John 3:16, New International Version

“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.”

We frequently hear the message that God loves us, and His grace is sufficient for us. We also hear much about God’s forgiveness and that He has a purpose for you. But we, as Christians, are quite easily drawn into debate about doctrine. There are even some who as a result of their enthusiasm begin to view their Biblical knowledge as the source of their own righteousness or self-justification. Is this the will of the Lord and the Word that He has given to us? I hope this is a question you will take sincerely and seek the Holy Spirit for the answer. However, if we claim that we know the love of God, that we have received His love, and we have decided to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, then the real question is, how will we respond to Him and His love? It is not about whether or not we can have salvation. We should know after we accept Jesus and begin to read His Word that Jesus is the only One who can make us righteous. We never can be good enough or know enough to earn His salvation, and we cannot accomplish enough in our own sinful nature either. It’s all about what He has He done on the cross!

Do you, my brothers and sisters, fully understand what the beautiful sacrifice Jesus made on the cross means? His sacrifice did not begin on the cross, but on the day that God made this decision, to respond to Adam and Eve’s disobedience with love. He carried that thought for thousands of years knowing that He would be the One to pay this price in an immeasurably excruciating way. Would you give up if you knew something was going to happen that would hurt you deeply, and that you would not even be appreciated for it? Jesus however did not stop saying yes to His Father. Instead, He is proceeded in His unexplainable love.

For thousands of years, He witnessed all the sinful acts and wickedness and stubbornness of mankind, His own creation. Their betrayal and denial of Him. He did not pause the mission of salvation, rather, He as the Almighty, chose to make Himself nothing and be born into human likeness. The Word who created all things and sustains all things became an infant who could not even say a word. If this world is filled with sin, bullying, mocking, teasing, and all sorts of damaging behaviors, He, a holy God, experienced them all just as we do. From the day He was born from a human womb to the day He died on the cross, He was like a lamb to be slaughtered yet, He did not turn away from the Father’s will.

Did He not perform miracles? Did He lose His power over man and darkness? Did He have the Holy Spirit in Him? He could have literally called down a legion of angels, 72,000, for Him! Why did He choose to endure? Why did He not stop the process when He was walking toward the cross? Who is this King? Not only did He accept and surrender to this disrespect and ill-treatment willingly, but He did it for those who had rejected Him. He knows we are sinners; He sees us as patients who need a Doctor. Like the good Samaritan, and He picks us up. He carries us on His back, along with all our sin, and He carries us through the cross. Being persecuted and suffering through the beating, whipped, wearing the crown of thorns, being nailed to the cross, and finally being forsaking by His own Father.  

Walk down the same path, my dear fellows. He does not need to prove His love for you, He has already demonstrated it. The question is, how about your love for Him?