The Father Loves You

God's grace and love is foreign to this world and we can struggle at times to receive it.  We naturally love based on who a person is in relation to us, if our experiences with someone have been favourable or out of appreciation for admirable qualities we find in others.  This offer or withdrawal of love based upon performance can filter into our relationship with God, imagining He only loves us because of Jesus.  Jesus loves us, this we know because the Bible tells us so.  Did you realise God the Father loves us too?

A friend told me of a recent conversation he had when he extended an invitation to church.  "Oh I couldn't go to church," he was told.  "I'd be burned up for sure."  This perspective was not one of confidence in the love of God that seeks to forgive and restore lost sinners to fellowship with Himself.  Some see God as a vengeful, angry judge who is ready to smite sinners in anger when suddenly meek and mild Jesus steps in and the Father's wrath abates.  Rest assured there is no divine nepotism at work, no "good cop bad cop" routine where God is primed to destroy and Jesus wants to show mercy.  Jesus and the Father are one, and God is love.

Do you see God the Father as a surly, divine bouncer who guards the gates of heaven?  Do you imagine tentatively approaching the gates of pearl and suddenly God grabs you by the scruff of the neck to dispatch you into hell and Jesus, seeing His Father a bit unhinged says, "Oh, he is with me."  At the words of Jesus the Father releases His hold, smooths out our rumpled clothing and relents from what He really wants to do, which is to throw us into the eternal flame of hell.  This is a completely false, unscriptural idea of what God is like.  God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son Jesus to save sinners, not condemn them.  We were condemned already!

Jesus said in John 16:26-27, "In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; ²⁷ for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God."  God the Father answers the prayers of those who trust in Jesus, not just for Christ's sake but because the Father Himself loves us.  This is a wonderful thing Jesus revealed.  Those who love Jesus are in a posture to receive the love of the Father and share it with others.  Anything on earth we receive and share with others means we have less of it, yet the more we share God's love the more it grows and expands within us.  God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit are in full agreement as one God, revealing the gracious love of God for undeserving people.

God loves you, you don't deserve it and you never will.  But will you receive the love of God freely offered to you?  Will you choose to love God and others as you exercise faith by obedience in the God who delivers, redeems and saves?  God is the righteous judge of all and made a way of salvation by faith in Jesus for unworthy sinners because He loves us.  God loved us and sent His Son, and the Father Himself loves those who love Jesus.  The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love.  May we be enraptured in the love of God provided by His grace and grow in it by loving Him and others.