Lent: Give, not just giving up.

 Ps. 25:4

"Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths."

Lent is almost upon us, and soon we as Born Again Christians, and Catholics shall begin this onslaught of making lists and setting goals on what we will give up. Now, of course, we know that Lent is known for giving up something, or some things in the name of obedience, but that is not what we will be discussing today, instead, we will look at what we should be giving also during our time of obedient sacrifice.

So often, during Lent on any given year and season, we all tend to express to others what we will be giving up. Now, at face value, it is ok, if we do this to give others a heads up what you can or can not eat so that they do not give or offer you that food or subject of your obedient fasting. But we must be careful when we do this, to not come off as making the Lent season into some competition, and also the mere fact of bragging of any sort to make it seem, or act as if we are pious in any way, shape or form. We do sadly, in our daily conversations, leading up to Lent to speak about the subjects, and we lift it up as if our deed is the focus of our obedience and neglect who our obedience goes to. In other words, who are we glorifying during Lent? Ourselves or God?

I really desire to hope that we do not intend to compete nor do we intend to be boastful, but we do. Also, another issue we must quickly address is this valid point before moving on to our Message, we MUST remember that what we in our obedience is between you and God, not us and God and the world. We must not, nor do we need to advertise what we do in our partaking of Lent. By advertising it [not simply giving a heads up], we water down our walk in obedience, in fact, it makes us no different than those who give an offering just to be seen. God gets no glory when we do that, and it is right then, we receive our reward and it is not an Eternal one, just keep it personal between you and God.

When partaking in Lent, we must remember who and why we do it, let us look at that for a moment...

We must partake in Lent, with a heart of love. In order to be obedient, we must love God. I know that sounds like a "duh!" statement, but I must express the importance of that statement. Lent is measured on two things, as basic, as they may seem, are love and faith. Do love God? Then let us partake in Lent with that love. 

The entire reason for Lent is not for personal growth. Not for one-upmanship. Not for anything less than to glorify God through our faithful obedience to Him. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says,  "therefore whatever ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." Read that verse again. Did you catch that? No matter what you eat, or drink, or do...do it and give glory to God. Of course, this counts beyond Lent, this stratagem should be applied daily. Will we? Are we?

When Christ was led into the wilderness before His ministry had begun, and was tempted by the devil 3 times while He fasted the weapon that He used was the Word of God. Such a powerful weapon to be equipped with isn't it? It is still just as powerful today, during our temptations when we partake our part in Lent. "It is written", shall be our battle cry, and our Holy Banner and Creed that will stand on. I remember, as a child in Vacation Bible, School, and in the Royal Ambassadors [RAs], that we would sing a song that said this, "oh the B-I-B-L-E, yes that's the Book for me. I stand up on The Word of God, the B-I-B-L-E." Oh, there is more to that blessed song of truth, but you get the point. The Bible helps us draw ourselves nearer to The Lord, and plants us firmly in Him as He is our Foundation. Live and abide in and by and through His Holy Word.

As we obediently go through this Lent season, just as every day that we trod on this earthly plane, we shall be led, counseled, and protected by, through, and in The Holy Spirit. When we are Born Again in Christ, just as promised, The Holy Spirit lives in us and helps us. Again, I know that I am serving basic milk, but sometimes even seasoned Christians need their souls nourished with some milk to get them back on track in memory. God promised to never leave us and to never forget us and gifts us with the Holy Spirit, and because of that, there is no need to compete nor brag, if we listen to His guidance. 

"Sola Fide" {Faith alone}

We endure Lent with faith. Faith in Him. Faith in His Word, Spirit, Provision, Promise, and Plan. His Plan for our welfare, God looks out for our welfare as He mentions in Jeremiah. Our welfare being cared for by Him, should give us hope. Our faith in His Spirit and Word. In John [1-3 John], he reminds us to walk in Spirit and in Truth [which is the Word], walking in, by, and through faith. Faith in Him. Not just for what He has done, or can do, but for Who He is...The Almighty Lord and Living Savior!

What we do besides fasting, is giving, so in a nutshell, what do we give?

We give our heart, mind, body and our all in/by/with...

Love

For God's Glory

by God's Word

through The Holy Spirit

with Faith

all done in Christ's Name.

Finally, we partake in these coming 40 days of Lent in prayer. 

