It’s amazing how many people I have spoken with over the years who have said something to me along the lines of “I wish I knew that God loved me”, “I really wish He would just tell me!”. I know that feeling well, myself. I used to say the exact same things… I just wanted some assurance, I wanted some sign, to prove to myself that not only was God out there, but on a more personal level, that He actually cared for me, and that He actually loved me. So I absolutely understand and appreciate what people mean when they say this to me.
God understands it too, and there is nothing wrong with wanting such a sign, or a proof of God’s love! In-fact He has given us exactly what we have asked for… a sign of His love for us.
What I want to share with you today, is precisely how and why you can be completely certain of God’s love for you, personally. And by seeing this, you will be able to have a more relaxed, and open and free relationship with God, built solid on the foundation of Jesus Christ.
This is such an important issue, because knowing without a doubt that God actually loves you is the basis for everything else. If you doubt that God loves you, then you will not have the confidence to approach Him for anything really! Healing? No can do; if He doesn’t really love you, then there’s a chance that He’s the one who afflicted you with the physical condition to begin with!
Provision? Nope! If He doesn’t love you, then why should He even care if you starve or are destitute.
Protection? Nada! If He doesn’t really love you, why should He care about keeping you safe.
You see… being confident of His love is really the pillar of everything else. If you aren’t sure of this, you will not be able to be sure about any aspect of your relationship with Him. And many people struggle in this area, and as a result are weak in every area.
Now here’s the big one… what about salvation? Well, if God doesn’t really love you, then He would have no reason to save you, so why even ask Him for it?
This very thought has kept many people from receiving salvation itself. It prevented me for quite a while as well – and it’s perfectly logical from a human standpoint… if God, really doesn’t love me or have any affection for me, then indeed He would have no reason to do any of these things… and would be perfectly happy to just let me die, both physically and spiritually.
And God understands this as well, which is why He chose to tackle the issue at its very core.
Take a look at Romans 5:6-8:
“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
I want you to see this, realize this, take this in… Christ died for the ungodly. Most humans would not die for a righteous person, it’s rare to find someone who would… and for a “good” (or distinguished) person, some would possibly dare to die.
But God commended (which means showed or proved) His love for us, in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Take some time and meditate on this… Christ died, not for the godly, but for the ungodly. Jesus died not for the righteous, but for the unrighteous!
When we were at our lowest possible point, when we were in our worst possible state, when there was absolutely nothing good about us… that is when Jesus demonstrated His love for us – and He did so in the most profound way possible, by dying the most brutal death on the cross, and He did so for us and as us!
Take a look at Ephesians 3:14-19:
“For this cause I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.”
This was Paul’s prayer for the believers at Ephesus, and it is God’s will for you and I as well. That He would grant us according to His riches to be strengthened by His Spirit. Now what does this strengthening look like? What is this “might” that we are strengthened with? What form does this take? Verse 17, That Christ would dwell in your hearts by faith; and that you would be rooted and grounded in love.
Now stop right here for a moment, because these were believers weren’t they? Wasn’t Christ already dwelling in their hearts? Well, not exactly – and this is where our English translations really fail us here, because the Greek word used for “heart” here is kardia, and while it is true that we get our English word “cardiac” from this Greek word, the Greek kardia itself doesn’t refer to our heart, but our mind and thoughts!
So when you read the word “heart” in this verse, it is actually is saying that Christ would always be present in your mind and thoughts, and that you would be rooted and grounded in love.
Now this is the area where most people struggle, and where I struggled for many years, because Christ was not in my mind. I had this default position of need and lack, and what I mean by that, is that I always thought that there was something that still needed to be done before God would truly embrace me. That He wasn’t happy with me yet, but eventually He would be… His love was always relegated to the future.
Of-course this default position is faulty, because Jesus already came, already died, and already rose again for our justification. So this thought that we are still waiting for something else to happen before we can be completely reconciled to God and enjoy fellowship with Him is totally anti-Gospel and anti-Christ… and that is really the point of these verses of scripture here.
You see, when Christ is present in our mind and thoughts, the truth of His finished work will cause us to naturally be rooted and grounded in love. That is, God’s divine love for you.
Now notice the detail here… you are to be rooted and grounded in love. These are two distinct things being spoken of here. You are to be rooted, in that you should be drawing strength from His love and everything you do should be fueled by His love. You are also to be grounded in that love, meaning that the love of Christ is the solid foundation for your entire life; not how you feel, not what things look like, and not a works-mentality or a legalistic message.
Said plainly, His love should permeate your entire being… and remember that this all comes by the strengthening, the empowering of His Spirit on the inside of you.
Verses 18 and 19 continue, that one of the effects of the empowering of the Spirit and being rooted and grounded in the love of God is that we are able to comprehend (grab hold of) the breadth, length depth and height and to know the love of Christ. Now this is not saying that His love has limits – but precisely the opposite… He wants us to know how very vast and limitless His love for us really is! His love is beyond knowledge, you will never fully know how great His love for you is, except you look at the very demonstration of His love on the cross, and let His Spirit show it to you.
And as verse 19 concludes, as you let His Spirit empower you, and you receive the love of Christ you will be filled with all the fullness of God. Does that sound limited and weak? Does that sound like a life with high and lows and sometimes and maybe?
To me, that sounds like a life of sureness, a life of power and divinity, that sounds like a full and complete life filled with the love and power of God! That’s an exciting and vibrant life! It’s a life of absolute confidence in Christ and His love for you.
Now live.
I encourage you today, to guard this truth always, and to never let anyone, talk you out of the sureness and confidence of His love that Christ demonstrated for you on the cross.
I will end this study today with the words of Jude, verses 20-21:
“But you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.”
Be blessed.
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