There's a Difference in the Love

When as Christians we hear that God loves us, we are in danger of forming a conception of His love that is too much like natural love between humans.  Because God is "stuck" with being a infinite and perfect Being, the nature of His love is different than ours for each-other, or for Him.

We love God best when we delight in Him most.  God loves us best when He most delights our heart in Him.  We love God by saying, "You are everything to me."  God loves us by saying, "Let Me be everything for you."  God is the Giver.  We are the receivers.  God is the Sun.  We are the reflectors.  God is the Joy.  We are the enjoyers.  "For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things.  To Him be the glory forever" (Romans 11:36).

Our love to God is a response of desire and delight toward an infinitely desirable Being.  God's love to us is His doing everything needed to enable our desire and delight toward Him.  For Him to value us above all would be unloving--it would be denying the truth of His ultimate value, and disabling our deepest happiness.  It would be like a rich man lavishly praising a beggar for the appearance of his clothing, while withholding all that he has to meet his need. 

The cross of Jesus is not a Divine compliment of our value, but the immeasurable cost of giving us access to His.  The cross is not God's assessment of our value, but the necessary price for giving us the all-surpassing value of knowing Him (Philippians 3:8).

God does value us, affirm us, and delight in us.  But in His love toward us, these are only means to a higher happiness.  Our heart's deepest need is not to be praised--that is a means to the highest end.  Our greatest need is to be lost in the overwhelming satisfaction of a Joy and Wonder too great to conceive.  Thus the order: "Well done, good and faithful servant.  Enter into the joy of your master."  The ultimate gift of God's love is eternally increasing pleasure in the Person of infinite delight.  In other words, He is His own greatest gift.  Our praise of Him is meant to be a means of receiving, of enjoying Him.

What did Jesus get out of His sacrifice?  A people, a bride--us.  But why did He want us?

So that He could give Himself to us.  He gave Himself for us so that He could give Himself to us.

He gave Himself for you.  He gave Himself to you.  He desires you now.  He is giving Himself to you.  Will you receive?  There is no love like His.

A Believer's Core Identity

You cannot live how you were designed to without knowing who you are.

..."for in Christ you are all sons of God through faith..." Galatians 3:26

This was written in a culture in which the son 'got it all.'

I am a composer.  But more practically, I am a small business owner. But more importantly, I am a father.  But still more importantly I am a husband.  But most fundamentally, I am a son of God.

This identity makes me heir to the most valuable, most desirable, most beautiful, and satisfying inheritance in existence.  "In Your presence is fullness of joy."  It is GOD Himself.

How am I a son of God?  When Jesus left heaven and lived among us, He laid aside His privileges of Sonship.  When He said, "Not My will, but Yours be done," He was choosing the path of losing His rights and privileges of Sonship, rather than continuing to enjoy them without you.  The cry of Jesus, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?" expressed the tormenting cost through which God could adopt us as His children, grant us the right to call Him "Father,"and hear Him say to us, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you." 

Jesus took what you deserve, so that you could receive what only He deserves.

Don't live one day without accepting your core identity, and enjoying your Inheritance.  "The Lord is my portion...I have a beautiful inheritance." Psalm 16:5-6  "...I am...your exceeding great reward."  Genesis 15:1