God Showed His Love

GOD SHOWED HOW MUCH HE LOVED US BY HAVING CHRIST DIE FOR US, EVEN THOUGH WE WERE SINFUL. Romans 5.8.

Have you ever heard a non-Christian saying that his God loves him? Or he loves his God very much? Every year at a Hindu festival, we see well over one and a half million devotees climb more than 200 steep steps to reach a mountain cave to pay homage to their god. Hundreds of them perform all kinds of penance to please their god. They pierce their bodies and faces with sharp iron rods and hooks, and some carry very heavy objects of worship on their heads. But they do not endure this torture because of their love of their god or his love for him!

In stark contrast, the Bible reveals that God Almighty “IS LOVE!” (1 Jn 4.8). He is love personified! He loved and still loves all men. The fullest extent of God’s love is expressed in our Bible text for today, “God showed how much he loved us by having Christ (His only Son) die for us, even though we were sinful”.

The true extent of God’s love for you and me, the apostle Paul reveals to us by his argument: “No one is really willing to die for an honest person, though someone might be willing to die for a truly good person” (v 7). But none of us were good or honest! We were sinful! It was then, that God loved us and let His only Son Jesus Christ die for us. He repeats his argument again by saying, “Christ died for us at a time when we were helpless and sinful” (v.6).

Why did the Great and Mighty God love everyone in this world without exception? The Bible tells us “God so loved the world (people) that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3.16). We were destined to perish because of the consequence of our sinful lives. We broke God’s righteous laws. We disobeyed Him. We incurred His wrath. We deserved God’s punishment. But God loved us and didn’t want any of us to perish!!

All these are clearly revealed by God in His Word so that we are without excuse in knowing the truth. There is no need for anyone to ‘search for the truth anymore’. You only have to believe the truth and accept it. This is how the Bible sets the simple truth of our sin and salvation: 1). “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3.23). 2). “The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6.23). 3). “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom 10.13). (This is called “The Roman” Way of Salvation!).

Dear friend, now it is up to you to respond to the amazing love and grace of God to you. I trust you have done so. If not, today is the day! The Bible says, “See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! (2 Cor 6.2).

You are already saved from your sin but you may have sinned again! If you are afraid of God’s anger and punishment, here is a promise from God, “Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God” (Rom 5.9). Make a genuine confession of your sin to God. Ask Him to deliver you from sin and temptation daily (Mt 6.13). He will! If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives (1 Jn 1.9,10).

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, I thank You for loving me and giving Your only Son to die for me. It tells of the great love You have for me. Help me to love You with all my heart, and obey you in everything, all of my days. Amen.