Understanding How Much God Loves Us
If we are going to develop an intimate relationship with Jesus our Lord and Savior, we are going to have to realize how much He loves us. Love and intimacy go together. Love and intimacy grow together. We don’t become intimate with someone we do not love, nor someone who does not love us. In our search for intimacy with Jesus, we begin by asking you to think about how much He loves you.
2 Thessalonians 3:5 says, “And may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God...”
You are loved by God. But do we really understand what that statement means? Sometimes love is difficult to define. In fact, love virtually defies description, so much so, that most attempts to capture its true essence in words inevitably fall short. Love is powerful and transforming. Love is amazing, incredible, and awe inspiring. When we experience true love, how is it possible to describe all the wonderful feelings and thoughts that simultaneously converge in the depths of our heart? In fact, we may sometimes struggle to find the right words or expressions to convey our love to someone in a way that accurately reveals and describes the feelings inside that we have for them. Love is a many splendored thing. A few important facets of love certainly include consuming desire, warm contentment, quiet confidence, fulfilling delight, and wonderful peace. Love is truly one of the glorious mysteries of life.
It is important that we take the time to try and get our arms around love. John 3:16 tells us that God so loved us that He gave His Son Jesus to die for our sins. Love needs to express itself, and one of the ways it does so is in giving. That’s what grace is- giving or expressing love. In fact, the Greek word for grace is charis, which is where our English words charity and charitable come from, which both convey the idea of giving out of love. Paul felt it so important that we understand how much God loves us that he prayed,
I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower
you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make
his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow
down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the
power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how
long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the
love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you
will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that
comes from God. (Ephesians 3:16-19 NLT)
Although God’s love for us is too great to fully understand, we need to realize how much God loves us because the more we grasp God’s love for us, the more we become transformed into the likeness of Christ. Love is reciprocal. As we understand the love God has for us, we learn to love God. Paul wrote to the Corinthians and said that “the love of Christ controls us” (2 Corinthians 5:14). John said, “We love God because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
To try and grasp how much God loves you think about those who love you the most, and those whom you love the most. Think about how much you love them. Think about how your love for them causes you to respond to them. Learn from the loving relationships that are most meaningful to you to enable you to understand how fully God loves you.
God helps us to know His love for us. Romans 5:5 says, And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. As we come to know how much God loves us, we live in that love. Living in the love of God empowers us to love those whom God loves. 1 John 4:16 says, “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.” “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters” (1 John 3:16).
Understand how much God loves you. Live in His love. Allow it to control you. Let His love fill you, flood you, and change you forever. Live loved. Others may abandon you, divorce you, embarrass you, ignore you, insult you, and hate you, but God will always love you. There is nothing you can do to cause God to love you more, and there is nothing you can do to cause God to love you less. God loves you. God’s love changes people. Let it change you.
How Deep the Father’s Love for Us
by Stuart Townsend
How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
2 Thessalonians 3:5 says, “And may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God...”
You are loved by God. But do we really understand what that statement means? Sometimes love is difficult to define. In fact, love virtually defies description, so much so, that most attempts to capture its true essence in words inevitably fall short. Love is powerful and transforming. Love is amazing, incredible, and awe inspiring. When we experience true love, how is it possible to describe all the wonderful feelings and thoughts that simultaneously converge in the depths of our heart? In fact, we may sometimes struggle to find the right words or expressions to convey our love to someone in a way that accurately reveals and describes the feelings inside that we have for them. Love is a many splendored thing. A few important facets of love certainly include consuming desire, warm contentment, quiet confidence, fulfilling delight, and wonderful peace. Love is truly one of the glorious mysteries of life.
It is important that we take the time to try and get our arms around love. John 3:16 tells us that God so loved us that He gave His Son Jesus to die for our sins. Love needs to express itself, and one of the ways it does so is in giving. That’s what grace is- giving or expressing love. In fact, the Greek word for grace is charis, which is where our English words charity and charitable come from, which both convey the idea of giving out of love. Paul felt it so important that we understand how much God loves us that he prayed,
I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower
you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make
his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow
down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the
power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how
long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the
love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you
will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that
comes from God. (Ephesians 3:16-19 NLT)
Although God’s love for us is too great to fully understand, we need to realize how much God loves us because the more we grasp God’s love for us, the more we become transformed into the likeness of Christ. Love is reciprocal. As we understand the love God has for us, we learn to love God. Paul wrote to the Corinthians and said that “the love of Christ controls us” (2 Corinthians 5:14). John said, “We love God because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
To try and grasp how much God loves you think about those who love you the most, and those whom you love the most. Think about how much you love them. Think about how your love for them causes you to respond to them. Learn from the loving relationships that are most meaningful to you to enable you to understand how fully God loves you.
God helps us to know His love for us. Romans 5:5 says, And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. As we come to know how much God loves us, we live in that love. Living in the love of God empowers us to love those whom God loves. 1 John 4:16 says, “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.” “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters” (1 John 3:16).
Understand how much God loves you. Live in His love. Allow it to control you. Let His love fill you, flood you, and change you forever. Live loved. Others may abandon you, divorce you, embarrass you, ignore you, insult you, and hate you, but God will always love you. There is nothing you can do to cause God to love you more, and there is nothing you can do to cause God to love you less. God loves you. God’s love changes people. Let it change you.
How Deep the Father’s Love for Us
by Stuart Townsend
How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
Terry, thank you for sharing these wonderful thoughts about love. If I may, I would like to share some thoughts from John Ortberg's "Love Beyond Reason" that have blessed me.
ReplyDelete- Love means being *for* the one who is loved. God is for us, in our corner, and who can be against us?
- Love delights in and enjoys the one who is loved. The most prevelant message in Scripture is that God wants to be with us. He insists that we ought to be loved.
- Love gives to and serves the one who is loved. Love is never so fully love as when it gives. And who can out-give God?
God does not love us because we are beautiful - we are beautiful because He loves us. Love creates value in the one who is loved. We cannot love without being changed. When we experience God's love, we begin to grow lovely.
God bless you.