Good article and reminder in this time when many are falling away from God. God loves each of us despite our sin and longs to help each of us, if we will simply turn back to him and ask…
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By Grant Phillips
Are you convinced that a Holy God could never love you? Many are.
To the contrary, some people ride high on the waves of egotism, either believing there is no God or they do not need God in their lives. These unfortunate souls seem to think their works, their education, their position in the community and/or church, and various other excuses make them a gift to God. This is not only sad, but tragic, because they can never know God until they see themselves as God sees them.
Going back to the other end of the spectrum, others are just the opposite. They are so down on themselves, they think God could never care about them. However, these dear folks are closer to being helped spiritually, than the proud mentioned earlier. Why? Because they see themselves as God sees us all, apart from His Son Jesus. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God, they are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one, their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips; Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace have they not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3:11-18) When we can acknowledge these verses as being 100% true of all of us, we have taken the first step of a glorious journey. But here rests the problem. Too many stop at this point. These are the ones I would like to speak to today. There is good news for you. It is called the Gospel.
I believe that there are more people looking for love than we may realize, but always in the wrong places. The song, “Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places” suits them well. Is it possible that some who are held captive by drugs, alcohol, and illicit sex actually just want to be loved? I think so. Maybe they do not even realize it, but deep down their soul pines for love. I am not saying that everyone who follows these paths of sin are longing for love, but I do feel that some are.
I see many who live together, though not married. Many of those go from partner to partner. My wife and I watch a couple of television series where people are searching for a house to buy. Far too often, they are not married. Some take it a step further and choose another person of the same sex to live with as though they were married. The headlines are filled with people either taking and/or producing illegal drugs. Others lose their lives because of a drunk driver. How many of them could actually be looking for love? I will leave that answer to God, but I do think there are some. Can they be saved too by the grace of God? Absolutely, yes!
Allow me to provide a few more scenarios, before examining the answer to this worth-while question, “Could God Really Love Me?”.
Over the years, I have seen a certain class of people either ignored or just tolerated within church services. It shames me to make such a comment, but truth is truth. I have seen some church groups accept all people as those whom God loves, and God continues to bless them. How sad though that this isn’t always the case. How many hurting people have continued down the road to hell because they were not welcomed at the rest stop on the road to salvation?
If you have made a mess of your life because of sin, do know, that Jesus (the Son of God) did not die on the cross because it was the fun thing to do. The physical torment of being flogged and crucified was indescribable. On top of that, He suffered something that you and I can not identify with. All the filthy sins of mankind were laid upon Him, and (it gets even worse) the Father had to turn from Him, since He could not look upon sin. Further, He died and went to the grave for us, and rose again (came back to life) the third day as He said He would. If that doesn’t tell you that the one and only God of this universe loves you, then you are just not listening.
As Romans 3:11-18 clearly shows, none of us are worthy. Through Jesus we can be saved from what we deserve (hell), and be freely given what we do not deserve (God’s grace). Read Ephesians 2:8-9.
Jesus has much condemnation for the proud of heart (Matthew 23:13-33), but His arms are opened wide open for the humble (John 3:16; Revelation 3:20). Now I realize that Revelation 3:20 was written primarily to the church (Laodicea), but the application can be applied to all.
Do you feel “looked down upon” by others? Are you alone even among a crowd? Have you “messed up” your life? Is your conscience talking to you? Have your excursions into sin brought you any real satisfaction? Are you searching for love, but feel something telling you that you are looking in the wrong places? Jesus Christ is God, and He can and will give you real, lasting love. As a gentleman He will not force Himself upon you, but He is waiting with open arms (Luke 15:11-24) for you. If you want to experience real love, not the superficial stuff the world offers, but real, lasting love, then come to Him.
I cannot close without mentioning those beaten down souls who are physically and/or mentally abused by Satan’s advocates. When you are told that you are worthless, remember that the Son of God died for you. When you are told that you are stupid, come to Jesus, and see who the stupid ones are on judgment day. When you are told that you are ugly and no one would want you, God wants you. And nothing could be more beautiful than the bride of Christ.
Could God really love me, a total failure? If you now know the answer to that question, you have been paying attention. You are ready to respond to His call. Let me add one last thought. Your acceptance by God doesn’t depend on you (Ephesians 2:8-9). What He offers, He paid for. Only He can give it away. That is eternal life by His grace. Now knowing that no one is worthy of His love, you can relax, because you know He loves you anyway. Go to Him. Repent and ask Him to come into your heart and give you eternal life (John 3:16). His precious blood will cleanse you and make you whole. Even through all your problems, He will guide you and comfort you. Eternal life does not start with Heaven, it starts at the moment He comes into your life. He can live in and through you now. You can live with Him forever in Heaven, our eternal home.
If you have come to Him with a repentant heart, do not fret over the actions or re-actions of others. Just remember that you are now a child of Almighty God, and He loves you!
Grant Phillips
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