Let us use Ps. 25:4 as our daily prayer...

"Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths."

Amen

Jesus is enough

 Ps. 73: 25-26

Jesus is enough! I can not express this fact any more clearer, He is simply enough. We can turn to the plethora of options that are out there to fill us with their Spiritual junk foods and so called Spiritual supplement, but nothing fulfills like Christ does, because, Jesus is enough! In preparing this sermon, I felt led to use the 7 "I Am" statements of Christ as an example to prove that Jesus is enough!

As The Bread of Life, Christ offers and sustains Spiritual Life. As we seek bread to be nourished by being a staple in our diet in our life, we need Jesus as our staple of life Spiritually nourishing us as He had offered Himself at Calvary for Salvation's sake, Jesus sustains us Eternally and proves that Jesus is enough!

As The Light of the world, Christ offers Himself as the beacon and source of light in this dark, lost, and evil world. Just as a lighthouse is utilized to keep vessels from crashing into each other and into rocks, Christ Jesus shines Himself to us, all that are His to shed His light in the darkness, so we may walk in Him, because Jesus is enough!

As The Door of the sheep, Jesus protects His flocks just as shepherds for their flock. He is the door and there is no way in nor out unless we enter or exit by and in Him. Though we would never desire to exit, the point is that there is no other entrance to get to us, once we are Born Again, Jesus is The Door, and Jesus is enough!

As The Resurrection and Life, death is not the final word for those of us that are Born Again in Jesus. We know that we all are going to die, that is inevitable this side of Heaven, but once we are saved [Born Again], when we close our eyes for the last time on earth, when we open our eyes, we shall be resurrected and because of Jesus we move from death unto life Eternal and we can shout praise knowing that Jesus is enough!

As The Good Shepherd, Jesus is committed to caring and watching over the flock that are His. Shepherds love their flock. The communicate with them, love them by protecting them even to the point of placing themselves in harms way as far as placing their lives on the line. They would die for their flock and will protect and care for their flock as if they were the family member of the shepherd. Oh how beautiful this truth is that we have The Good Shepherd who loves and cares for us, His flock, and watches and guards us to keep us safe. My beloved, this alone proves, that Jesus is enough!

As The Way, Truth, and Life, Jesus is the source of all truth and knowledge of God. Jesus used the definite article to distinguish Himself as “the only way.” A way is a path or route, and the disciples had expressed their confusion about where He was going and how they could follow. As He had told them from the beginning, Jesus was again telling them (and us) “follow me.” There is no other path to heaven, no other way to the Father. Peter reiterated this same truth years later to the rulers in Jerusalem, saying about Jesus, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). The exclusive nature of the only path to salvation is expressed in the words “I am the way.”The truth – Again Jesus used the definite article to emphasize Himself as “the only truth.” Psalm 119:142 says, “Your law is the truth.” In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reminded His listeners of several points of the Law, then said, “But I say unto you . . .” (Matthew 5:22, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44), thereby equating Himself with the Law of God as the authoritative standard of righteousness. In fact, Jesus said that He came to fulfill the Law and the prophets (Matthew 5:17). Jesus, as the incarnate Word of God (John 1:1) is the source of all truth.

The life – Jesus had just been telling His disciples about His impending death, and now He was claiming to be the source of all life. In John 10:17–18, Jesus declared that He was going to lay down His life for His sheep, and then take it back again. He spoke of His authority over life and death as being granted to Him by the Father. In John 14:19, He gave the promise that “because I live, you also will live.” The deliverance He was about to provide was not a political or social deliverance (which most of the Jews were seeking), but a true deliverance from a life of bondage to sin and death to a life of freedom in eternity.

In these words, Jesus was declaring Himself the great “I Am,” the only path to heaven, the only true measure of righteousness, and the source of both physical and spiritual life. He was staking His claim as the very God of Creation, the Lord who blessed Abraham, and the Holy One who inhabits eternity. He did this so the disciples would be able to face the dark days ahead and carry on the mission of declaring the gospel to the world. Of course, we know from Scripture that they still didn’t understand, and it took several visits from their risen Lord to shake them out of their disbelief. Once they understood the truth of His words, they became changed people, and the world has never been the same.

