God's love for his people is beyond measure. Have you ever wondered what it is that has Him allow His Son to be tortured on the cross in our place? It certainly isn't anything we have done or value we stand for. If you can muster up a reason why God loves you based on your attributes, then you'd be way off mark. God loves us lavishly because we are his children. It's a belonging thing.
My children's imperfections doesn't in any way alter the way I love them. It's not performance based. The unconditional love I have is based on belonging. The Father loves you because you belong to Him. Romans 5 tells us that God wants to have us recalibrate ourselves (metanoia) towards God's plan (Jesus) and be Justified by the shed blood of Jesus. Then Ephesians tells us it is God's good pleasure to lavish his love upon us. It's like one of my children stood behind a closed door on the other side of my room full of provision, gifts and wonderful plans. God cannot lavish upon a person until they take responsibility for their sin in Christ. This means knowing you have broken God's law yet recognising that the shed blood of Jesus atoned for the crime. And because the shed blood appeases the wrath of God... we are not in for a beating, because of Jesus it means we are in for blessing!
This is grace! Now we have another problem... receiving God's lavish love. Because of the way we think we can systematise the whole gospel story. We make a formula that sneakily tells us God loves us because we are in this covenant or 'its just the way it works.' We can say that God loves us because he has to, ' I was just born and as a human I'm just included.' We can reduce God's love as a 'general overview,' simply 'that's the deal.' But the language that is used about God's love is personal and specific. It is his pleasure to lavish upon us (Eph 1). Behold what manner of love the father has given unto us... that we can be called the sons of God... it has intensity.
The greatest show of love for people is demonstrated in the cross. For me, God would do this. For me, He would give himself in my place. This is where my understanding jumps ship. I can acknowledge the cross as hear the old illustration say 'this much.' I'm not going to pretend that I can grasp the entirety of Jesus on the cross. I can only admit that I have no idea of my own value to the Father except that he would go to that length to rescue me. Somebody once said the cross shows that 'God would rather die than be without you.' I'm ready to accept that but I'm not sure I will fully understand it.
I think I'm going to allow God to love me today. If the lavishness comes as tribulation then so be it. If it comes as blessing and serenity in His presence... so be it. All of God's intent is to work in my best interests. The realisation of that is how 'perfect love drives out all fear.' Believe today that the Bible is true in its affirmation that God want s to be involved in your every breathing moment. Believe that His intent is to bless, even if you are in a hurricane of chaotic circumstance. It is this faith that pleases God.
Gary Ward
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