Saturday, August 18, 2012

Does God Really Love Us?

I just returned from Uganda having lead approximately 175 pastors and church leaders. During question and answer times it was clear the measure of a follower of Jesus was based on exterior actions.  Fortunately, the main emphasis was on Spiritual Transformation.  It has gotten me to think of how many of us think along the same lines.  We focus on the externals, the doing, rather than on the internal, the being.  I believe it is because we fail to understand God's grace and what it means.

Maybe its because we don't really believe that God loves us.  We say that He loves us, but the way we live says otherwise.  We say He loves unconditionally, but the way we live says otherwise. There are some that teach we are saved by grace, but we are kept by works!  This leads to living a life that is a grind and walking on eggshells which is no fun at all.  If this is the case we live in fear and feels like abuse.

We quote John 3:16 and it does say He loves us intensely.  However, it is conditioned on our response and behavior to continue in that love.  If this is the case then, "What really saves us?"  Is it not by works? Is it not us that saves ourselves?  If this is the case then Jesus is only a beginning entrance, but not the final.  However, over and over in the Gospel of John we see an unconditional love.  That unconditional love applies to us as well.  The changed life, the spiritually transformed life is based on knowing we are accepted.

I was raised on a performance based acceptance. The Bible says that God loved us even while we were His enemies.  I trust in His love because Jesus believes in His Father's love.  This is freeing and allows me to live a life that pleases Him, not to get His love, but because I already have it.

Let's receive this sure and unconditional love, knowing we are accepted in Christ. We do the good works not to get His love because we already have it.  I will take a look at what happens when we receive this love.

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