God Loves You

“God Loves You!”

Romans 5:1-11

David P. Nolte

Some people use flawed means for determining God’s love: there is the petal-pluck-procedure: “He loves me – he loves me not” as if a daisy could declare Divine devotion!

Other people go by their feelings. If they wake up feeling that God loves them, they are ready to fling off the blankets and seize the day – but if they wake up feeling that God doesn’t love them they are ready to hide under the blankets to skip the day.

Some folk think that when God answers their prayers in the way and time that they want, it proves that He loves them, But when the answer to prayer is “No” or “later” they think it shows that He doesn’t really love them,

Still others go by circumstances – happy ones means God loves them; hard ones means He does not love them.

Those tests are about as reliable as telling the future by reading tea leaves. But we can know that God loves us without trusting flower petals, feelings, fortunate circumstances or fulfilled prayers!

Nancy Missier wrote, “We need to have the assurance of His Love in order to move ahead in our Christian walk. Not knowing if He loves us or not, will hinder our being able to moment-by-moment surrender our wills and our lives to Him and love others as He desires.”

As the song said, “The sweetest story ever told: God loves you! The brightest prospect to behold: God loves you!” (Phil Harris)

I am using Romans 5:1-11 for an understanding of evidence of God’s Love: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” Romans 5:1-11 (NASB).

How has God declared His love for us?

I. HE GAVE HIS WORD:

A. God has verbally declared His love for us in the Bible:

1. Jesus said, “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.” John 15:9 (NASB).

2. Paul wrote, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 (NASB)

3. John said, “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.” 1 John 3:1 (NASB).

B. God has expressed His love through the Bible. Since God is trustworthy and faithful, we can take Him at His Word. The famous theologian, Karl Barth, when asked how he would summarize the essence of the millions of words he had published, replied, “Jesus loves me, this I know for the Bible tells me so!”

C. We take the word of others daily.

1. People believe the hype of hucksters selling items at county fairs and even when the stuff falls short of the hype, they remain credulous.

2. Some believe every hoax and distortion of truth written up in the Enquirer and other pulp magazines.

3. Some people even believe politicians.

4. What amazes me is that while people swallow nonsense hook, line and sinker, they balk at taking God at His word!

D. God’s word stands against the assault of enemies, neglect by friends and distortion by critics.

1. Isaiah said, “The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8 (NASB).

2. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” Mark 13:31 (NASB).