So how do we follow Him today? The same way the disciples did long ago. They heard the words of Jesus and believed them. They took His words and obeyed them. They confessed their sins to Jesus as their Lord and God. They believed that He died to take the punishment of their sins and rose from the dead to give them new life. They followed His example and command to tell others the truth about sin, righteousness, and judgment. When we follow Him in “the way,” we can be assured of following Him all the way to heaven. Jesus is enough!

“I am the True Vine” (John 15:1) is the last of seven “I am” declarations of Jesus recorded only in John’s Gospel. These “I am” proclamations point to His unique divine identity and purpose. Jesus said, “I am the True Vine” to closest friends gathered around Him. It was only a short time before Judas would betray Him; in fact, Judas had already left to do his infamous deed (John 13:30). Jesus was preparing the eleven men left for His pending crucifixion, His resurrection, and His subsequent departure for heaven. He had just told them that He would be leaving them (John 14:2). Knowing how disturbed they would feel, He gave them this lovely metaphor of the True Vine as one of His encouragements.


Jesus wanted His friends, not only those eleven, but those of all time, to know that He was not going to desert them, even though they would no longer enjoy His physical presence. His living energy—His spiritual reality—would continue to nourish and sustain them just as the roots and trunk of a grape vine produce the energy that nourishes and sustains its branches while they develop their fruit. Jesus wanted us to know that, even though we cannot see Him, we are as closely connected to Him as the branches of a vine are connected to its stem. Our desire to know and love Him and the energy to serve Him will keep flowing into and through us as long as we “abide” in Him.

Jesus went on to remove any misunderstanding about what He meant (John 15:4). He said that no branch can even live, let alone produce leaves and fruit, by itself. Cut off from the trunk, a branch is dead. Just as a vine’s branches rely on being connected to the trunk from which they receive their energy to bear fruit, Jesus’ disciples depend on being connected to Him for their spiritual life and the ability to serve Him effectively. The fruit we produce is that of the Holy Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23). Our source of life and spiritual fruit is not in ourselves; it is outside us, in Christ Jesus. We can live, live rightly, and serve Him effectively only if we are rightly connected to Him in a faith/love relationship.


Then Jesus underscored His point even more strongly by saying, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). This illustration of the vine and branches is no thoughtless generality or careless simile. It is absolute, stark reality. No believer can achieve anything of spiritual value independently of Christ Jesus. He also reminds us that there are some who are “in” Him who bear no fruit. But these are not, as some would suppose, true branches that just happen to be fruitless. All true branches bear fruit. Just as we know a healthy, living tree by the good fruit it produces, so do we recognize fruitless branches as having no connection to the True Vine. This is why Jesus tells us, “By their fruit you will know them” (Matthew 7:16–20). Those who do not produce good fruit are cut away and burned. The reference here is to apostates, those who profess to know Christ but whose relationship to Him is insincere. He neither called them nor elected them nor saved them nor sustains them. Eventually, the fruitless branches are identified as not belonging to the Vine and are removed for the sake of truth and the benefit of the other branches.


So, we depend on Jesus for everything, starting with our very life—“For in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28)—and including our reconciliation with God through Him (Romans 5:10). No one can serve God effectively until he is connected with Jesus Christ by faith. Jesus is our only connection with the God who gave life and who produces in us a fruitful life of righteousness and service. May we never forget, that no matter what, Jesus is enough!

"Do you trust Jesus?"

 Jeremiah 17:7-8

{Sun. am}

A television program preceding the 1988 Winter Olympics featured blind skiers being trained for slalom skiing, impossible as that sounds. Paired with sighted skiers, the blind skiers were taught on the flats how to make right and left turns. When that was mastered, they were taken to the slalom slope, where their sighted partners skied beside them shouting, "Left!" and "Right!" As they obeyed the commands, they were able to negotiate the course and cross the finish line, depending solely on the sighted skiers' words. It was either complete trust or catastrophe. What a vivid picture of the Christian life! In this world, we are in reality blind about what course to take. We must rely solely on the Word of the only One who is truly sighted--God Himself. His Word gives us the direction we need to finish the course. 

The question we must examine deeply, and prayerfully within our heart, is, "Do you trust Jesus?"

