Does God Love Me?

Good morning.

The Holy Spirit has instructed me a number of times to give the following message, but I have hesitated because we are repeatedly taught in church that the Lord loves us regardless, and I didn’t want to contradict it. But since it is written in the Bible and these messages are from the Lord, I have to give it today.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.  If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete,” (John 15:9-11). Jesus has used these words a number of times within a few minutes of His speech to the disciples, each time from different angle: “If you love me, you will obey what I command,” (John 14:15). “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him,” (John 14:21).  “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching,” (John 14:23-24).

Lord, please open our eyes to see what you try to tell us.

Jesus said that He showed us the same love His father had for Him and we need to remain in that love. Love is not something we feel, but something we do, which is why it is possible to love our enemies (Luke 6:27). We don’t need to feel love towards them. How can we? They are our enemies. But we can do loving things for them. When Jesus therefore said ‘now remain in my love’, He meant we need to show the same kind of love to others through our deeds, than He showed us through His deeds. He confirmed it then by saying that if we obey His commands we remain in His love.

How often do you question God’s love? You hear the encouragement a thousand times that God loves us, but it does not feel like it to you. We can’t say we love the Lord and do as we like, for Jesus said in verse 21a above “whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me”. Therefore if we do our own thing and just be religious on certain days, we lie if we claim that we love God. We need to spend time with the Bible and the Holy Spirit so we could know what He requires of us and then do it. If we are constantly busy enriching ourselves with worldly pleasures, where will we find time to love the Lord? Jesus then said in verse 21b: ‘He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him’ and in verse 23: ‘If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him...’

Can you see that Father’s and Jesus’ love in this context is conditional? The big ‘IF’ is used here repeatedly. How can that be? God is love and He loves us regardless, doesn’t He? Yes He does love every single person in this whole world, saints and sinners alike (Matthew 5:44-46 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5:44-46&version=NIV1984) and would like to see all to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:3-4).

However, have you noticed the outcome of the kind of love the Father and Jesus have for those who love them? Jesus will reveal Himself to us (V21) and they will make their home with us (V23), i.e. become intimate with us. Would God do this for any sinner whom He loves, but who disregards Him? Can you see that God loves those, who obey Him, in a special way?

I often hear preachers say God does not have favourites. According to this passage He does – those who prove their love through obedience.

Lord, teach me to prove my love through obedience.

Thank you Lord that your Word went out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you empty, but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which you sent it.

Please pass this on if you think others may benefit by it.