unconditionally, we would have no hope.
John 3:16 gives us a picture of God's love: “For God so greatly loved and
dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son,
so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not
perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life” (The
Amplified Bible).
“Whoever” means anybody! The most vicious and vile person you can imagine is
a “whoever.”
I am so grateful for the day I believed in Jesus, the only begotten Son of
God. The day we each believe in Him is the day everything changes for us. We
switch tracks. We get off the road of death and destruction and get on the road
to abundant life.
First we believe in Jesus. And as we get to know Him through spending time
with Him in prayer and in His Word, each day we begin to see that we can trust
in, cling to and rely on Him as the source for every aspect of life.
Every abominable thing in us is exchanged for every wonderful thing heaven
has to offer. We begin to look at and handle the situations in our lives from
Jesus' perspective. We realize that living every day by the principles and power
of God's Word is the only way to exist.
I have learned God wants things to go well with us. He has taught me how His
love works in my life, how His Word and the laws of the Spirit work for the good
of His children. Everything He has provided in this abundant life is a product
of His love.
Our Father loves us with perfect love. It's unqualified and incomparable.
Even if we get off track here and there, He loves us right back onto the right
path. He puts us right back into the stream of His will. Isn't it wonderful to
be God's children?
He not only made provision for us to be born again into His family but also
adopted us as dear children. You are greatly loved and dearly prized.
Just like a parent loves a child regardless of the child's actions, so God
loves us. He has taken on the responsibility to feed and clothe us, give us the
desires of our hearts, keep us healthy and whole, deliver us from trouble, teach
us in all wisdom, knowledge and understanding, and guide us throughout our
lives. His love covers everything!
What glorious love the Father has bestowed upon you and me. He intends for
every person to receive and experience this love.
I see from the first words of blessing the Father spoke to Adam in the Garden
of Eden to the last words Jesus spoke to His disciples before He ascended to
heaven, the message has been based on God's love.
Words such as “be fruitful,” “multiply,” “replenish,” “have dominion” (Gen.
1:28, KJV) communicate God's love for the world. And, “'Go therefore and make
disciples of all the nations, baptizing them'” (Matt. 28:19, NKJV), says to take
the Father's love to the world!
Every word Christ spoke and action He performed had something to do with the
Father's love for us. And that love always changed people's lives.
That's how each of us received God's love, salvation and everlasting life. We
heard and accepted the good news of Jesus Christ.
For most of us something changed immediately. And for all of us our lives
have changed for eternity.
Now, because His love dwells in us it can come through us to people we
encounter. And when it does, they too are changed!
“For God so loved the world” —from before the foundation of the earth until
this very day—is indeed a wonderful phrase. His love changes everything!