 After you get hurt by someone or by too many people for so long, it becomes difficult to trust anyone, so when offered to come to Christ for Salvation, and to be guided throughout your life by way of The Holy Spirit some have selective hearing, and ignore any Spiritual help and hope, yet when media or the government tells you to trust the science, some people blindly, and quickly grab at the opportunity to get help in the name of science for the "common good", yet will ignore the reality that life is short and tomorrow is not promised, for today is the day to be saved. Do you trust Jesus or do you trust the science, and opinions of the slanted media?

Now, I am not condoning breaking any law, nor am I saying to abstain from media info or "news", I am saying to discern what glorifies God and what He has taught you, and to listen and act upon what The Holy Spirit tells you what to do, in each situation. Do as Jesus had said, "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.” To not discern what God directs us to do, for whatever it may be, and go for anything that mankind orders, mandates, or makes a "scientific" opinion for us to follow even if claimed for the "common good", leads us to a dead-end, physically and Spiritually and is of the devil. The devil uses the same tactics today that he used at the fall of man in the garden. He started "popular opinion" and is the father not only of lies and division but also of "cancel culture." There is many roads that may travel, but only one that leads us to Christ. The Word of God is that pathway, all others are dead-ends.

So, with that said, we must honestly ask ourselves, do we trust in God's Word, since by faith we know that The Bible [God's Holy Word, and Breath] is the pathway to Christ that The Holy Spirit leads us on, to get us to, and introduce, teach, disciple and mature us to/in Christ? We shall be stunted in our growth if we ignore His Word, and we shall remain immature and self-guided unto Spiritual ignorance without trusting His Word. Are we trusting Him at His Word? His Word is living, breathing, sharp and is God's very breath and verbal word spoken to our heart through The Holy Spirit's nurturing love and guidance. Have we, are we trusting His Word so that we may grow in Him, drawing us closer to Him through every situation we may face, whether good or bad. We must trust God's Word, for when we do, we are trusting Him by trusting Him at His Word, in His Word, Through His Word, as His Word shakes us, breaks us, molds us, shapes us, and matures us so that, by doing so, we may mature in our faith for His glory and edification of our lives. 

As we do this, we promote, grow, and glorify Him, by fulfilling our commitment by obediently trusting in His Will that He has made. When we trust His Will for our lives, we surrender our will and flee the dead-end will of our flesh and run to, with all eagerness to confidently fulfill His Will that He has made just for us. As His Word said, by acting upon fulfilling His Will, we glorify Him, it makes His heart smile when we give Him all credit and acknowledge that we can use our will and get anywhere in life apart from Him, we must act on His Will alone by faith, for when we act, and live for/in/through/by His Will, we trust Him more each time. We can also trust Him by way of His promises.

God's promises are many, but may we cover just a few. {they all are important, but for space reasons, I will cover just a few.] You can trust Jesus for the [but not limited to] these promises kept...

1) He shall never leave us. Isn't that a comforting reality? Such a beautifully blessed promise that He always keeps. How can He? Well, besides the obvious fact that He is God in the flesh, once we are Born Again in Him by His grace through our faith, it is at that moment that He lives within us, by and through His love we can trust Him.

2) He shall never forget us. Would you forget your loved one, if they were hungry? Hurt? In need? Hopefully you have said, no. You see, Jesus, being even greater than us, in His grace and driven by His love, never forgets us. We can simply trust Him. Mankind is limited, Christ is limitless. Do you trust Him?

3) He forgives and saves. We can not forgive ourselves from the sins that we commit and be justified by it. In the same way, we can not save ourselves from dying and going to Hell for all Eternity. There is only One that can forgive, and there is only One Who has saved us from the Eternal torture of Hell. That One is Jesus, and today is the day to be saved, do you trust Him? You should!

God's Plan is that you are saved. His Timing is not measured as we measure time. His timing is perfect. His Plan is perfect. You must be Born Again, and His Plan is that many shall accept His invitation of Grace through their faith in Him. Do you trust His plan? Do you trust Jesus? You should!

The Holiness of God

Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!

~ Psalm 96:9

The first prayer I learned as a child was the simple table grace: “God is great; God is good. And we thank Him for this food.” I suppose this prayer is supposed to rhyme. It did when my grandmother said it because she pronounced food as if it rhymed with good or hood.

The two virtues assigned to God in this prayer, greatness and goodness, may be captured by one biblical word, holy. When we speak of God’s holiness, we are accustomed to associating it almost exclusively with the purity and righteousness of God. Surely the idea of holiness contains these virtues, but they are not the primary meaning of holiness.

