In human relationships, love is expressed in blessing people. I wash the van, shovel the snow, and clean the house, in part, because I love my wife; I know these things bless her. In human relationships blessings demonstrate love.
But in relation to God, blessings alone cannot serve as the measure of his love. Why? Because if we have affliction, pain, and sorrow, we cannot say that God hates us (or loves us less) than if we have health, wealth, and prosperity. If the measure of God’s love for us is blessings in life, then Jeff Bezos would certainly be the most loved by God, and a person living in abject poverty would be the least loved by God.
If we cannot measure God’s love for us by our circumstances in life, how do we measure God’s love for us? How do you know God loves you?
You know God loves you by this:
“God demonstrates his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8).
God shows his love for us because he sent his Son to die on the cross for us.
“Christ died for us.” Who is the “us” Paul is referring to? He is referring to those who are justified (Rom 5:1). Christ, in other words, did not die to potentially redeem every person who has ever lived. Christ died to redeem his sheep (John 10:11). Therefore, if you are his sheep, God loves you!
And his love for you will never change. He does not love you less when you sin. He does not love you more when you obey. His love for you has nothing to do with you. God loves you because he loves you. And nothing can change that.
It feels awesome to be loved: it is the best feeling in the world. Yet it feels even better to know God loves me. How do I know? Christ atoned for my sins. What a marvelous love!
Pastor Dan
For more on God’s love for YOU, listen to “Amazing Love“