(NKJV) 1 John 4: 8,19: “8 – He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God Is Love…19 – We love him, because he first loved us.”
(CEV) 1 John 4: 8,19: “8 – God is love, and anyone who doesn’t love others has never known him…19 – We love because God loved us first.”
God Loves you – You can’t do anything about God’s Love for you, His Nature is Love – That’s Who He is, not something He Does – He knew you even before He Called you into a relationship with Him, so get over you not being perfect, and worship the One Who is Perfect. God Loves you no matter what. God loves you all the time. You are Loved and you are precious to God. God’s Love for you is not due to your performance – you do not have to do good for God to Love you, you do good as a response to God’s Love for you.
Jesus, your love transforms and changes our lives
We merely abide in Your Love with no need to strive
Your Love has no meter or measure for our performance
No decrease or increase due to defiance or compliance
Jesus, it’s amazing how You Love us with no expectations
To deeper depths and lofty heights in life’s celebrations
We worship You Yeshua, our Friend, Help, Love, Life and Light
We give you reverential honour and we pay homage with delight
Question: since we’re naturally drawn to people who love us, why is it so difficult for us to go to God in prayer? Answer: because we need a fresh revelation of His Love for us! Paul prayed that the Ephesian church would ‘have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love’ (Ephesians 3:18 NCV). The word ‘greatness’ suggests going above and beyond all that’s expected or deserved. The truth is, God couldn’t love you any more than He Does right now.
‘What is His Love Like?’ you ask. Look at the Cross. Had you been the only person who ever lived, Jesus would have Died just for you. ‘What does His Love cost?’ you ask. Nothing! It comes with no strings attached. You didn’t do anything to deserve it, and when you mess up, you don’t forfeit it. ‘Nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God’ (Romans 8:39 TLB). Once you accept that, you can acknowledge your weaknesses, and seek God’s help, then you grow strong and use the talents He has Given you. When you believe God Loves you based on who you are in Christ, you have the ultimate self-esteem – born of God’s Esteem for you. And since His is the only ‘perfect love’, it Removes your ‘fear’.
So, what are you afraid of? That you won’t get what you need? That you will lose something you have? John tells us: ‘There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.’ (1 John 4:18 NKJV). Ask God today for a fresh Revelation of His Love for you, bearing in mind that what he Loves, he Prizes, Protects and Provides for.
There are many ways that Satan uses to try to block the revelation of God’s Love for us. One of the most subtle, and therefore the deadliest, ways is that he has deceived us into thinking that God’s Love for us is tied to our performance. We think we have to do something to earn God’s love. We must merit God’s love. That is not what the Bible Teaches.
In the natural world, you get what you deserve. Employers don’t hire you based on their love for you. You have to perform. If you perform badly, you are punished or fired. The same thing is true in most relationships. I’ve had hundreds of married couples who essentially tell me, “They don’t deserve my love.” However, the too-good-to-be-true News of the Gospel is that we don’t get what we deserve (Mercy). Praise, thank the Lord!
God’s love for us is unconditional. That is, God doesn’t love us because of some virtue we possess. God Loves us because “God is love” (1 John 4:8), not because we are lovely. Amen.