The biblical word holy has two distinct meanings. The primary meaning is “apartness” or “otherness.” When we say that God is holy, we call attention to the profound difference between Him and all creatures. It refers to God’s transcendent majesty, His august superiority, by virtue of which He is worthy of our honor, reverence, adoration, and worship. He is “other” or different from us in His glory.

When the Bible speaks of holy objects or holy people or holy time, it refers to things that have been set apart, consecrated, or made different by the touch of God upon them. The ground where Moses stood near the burning bush was holy ground because God was present there in a special way. It was the nearness of the divine that made the ordinary suddenly extraordinary and the common, uncommon.

The secondary meaning of holy refers to God’s pure and righteous actions. God does what is right. He never does what is wrong. God always acts in a righteous manner because His nature is holy. Thus, we can distinguish between the internal righteousness of God (His holy nature) and the external righteousness of God (His actions).

Because God is holy, He is both great and good. There is no evil mixed in with His goodness. When we are called to be holy, it does not mean that we share in God’s divine majesty, but that we are to be different from our normal fallen sinfulness. We are called to mirror and reflect the moral character and activity of God. We are to imitate His goodness.

Lord, let me reflect your holiness in my every thought and deed. Amen.

~ RC Sproul, from “Essential Truths of the Christian Faith”

Strike a Blow to Myself

So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh--for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

~ Rom. 8:12-13

Pregnant women sometimes get cravings. There are funny stories out there, like the lady with a craving for butter who, while on the phone with her husband, dropped her cell phone into a container of Country Crock.

Doctors really aren’t sure why this happens to some women, but the theory is that the body has some nutritional need and projects it to the conscious as a specific (and sometimes highly peculiar) food. What I know is that I get cravings for food also, and not always the hour before dinner. It sometimes happens when I’m worried or unhappy, and for whatever reason, the craving I get is for something that isn’t very healthy, like Pop-Tarts. If I’m really stressed I might put a second batch in the toaster, even though I’m not very hungry after the first.

We do have hormonal triggers that cause urges. Eating is a good example because when you’re really hungry, it’s hard to control yourself. But it applies to other things as well, and the urge isn’t always satisfied by something positive. We might have sexual urges and no spouse to fulfill them, or loneliness with a desperate urge to be cared for and affirmed. We might have anxiety or emotional pain and no method to offload it except prescription medications or a numbing series of alcoholic drinks. We might have doubts about our value and engage in self-destructive behavior to end everything, to live on the edge to feel more alive, or to seek out something with one of these as our end goal.

On some level, these urges are all normal and can be met in healthy ways, in Christ. As Christians, we have the indwelling Holy Spirit who can lead us to a solution that is within God’s will or, if no immediate solution presents itself, gives us the strength to resist the urge. Some of these urges are powerful but, when resisted, will almost immediately fade. If you don’t know Christ, you can still resist the urge but you don’t have the presence of God to help you. Inevitably, your values may change so that you can meet your needs without harboring guilt. The world around us fosters values to make that possible.

For a Christian, there is a counter-force within you. It is the Spirit of God, and the Spirit empowers you and transforms you if you will obey the Lord and seek his will. The Spirit directs you on the path of holiness. But it’s still not easy. It’s a battle, in fact. Paul talks about it throughout Romans 7 and the first part of Romans 8. His point, in those verses, is that simply knowing God’s will (i.e., the Law) isn’t enough. You need the Spirit, and you need to yield to him. But it’s a struggle.

The phrase ‘sinful nature’ does not literally occur in the New Testament (in the original Greek). Some modern translations, like the NIV, will sometimes (but not always) translate the word ‘flesh’ this way. If you see ‘sinful nature’ in Romans 7, substitute the word ‘flesh.’ I think that will be more helpful in understanding the struggle you face against your tendency to sin. If you have a ‘sinful nature’ it almost sounds like it’s natural for you to sin, and if it is, you have an excuse not to stop.

