How do I know God loves me?
Introduction. Usually when we begin to doubt God's love for us, we are dwelling on our unworthiness.
God tells us he loves us. God loves those who are not, in fact, his children and those who are his children (John 3: 16, 1 John 4: 10). "For God so loved the world," Jesus declares, "that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3: 16). Hence, God not only loves the world (all men, even those in sin), but he so loved....
God loves us even though we do not deserve his love. Listen to Paul, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5: 8). Christ "died for the ungodly," Paul further affirms (vs. 6).
We should not question God's love for us. When a being so great as God sends his own Son to this world to be spat upon, mocked, and crucified in order to "commend his love toward us," we should never, not even for a moment, seriously doubt God's love for every man, regardless of the condition or plight of that man! Besides this, God said he loved us and it is impossible for God to lie (Heb. 6:18).
Eagerly granting all the foregoing, though, we must keep ourselves in God's love in order to benefit from the gift of Jesus. You see, just because God loves all men, does not mean that all men are unconditionally saved. In fact, most shall be lost (Matt. 7: 13,14). For you and me to benefit from God's love we must "keep ourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life" (Jude 21).
Conclusion. We know God loves each of us because of what he has done for each of us. The question is, are you and I accepting his love?
God tells us he loves us. God loves those who are not, in fact, his children and those who are his children (John 3: 16, 1 John 4: 10). "For God so loved the world," Jesus declares, "that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3: 16). Hence, God not only loves the world (all men, even those in sin), but he so loved....
God loves us even though we do not deserve his love. Listen to Paul, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5: 8). Christ "died for the ungodly," Paul further affirms (vs. 6).
We should not question God's love for us. When a being so great as God sends his own Son to this world to be spat upon, mocked, and crucified in order to "commend his love toward us," we should never, not even for a moment, seriously doubt God's love for every man, regardless of the condition or plight of that man! Besides this, God said he loved us and it is impossible for God to lie (Heb. 6:18).
Eagerly granting all the foregoing, though, we must keep ourselves in God's love in order to benefit from the gift of Jesus. You see, just because God loves all men, does not mean that all men are unconditionally saved. In fact, most shall be lost (Matt. 7: 13,14). For you and me to benefit from God's love we must "keep ourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life" (Jude 21).
Conclusion. We know God loves each of us because of what he has done for each of us. The question is, are you and I accepting his love?