GREAT LOVE

If you are a faithful reader of this website, you probably know that what God has impressed most upon my spirit, especially in the last few years, is the theme of LOVE.  I continue to experience love from above when I see the almost daily heart reminders in whatever physical form they take.

A friend was excited to share this picture and message that a friend sent her. It made me think about the great love Jesus has for us and the importance of sharing that love with others. A simple gesture like this can brighten someone’s day, knowing they are loved from above and by others on this earth.

 

It made me research Scriptures about God’s love, Jesus’ love, and the command for us to love.

 

A few Scriptures about God’s love for us:

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.  –Romans 5:8-9  (NLT)

God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.  –1 John 4:9-10  (NLT)

God’s love for each one of us, His beloved children, is so great that once Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God and eating from the tree of knowledge, He came up with a plan to restore our relationship. In His great love, God had Jesus, His only begotten Son, leave Him for a time and walk on this earth. His plan for salvation was to have Jesus die on the cross, shedding His blood, to set you and me free. Jesus’ brutal death grants us salvation to spend eternity in heaven.

REFLECTION:

Is the depth of your heart filled with gratitude for God’s great love in sending Jesus, His only Son, to restore your relationship with Him?

 

Photo courtesy of Tito & Eva Marie Balangue under Creative Commons License (CC BY 2.0) 

 

A few Scriptures about Jesus’ love for us:

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.”  –John 15:9  (NIV)

“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”  –John 15:13  (NLT)

Can you fathom the love Jesus had for God, His Father? Jesus’ love for God was so great that He obediently died on the cross so all who believe can be one with God. Jesus endured so much agony as He was whipped and beaten while hanging on a cross because He loved us with that same great love. That makes me feel very special. Jesus shared that there is no greater love than dying for someone else.

REFLECTION:

Do you personally experience the depth of Jesus’ love and willingness to die on the cross for you?

 

Photo courtesy of WELS net under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC 2.0)

 

A few Scriptures about our responsibility to love:

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.  –1 John 4:7-8  (NIV)

“A new command I give you: Love one another. 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)

As we realize the vastness of the great love God and Jesus have for us, we are called to share that same love with all we encounter. God is love, and He is the source of love. If we believe in God, we must also love. Because Jesus shared His love of the Father with us, He commands us that we too love one another. The greatest attribute of a disciple of Jesus is love.

REFLECTION:

Do you love others with the intensity of love you have received from God and Jesus?

 

Photo courtesy of Charlotte90T under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

 

God is love, and He created us in love and made us in His image. What love God, the Father, bestowed upon us, letting us be called children of God! While Jesus walked on this earth, He loved the least of us and went about healing those in need. We are commanded to love others, even our enemies, because of the love God and Jesus have shown us. We have been loved much so we need to love much.

Be encouraged this week to reflect on…

…knowing that God loved you first.

…knowing that Jesus loves you as much as He loves God.

…loving others with the same love that Jesus has for you.

 

And remember Jesus loves you and so do I!

 

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.  –1 Corinthians 13:13  (NLT)

Note: I will take a few weeks off to spend quality family time as my youngest son prepares to wed his sweetheart. God bless and feel free to stop by and read an older post anytime!