The term here is ‘flesh,’ and I think Paul uses this word, in nearly every case, to refer to the body. If you understand it that way, his instruction makes sense. When you become a Christian, you don’t get a new body. It’s the same old body, same old brain, with its biological urges and learned patterns of disobedience (i.e., sinful habits). You still have your old memories, burnt into your neuropathways. Your body has been trained to respond to them. Your body is not neutral in the struggle to avoid sin. All of this changes at the resurrection, but right now, you’re stuck with that part of you. If you look carefully at Rom. 8:12-13, you will see that Paul puts ‘live according to the flesh’ in parallel with ‘misdeeds of the body.’ He’s just rephrasing the first idea so that it doesn’t sound repetitive. These are two ways of referring to the same thing.

We have the Holy Spirit to transform and empower us to achieve victory over the flesh, but we are not puppets. Victory over our habits and urges comes because we’re mentally engaged in the battle. Since it’s a battle against self, a better analogy is a race, where you fight your urge to stop running.

Paul writes,

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. (1 Cor. 9:24-27)

When he says, ‘I discipline my body and make it my slave,’ the word translated ‘discipline’ here, literally, means ‘bruise.’ Some translations read, ‘I strike a blow to myself.’ It’s like slapping your own hand as it reaches for the Pop-Tart. Or if you’re about to cross the line sexually, dumping cold water on your head. Or if it’s some addiction, call a friend who will talk you down. Whatever it takes. Sometimes it just helps for that brief moment that allows you to get in sync with the Spirit, to bring you to your knees in prayer.

The struggle gets easier as you stop giving in. You train your flesh (rehabituate yourself) to follow the Spirit. That’s holiness, and it’s an incremental process. But you only get there by taking that first step. And then the next, and onward. Until the day that you hold the wreath that will last forever.

Lord, help us in our struggle to defeat sin in our bodies. We relinquish control and ask your Spirit to transform and guide us. We yearn for the imperishable wreath that awaits us when we stand together with you. Amen.

Why does God love us?

This short question is among the most profound questions ever asked. And no human would ever be able to answer it sufficiently. One thing is certain, however. God does not love us because we are lovable or because we deserve His love. If anything, the opposite is true. The state of mankind since the fall is one of rebellion and disobedience. Jeremiah 17:9 describes man’s inner condition: “The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. Who can know it?” Our innermost beings are so corrupted by sin that even we don’t realize the extent to which sin has tainted us. In our natural state, we do not seek God; we do not love God; we do not desire God. Romans 3:10-12 presents the state of the natural, unregenerate person: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” How then is it possible for a holy, righteous, and perfect God to love such creatures? To understand this we must understand something of the nature and character of God.

First John 4:8 and 16 tell us that “God is love.” Never was a more important declaration made than this—God is love. This is a profound statement. God doesn’t just love; He is love. His nature and essence are love. Love permeates His very being and infuses all His other attributes, even His wrath and anger. Because God’s very nature is love, He must demonstrate love, just as He must demonstrate all His attributes because doing so glorifies Him. Glorifying God is the highest, the best, and the most noble of all acts, so, naturally, glorifying Himself is what He must do, because He is the highest and the best, and He deserves all glory.

Since it is God’s essential nature to love, He demonstrates His love by lavishing it on undeserving people who are in rebellion against Him. God’s love is not a sappy, sentimental, romantic feeling. Rather, it is agape love, the love of self-sacrifice. He demonstrates this sacrificial love by sending His Son to the cross to pay the penalty for our sin (1 John 4:10), by drawing us to Himself (John 6:44), by forgiving us of our rebellion against Him, and by sending His Holy Spirit to dwell within us, thereby enabling us to love as He loves. He did this even though we did not deserve it. "But God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

God’s love is personal. He knows each of us individually and loves us personally. His is a mighty love that has no beginning and no end. It is this experiencing of God’s love that distinguishes Christianity from all other religions. Why does God love us? It is because of who He is: "God is love."

God’s love for mankind, as described in the Bible, is unconditional in that His love is expressed toward the objects of His love despite their disposition toward Him. In other words, God loves without placing any conditions on the loved ones; He loves because it is His nature to love (1 John 4:8). That love moves Him toward benevolent action: “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45).

The unconditional nature of God’s love is most clearly seen in the gospel. The gospel message is a story of divine rescue. As God considered the plight of His rebellious people, He determined to save them from their sin, and this determination was based on His love (Ephesians 1:4–5). Listen to the apostle Paul’s words from his letter to the Romans:

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might dare to die. But God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6–8).

