Some Amazing Things About God's Love

- which includes His marvelous love for us, and the way we're able to love Him in return....Firstly, let's understand that it is God who is the initiator in His love for us: John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..." He loved and therefore He gave. He proved His unfathomable love to us by giving that which was most precious to Him, His own Son, and by giving Him up to die a humiliating and painful death, by crucifixion on a Roman cross, for us- lost, pitiful, sinful mankind. We couldn't even approach God if HE hadn't taken the initiative to reach down to us: John 6:44 "No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him" ...

Of course, the resurrection follows the crucifixion, and therefore not only are our sins forgiven, but we now have new life- ETERNAL life. Praise God, that's the only kind of life He gives- the eternal kind! He never leaves anything incomple te, never goes only part-way, but always extends His full and complete love toward us, His people. We are the objects of that incredible love. Amazing as all of that is,, it doesn't end there. You see, we also get to love Him back!

The love that the Christian has for God is God-given and is just as wonderful as His love for us, which leads me to the second point. While God initiates this love toward us, we need to respond to that love. We can either close up our hearts and live in a self-centered manner (and we see far too many believers that choose to live in that condition), or we can let His love pour over our souls in such a manner that we can't help but want to return it to Him over and over again in a continual act of worship- and this is exactly as the Lord intended for it to be with ALL of His children.

Unfortunately, if we don't cultivate that relationship, we develop a certain hardness of heart over time. Other believers can often see it in us, because the joy of the Lord is hard to hide, and so is a stony heart. Since God only wants a living, PASSIONATE relationship with ALL of us, it sometimes becomes necessary for God to break through the layers of apathy, laziness, and dissatisfaction that cover this once adoring heart. Just how He does it will vary with the individual, but be sure that, just as He never goes only part-way with us, He does not want us to to go only part-way with Him- ever!

All that any believer who finds his or her self in this condition has to do is simply look up, and in faith say, "Lord Jesus, bring back the passion, love and devotion I once had for You, and remove from my life the things which hinder that love." He is not only able to do so, He longs to do so! HE is the iniatiator, we are the responders. He first loved us, and nothing pleases Him more than His beloved children returning that love!

God Bless You.
Pastor Jim Ewing