Step 1. Choose God’s love
Do you know … You are Loved?
Amazing as it sounds, God who created the universe is in love with you. Regardless of your position in life, your religion or your sins, you—as you are right now—are cherished by God. He made you and adores you.
Job said of God, “You guided my conception and formed me in the womb. You clothed me with skin and flesh, and you knit my bones and sinews together. You gave me life and showed me your unfailing love” (Job 10:10-12, NLT).
Because he loves you, God delights in being with you. He created you to be part of his family and live with him in eternal life.
Who is this God who Loves You?
God is three in one. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are part of a union that is so pure, so peaceful, so full of joy and freedom that our minds cannot grasp it. The Trinity’s life is one of mutual appreciation and adoration.
Together they are one, but each plays a unique role in fulfilling their united purpose. That purpose is that all people be caught up in the life they share. Their passion is that you and I be included in the fellowship of their eternal life.
The Father’s Plan
In the beginning, God walked with Adam. God and the man he created, were in perfect unity. God gave; Adam received. God loved; Adam trusted.
Satan hated that unity. He knew that if he could sever the relationship, he would destroy Adam and all people after him.
So Satan tempted Adam and Eve. They disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit; they broke connection. Since that day, every person is born with a sin nature, separated from God. We cannot see God as he really is—full of life and love for us.
Religion is people’s way of trying to become good enough to earn our way back to God. But our own religious efforts can never bridge the gap. We can’t obey the rules. We can’t free ourselves from past sins nor change the sin nature we inherited from Adam.
But the Father didn’t give up on us. He had a plan. That plan involved giving his Son. “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, NIV).
The Son’s Accomplishment
The Father sent his Son to accomplish for us what we couldn’t do ourselves. Jesus came to earth as fully God and fully man. He stepped down from heaven, down onto earth, down into the darkest depths of our sin.
Jesus took the sin of the world—the sin of every person to ever live—your sin and mine—upon himself and then he died on the cross. By this we know God’s love in a way we can understand. Jesus said, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13, NLT).
When you believe in Jesus and invite him into your life, Jesus comes to live in your heart. He unites himself with you and carries your sins and sin nature to the cross. In unity with him, Jesus raises you up and includes you in his life with God. In Christ you are brought into close, honest, loving relationship with God—into the eternal life of appreciation and adoration you were created to enjoy.
Paul said, “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. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4-6, NLT).
The Spirit’s Work
Today God the Spirit works in you and me to reveal the Son’s accomplishment of the Father’s plan. Jesus has done everything required to bring us home and the Spirit wants us to know it! He helps us believe in Jesus, know union with him and share his life and love with others.
“We know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our heart with his love” (Romans 5:5, NLT).
Loving Others
God designed you to know his love and share it with others. Jesus said, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35, NIV). Loving others marks us as followers of Jesus.
God created us to live on earth like Jesus did—in union with our Father, living in his love and sharing that love. The Trinity’s passion is that we share in their eternal life radiating their love, joy and peace everywhere we go.
Jesus encourages, “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine… As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love” (John 15:4, 9, NIV).
You have the Freedom to Choose
You can have a relationship with God that begins now and stretches throughout eternity. God wants you to know and enjoy him forever. Jesus said, “This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3, NIV).
God longs to embrace you as his child. But, he will not force you into relationship. You can’t make someone accept your love. Love can only be given and received by choice.
Jesus cried out, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, … How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me” (Matthew 23:37, NLT).
Hear the passion in his words. “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends” (Revelation 3:20, NLT).
Jesus knocks on the door of your heart. He wants you to be with him forever in eternal life.
Choose God’s Love
If you desire to open the door and ask Jesus into your life, sincerely say these words to him:
Dear Lord Jesus, I believe in you. You love me just as I am.
Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Thank you for uniting yourself with me and including me in your eternal life.
By faith I receive you as my Savior. Jesus, be Lord of my life. Live your life in me and through me.
Open my eyes Lord and help me see you as you really are. I want to know you and radiate your never-changing, unconditional love to all people. I trust you to help me love others as you first loved me. Thank you Jesus.
You are Loved!
What was your response?
Go Deeper
- Read:
Abundant Life in God’s Love
- Watch:
A Life Characterized by Love
- Download:
Timeless Love, Transforming Love