Reading through the book of Romans, we learn that we are alienated from God due to our sin. We are at enmity with God, and His wrath is being revealed against the ungodly for their unrighteousness (Romans 1:18–20). We reject God, and God gives us over to our sin. We also learn that we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23) and that none of us seek God; none of us do what is right before His eyes (Romans 3:10–18).

Despite the hostility and enmity we have toward God (for which God would be perfectly just to utterly destroy us), God revealed His love toward us in the giving of His Son, Jesus Christ, as the propitiation (the appeasement of God’s righteous wrath) for our sins. God did not wait for us to better ourselves as a condition of atoning for our sin. Rather, God condescended to become a man and live among His people (John 1:14). God experienced our humanity—everything it means to be a human being—and then offered Himself willingly as a substitutionary atonement for our sin.

This divine rescue, based on unconditional love, resulted in a gracious act of self-sacrifice. As Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). That is precisely what God, in Christ, has done. The unconditional nature of God’s love is made clear in other passages of Scripture:

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4–5).

"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins" (1 John 4:9–10).

It is important to note that God’s love is a love that initiates; it is never a response. That is precisely what makes it unconditional. If God’s love were conditional, then we would have to do something to earn or merit it. We would have to somehow appease His wrath or cleanse ourselves of sin before God would be able to love us. But that is not the biblical message. The biblical message—the gospel—is that God, motivated by love, moved unconditionally to save His people from their sin.

Also important is the fact that God’s unconditional love does not mean that everyone will be saved (see Matthew 25:46). Nor does it mean that God will never discipline His children. To ignore God’s merciful love, to reject the Savior who bought us (2 Peter 2:1), is to subject ourselves to God’s wrath for eternity (Romans 1:18), not His love. For a child of God to willfully disobey God is to invite the Father’s correction (Hebrews 12:5–11).

Does God love everyone? Yes, He shows mercy and kindness to all. In that sense His love is unconditional. Does God love Christians in a different way than He loves non-Christians? Yes. Because believers have exercised faith in God’s Son, they are saved. The unconditional, merciful love God has for everyone should bring us to faith, receiving with gratefulness the conditional, covenant love He grants those who receive Jesus as their Savior.

The phrase “love of Christ,” as opposed to “love for Christ,” refers to the love that He has toward mankind. His love can be briefly stated as His willingness to act in our best interest, especially in meeting our greatest need, even though it cost Him everything and even though we were the least worthy of such love.

Though Christ Jesus, being God in nature, existed from the beginning of time with God the Father (John 1:1) and the Holy Spirit, He willingly left His throne (John 1:1-14) to become a man, that He might pay the penalty for our sin so that we would not have to pay for it for all eternity in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15). Because mankind’s sin has been paid for by our sinless Savior Jesus Christ, God who is just and holy can now forgive our sins when we accept Christ Jesus’ payment as our own (Romans 3:21-26). Thus, Christ’s love is shown in His leaving His home in heaven, where He was worshiped and honored as He deserved, to come to earth as a man where He would be mocked, betrayed, beaten, and crucified on a cross to pay the penalty for our sin, rising again from the dead on the third day. He considered our need of a Savior from our sin and its penalty as more important than His own comfort and life (Philippians 2:3-8).

Sometimes people may give their lives willingly for ones they deem as worthy—a friend, a relative, other “good” people—but Christ’s love goes beyond that. Christ’s love extends to those most unworthy of it. He willingly took the punishment of those who tortured Him, hated Him, rebelled against Him, and cared nothing about Him, those who were most undeserving of His love (Romans 5:6-8). He gave the most He could give for those who deserved it the least! Sacrifice, then, is the essence of godly love, called agape love. This is God-like love, not man-like love (Matthew 5:43-48).

This love which He demonstrated toward us on the cross is just the beginning. When we place our trust in Him as our Savior, He makes us God’s children, co-heirs with Him! He comes to dwell within us through His Holy Spirit, promising that He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6). Thus, we have a loving companion for life. And no matter what we go through, He is there, and His love is ever available to us (Romans 8:35). But as He rightfully reigns as a benevolent King in heaven, we need to give Him the position He deserves in our lives as well, that of Master and not merely companion. It is only then that we will experience life as He intended and live in the fullness of His love (John 10:10b).