate us from Christ’s love?” Ro 8:35 NLT
Our limited minds can’t comprehend God’s love because it comes with no strings attached. He doesn’t love us “if,” but “in spite of.” Your parents may not always approve of your behavior, but you know that you are always loved and accepted. Paul asks, “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love?” Then he answers, “No, nothing!” Doesn’t that blow your mind? We have just enough ego to believe there are certain sins God can’t get over – like the ones we never commit. Do you remember the Pharisee in the temple who prayed, “God, I thank You that I am not like other men – extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or…this tax collector [standing next to me]” (Lk 18:11 NKJV). Understand this: God’s standard is perfection, and you couldn’t reach it in a thousand lifetimes! Grace is the only hope any of us have.
Our love for God relates to the level of the forgiveness we’ve received from Him. The Pharisees were shocked that Jesus would allow a woman with a bad reputation to kneel at His feet, bathing them with her tears and drying them with her hair. They thought, “If Jesus was a prophet He’d know what kind of woman this is” (See LK 7:39). No, it wasn’t that Jesus didn’t know; it was that He didn’t care. Turning to the woman He said, “Thy sins are forgiven.” Then He gives us the bottom line: “To whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little” (Lk 7:47-48). And what should our response to God’s love be? “This is love for God: to obey His commands” (1Jn 5:3 NIV).