God loves you! We have heard this over and over. But how can we know this to be true? How can we know that He truly loves us?
First of all, 1 John 4:8 tells us "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."
GOD IS LOVE! THIS IS WHO HE IS!
Lets look at John 3:16 we read: "For God so LOVED the world that He GAVE his only begotten Son, that who soever should believe in Him, shall not die, but have everlasting life."
There is a truth revealed here. John 3:16 tells us that we can know what love is by observing what love does. . We literally can see love through the action love prompts or initiates
The primary action of love is"GIVING". You see LOVE ALWAYS GIVES!
Does a persons behavior demonstrate a giving personality? Or do they have an attitude of demanding you to give to them? Are they a TAKER, or a GIVER?
Once again, the evidence of love is a willingness to just simply give.
This giving is not based on right behavior. Its not based on deserving actions. LOVE GIVES. It does this without requiring anything from its recipient.
"But God COMMANDETH His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
The word "COMMANDETH" here in the Greek means; "to place together, to set in the same place,to bring or band together to stand with (or near).
Think about it, while we were still sinners, meaning having no behavior to require His love, God COMMANDED, brought us near to Him. Sin separated us, Christ brought us back.
"The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, ..." (Deuteronomy 7:7, 8)
Notice the Word simply says "...But because the Lord LOVED YOU..." Here we see the Word telling us that God "SET" His love upon us. This word "set" here in the Hebrew text means to cleave to, to join together with.
God literally cleaved to you and joined together with you not because of something you did, or didn't do, but because it is who He is. HE IS LOVE! HE GIVES AND JOINS TOGETHER.
Once again I want you to notice that He gives you His love regardless. Even if you are rebelling against Him, even if you are rejecting Him. He still loves you and gives you His love through His Son Jesus Christ.
In fact Gods love is greater than any sin. His love is higher than any mountain of tragedy, or any valley of shame. He loves you regardless of what you may have done, good or bad.
Unfortunately some people, even after hearing this great gift, seem to think that they need to perform for God to get something from Him. When the truth is all God wants to do is to love them.
Some would think that if they commit a sin, or fail in some area of their life, that God would not love them any longer and withhold His love from them. This is far from the truth.
Jesus Christ did it all!! God can never see you by any other standard, but through the perfect blood of Jesus.
When He looks at you, He sees His own son, or daughter who has been brought back home. He loves you with an unconditional love, a love that takes no account for a suffered wrong, a love that is patient, a love that is kind, a love that never fails.
You see Gods love was greater than the sin that was keeping you bound, and through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, this love did not fail, but DESTROYED sins power over you, and RESCUED you.
So let us run boldly to the Father, and receive His love today. Run to the throne room of Grace, and find your help in your time of need.
Run to Him, and He'll be your every need, want, and desire. He'll turn you wrongs to right, and your hurts into joy.
HE IS A GIVER HE IS A LOVER, & YES HE LOVES YOU!
