Oh How He Loves Us!

By Deborah Bateman –

We can’t even imagine how much God loves us. He loved us so much He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross so we could be saved from our sins. We find this in John 3:16-17.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

– John 3:16-17, KJV

God showed His love for us, because while we were still sinners He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to die for us. We see this in Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

God is merciful. He demonstrated His great love for us while we were still dead in our sins He made us alive in Christ. He raised us up with Christ to sit in heavenly places. So that He could show His abundant grace and compassion to us through Jesus Christ. It is by grace we are saved through faith. It is a precious gift of God. It is not anything we can do by ourselves or by our works, so, we can’t boast.

4 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,”

5 “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)”

6 “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”

7 “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”

9 “Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

-Ephesians 2:4-9

Jesus instructs us to love one another as he loved us. He reminds us there is no greater love than a man lays down his life for his friends. He considers us His friends, not his servants. He says, we didn’t choose Him, but he chose us.

12 “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”

13 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

14 “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.”

15 “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”

16 “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”

17 “These things I command you, that ye love one another.”

-John 15:12-17

A prayer Paul prayed for the Ephesians, but it is also a prayer that we can use to pray for each other. I pray that God would allow you by the riches of His glory to be strong with His might by His Spirit in your inner man. That Christ would dwell in your heart by faith and that you would be rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you might be able to comprehend the breadth, length, depth, and height of Christ love for you, even though it surpasses our knowledge. That you are filled with the love of God. Because He is able to do much more than we can ask or think, by the power that works in us. To Him is glory forever.

14 “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,”

15 “Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,”

16 “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;”

17 “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,”

18 “May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;”

19 “And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”

20 “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,”

21 “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”

-Ephesians 3:14-21

Proverbs 8:17, says,” I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Do you love Him? Are you seeking Him? He says, if you seek Him you will find Him! It may be we need to seek a little harder. Do you remember playing hide and seek when you were a child. Sometimes the other person would find a really good place to hide and you would have to look and look before finding them. God is not hiding from us, but He wants us to pursue Him by seeking Him.

He loved us so much that he gave His only Son to die on the cross for us. This scripture in 1 John 4:7-21 reminds us to love one another. Love is a fruit of the spirit which we should have if we are one of God’s children. God’s love is evident in our lives when we love others. We love God, because He loved us first! How can we love God and not love others? One of His commandments is that we love one another.

7 “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.”

8 “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”

9 “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.”

10 “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

11 “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”

12 “No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.”

13 “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.”

14 “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.”

15 “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.”

16 “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”

17 “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.”

18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

19 “We love him, because he first loved us.”

20 “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”

21 “And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.”

1 John 4:7-21

As followers of God, we are His precious children. We are to walk in love, because Christ loved us and gave his life on the cross as an offering and sacrifice to God to please God. We see this in Ephesians 5:1-2 “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;” 2 ”And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.”

May God, the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace console your hearts and establish you in every excellent expression and effort. This is a prayer I took from 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 “Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,” 17 “Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.”

How He Loves Us-Kim Walker-Smith

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoC1ec-lYps&feature=player_detailpage

We are doing a series on Daily-Bible-Reading this month called “God is Love”. I invite you to join us as we will be expounding on some of these scriptures and including more.

The link is: http://www.daily-bible-reading.com.

 

Deborah H. Bateman, Founder of Christian Daily Resources, Christian Online Ministry, Christian Author, Blogger and Website Designer, a wife, mother and grandmother.