"The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. - (Deu 7:7-8 NASB)
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. - (1Jo 3:1 NIV)
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. - (Rom 5:8 NKJV)
Something a fb friend posted got me thinking a lot about the love of God. And I realized something. Or rather, I remembered something that I have known for awhile and came to appreciate it greater. God's love is GREAT!
But for us to understand how great the love of God is, we must first understand our own desperation. The Bible is very clear that before a person comes to know God the Father personally through faith in Christ, that person is headed straight towards Hell. And the Bible is also clear that Hell is a real, literal, eternal destination. At least as far as I can tell. (I hate to say this because I know many people are offended by this truth. I know it saddens me beyond the point of expression to think that those around me are going to Hell, that some I love dearly have already made up their mind for it. But keep reading, it gets better.)
I, too, was headed on a path straight towards that horrible, nightmarish land of unending torment when a miracle happened. God got a hold of me. I don't understand how or why, but I know it is only possible because of His LOVE. I was everything opposite of everything He stands for. I was His enemy. My best effort was no better than sewage. But He loved me.
In His love for me, Jesus died on the cross. In His love for me, 2000 years after His resurrection, He reached down from Heaven and showed me that love. As I reached out in faith for Him and His love, He gave it freely and completely. That was it, and now, I am His beloved child.
Some ask why, if God loves us, He created Hell. The truth: He didn't create it for us, but for Satan and his demonic angels.
More ask why, if God loves us, He sends people to hell. The truth: It's our own choice. God will not force anyone to be with Him if they want to live outside His will. Eternity in Heaven with God, is eternity submitted completely to Him and His will. And there is no place I'd rather be, but many would rather live for themselves.
Others ask why, if God loves us, He gave us the freedom to choose sin. The truth: I don't know for sure, but I think it is because He wants us to love Him unrestrained. To love Him because we choose to. To love like He loves.
Many people, I know are angered when things like this are thrown out there. They feel that people who believe these things are close-minded, self-righteous haters who would condemn the world around them. But I just want you to know, I am sharing God's love the only way it makes any sense to me: in light of my own desperation. It wouldn't be salvation if I was not saved from something horrific.
I share this news, which I see as the Good News, because I love you all, and I want nothing more than to share eternity with you. To give you an opportunity to taste God's love and see for yourselves how good it is.
