In my devotionals this week, the title for the devotional was “God is love that won’t fade.” All around us we see love fail – relationships end in breakups, marriages end in divorce, friendships end in anger. Some love others based on their performance, and when that performance doesn’t meet expectations, love is abandoned. Others love only as long as the person looks good, keeps it together, and does what they want. As soon as one of those characteristics’ fades, so does love. Then there are those who love people who don’t love them back or those who love but do a lousy job showing it.
God’s love is nothing like that. The bible declares that his love endures forever. Paul declared in Romans 8, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” His love isn’t based on what we do or don’t do. Though our choices bring consequences that must be faced, they never change God’s love for us.
God pursues us no matter how much we reject him – a love that is unconditional and permanent. As the Psalmist declared, “For great is your love toward me…you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” He demonstrated the greatest act of that love in sending Jesus to pay our sin debt at Calvary as well as defeating death and the grave in his resurrection. Think of how great a love: Jesus left his throne in heaven to come to earth to be misunderstood, beaten, humiliated, and crucified on a Roman cross. Clearly Jesus’ love for us is not an empty or weak love, but a strong and unfailing love.
A seven-year-old once asked his dad, “How does God love us?” His dad answered, “Well son, God loves us with an unconditional love.” After a few moments of considerable thought, his son asked, “Dad, what kind of love is unconditional love?” Knowing that his son would have a difficult time grasping the theological concept, he used an illustration his son was familiar with. “Do you remember the two boys who used to live next door to us and the little puppy they got last Christmas?” His son nodded yes. “Do you remember how they used to tease it and throw sticks and rocks at it?” Again, his son nodded. “Do you also remember how the puppy would always greet them with a wagging tail and try to lick their faces?” Once again, his son nodded yes. “Well, that puppy had an unconditional love for those two boys. They certainly didn’t deserve his love for them because they were mean to him. But he loved them anyway.” It was then that the dad made his point: “God’s love for us is unconditional. Men threw rocks and sticks at his Son, Jesus. They beat him, nailed him to a cross, and killed him. But Jesus loved them anyway.”
The apostle John defined that love in his first letter to the churches, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” He then went on to say that God is love, and until we experience his love, we can’t truly love others.
In a month where more time and money will be spent to express love to another, remember the unconditional love that God has expressed to you through his Son, Jesus Christ.
With loving gratitude,
Pastor Bill