Who in your life showed you the greatest demonstration of love? Maybe you are thinking about your spouse when they asked to marry you. Maybe you are thinking about a parent or parental figure who sacrificed in order to provide for you. Maybe you are thinking of a friend who dropped everything and came to you when you got the bad news you never expected. The people who love us so well are a gift from God. Their love points us straight to the greatest love we will ever know: the love of God.
The apostle Paul writes about God's extravagant demonstration of love for humanity in Romans 5. In this chapter, he said, "Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good" (verse 7). Most people would not be willing to die for someone else. Maybe someone would die for an exceptionally good person, but that would be a rare circumstance. Although people would rarely lay down their lives and die for someone else, "God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners" (verse 8). How did God demonstrate how much He loved humanity? He sent His son Jesus to die on the cross for us while we were still deep in the middle of sin. There is no greater love than this. Nothing, no nothing, would stop God from rescuing humanity.
God’s love is greater than any love we could ever experience. His love is sacrificial. His love has no limits. He does not love us because of anything we have said or done. He simply loves us because we are His treasured creation. Even the greatest love we can experience on earth pales in comparison to God’s unconditional, sacrificial love that never gives up. May you walk knowing how much He loves you and commit to sharing His love with the people around you.
God’s love is the greatest love anyone could ever encounter. It is meant to be shared. Take some time to review your two-minute story, the story of what your life was like before Christ, how you came to know Christ, and the difference Christ has made in your life. Practice sharing your story three times today and look for opportunities to share it with someone who needs to encounter the love of Christ today.
1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.
3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.
