Do you love someone so much that it hurts? That you would do anything that could take away his or her suffering? That’s God’s love and how God felt about Jesus, and how He has felt about humanity throughout the ages.
“For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
God’s Love is not just a platitude, but a promise.
When we consider the walk Jesus took through the Garden of Gethsemane, then onward to Pontius Pilate’s court, and finally to Golgotha where He hung on a cross, there is much to be said about God’s love for us in the sacrifice of His Son, just so that we could be saved.
Unchanging and unmoving, God’s plan of redemption was motivated by His love, and He saw in us the potential and need for being saved even before we were ever born.
There is true joy in knowing that we are accepted, wanted, and cherished by the Lord. The Apostle John proclaims: “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1)
What God’s Love Looks Like.
God sent us the gift of the Holy Spirit; the manifestation of His loving presence that dwells among us (Romans 5:5).
God is the author of love; everyone who loves is known by God (1 John 4:7).
God sets the standard for us (Ephesians 5:1).
As God’s chosen people, we are called to respond by being compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, and patient (Colossians 3:12), which we can only do when we accept that gift of love and ask the Holy Spirit to dwell within us.
That is how we can forgive, even when it hurts, because we know that we serve a God who equips us to overcome and be peacemakers wherever we go, knowing that all adverse situations and people are only temporary, but a life in Heaven with God the Father and Jesus His Son is eternal.
Accepting God’s Love.
Because of the nature of free will, it is up to us whether or not to accept the love God offers. That’s why it’s a gift.
And in the same manner, we receive love, we are to give love irrespective to persons while sharing the good news of Jesus as Savior to all who will hear it. It’s that extra step that means the most because Jesus gives us the reason we need to respond.
There are many ways in which to witness to others, both directly and indirectly, touching the hearts of men and women from all walks of life, but no two people are ever converted in the exact same way.
Even among believers of the same faith, congregation, or family, each person’s beliefs and experience with the Lord will vary. Why? Because God touches hearts relevant to what we can comprehend.
Best of all, God’s love fills us up according to our needs, so that through Christ we can be satisfied. Jesus is our living water, and no one who drinks the water He provides will ever be left wanting (John 7:38).
There is no shame that God’s love can’t cover.
There is no guilt that God’s love won’t reverse.
There is no heartache that God’s love won’t heal.
There is no burden that God’s love won’t ease.
There is no sin that God’s love won’t forget.
“As far as east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” – Psalm 103:12
Isn’t it interesting that that description of what God’s love does to our sins was penned well before Jesus walked the earth? And yet – it still is just as fitting an explanation centuries later, and even today.
By covering us with His holy mantle, hearing our repentant hearts, and healing our wounds, not only are we restored, but we also don’t have to be held down by who we were or what we did before receiving God’s love, because God scatters those from our minds for as long as we fix our eyes on Him.
Easter Shows Us God’s Amazing Love.
The pinnacle of our Christian faith is found in the telling of the Easter story, celebrated and shared with billions of people all over the world.
Are you ready for it? Have you humbled your heart before the Lord, and thanked Him for being your sacrifice?
Have you fully accepted His love? When you do, it will make your Easter experience that much more personal, joyful, and spirit-filled.
Prepare your heart by:
1. Reading the gospel story accounts of the Easter holy week found in Matthew 26, 27, and 28; Mark 14, 15, and 16; Luke 22, 23, and 24; and John 18, 19, and 20.
2. Staying inspired through worship songs and hymns or an inspirational book.
3. Participating in a Bible study or Easter fellowship with other believers.
5. Spending time in God’s presence alone to reflect on your faith.
6. Attending an Easter Sunday service in joyful adoration and with a renewed focus for your future!
By Natasha Polak.
Much Blessings,
Mind On Jesus