To our world, to love somebody is having an intense feeling of deep affection which is normally expressed through words and actions.  It is at times unstable and changeable.  Love expressions are subject to how one feels.  One moment it’s conveyed with lavish gifts, beautiful words and warm touches, but the next minute, it can possibly be miserly delivered.  This is just the norm.

We may be in this world but His world says, as believers, we are not of it (John 17:16). We are not to conform to its ways, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds that we may prove what is good, acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2).

One of last Sunday’s songs in church had a tremendous impact to me during worship.  It is a song that many of us may consider so simple, but at that moment, I found it so profound.

Hmmmm … oh how those words resonated inside of me.  I was deeply and dearly reminded that the steadfastness, constancy and consistency of His love for me is not based on whether I see the answers to my prayers or not when I expect them the most.  It is not based on feelings or sensing. It is not based on the circumstances or situations that come along.  It is purely based and established on what His Word says (for the Bible tells me so) as it is written and revealed by Holy Spirit that I believe and act on. It is when I revere and honor His Word enough to feed on it.

“For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (^[unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.” (John 3:16 AMPC)

The most powerful demonstration of our Heavenly Father’s love for us was when He gave us Jesus, His only begotten Son to die to for us and forgive us from all our iniquities and REMEMBER THEM NO MORE. 

“Know the Lord: for they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, says the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Hebrews 8:12)

Do you know why the song so blessed me?  It is because His Love covers a multitude of sins.  His Love blots out all our transgressions by the power of the Blood of the Lamb of God and He remembers them NO MORE. 

You see, it is when we sin and fall short of His glory that hinders us from being and basking in His presence.  With our unrenewed thinking that when we do something wrong, we are no longer welcomed or shall I say we get hesitant to draw near Him.  We feel unworthy to approach the Perfect God.  This happens when we believe that our salvation depends on our works and this positions us to be in constant fear of failing and falling.  But, because of His great love that He sent His only Son Jesus, we can now enter in and come BOLDLY before throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  He sees us through Christ.  He sees us through His Blood.  He already exhausted all His wrath because of sin and disobedience to the body of Jesus at the cross and all that is left for us to receive and partake is His love.  Everything was dealt and done with and He gave us this invitation of a seamless and uninterrupted fellowship with Him when we believe and receive WHOM HE HAS SENT.

“Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom You have sent.” (John 17:3)  

I just googled what this word “eternal” means.  Hmmm … It means everlasting, never-ending, endless, without end, immortal, deathless, indestructible, imperishable, permanent, enduring, infinite, boundless, permanent, abiding.  Oh wow … this is the heavenly reality that we have been invited to be in, IN CHRIST.  This is not just about life after death, but this is also true for us today, a “heaven-on-earth” life when we live in His abiding presence.  This was what Jesus taught His disciples on how to pray, “Your will be done ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.”

Oh what a Savior, Wonderful Jesus!

Indeed, it is our Heavenly Father’s will for us to abide in Him and His Word abiding in us. 

When we respond to this awesome invitation to walk in the good news of peace by faith that sets us to be forever welcomed and celebrated in His presence, this does not mean that we can do whatever we want.  The new covenant which is full of grace and truth through Jesus Christ makes us new creations in Him.  The “old us” is gone and the “new us” has come.   Being new creations in Him, being under grace, sin has NO LONGER HAVE DOMINION over us (Romans 6:14).  The very moment we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to reside in us.  It is He Who changes us, changes our desires and empowers us to sin no more.  He does NOT CONDEMN us.  He constantly reminds us of our new heavenly identity in Christ and graces us to reign in life.  He loves us so deeply that He never desires us to be away from His presence, thus, sin was dealt with once and for all.  He longs for us to live in the reality of us being IN HIM and HIM IN US, Christ in us the Hope of glory.

We may fall short every now and then, but He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness when we confess it.

Our genuine faith in the finished work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ desires righteousness and is no longer satisfied with our old life.  Instead, it longs for the things of God and seeks holiness.  It makes us sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit that when we walk in the awareness of our new life in Christ, we will not fulfill the lusts of our flesh.  Our intimate relationship and fellowship with Him result to doing His will and no longer ours, until ours become congruent to His.

“And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put My Spirit in you so that you will follow My decrees and be careful to obey My regulations.”  (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

Bottomline is that His unconditional relentless love for us postures us to explore and experience His unceasing mighty presence in our lives, Him never leaving us nor forsaking us, Him never failing us.

“I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]” (Hebrews 13:5 AMPC)

Jesus’ finished work at the cross, His suffering, death and resurrection, was a complete “ONCE AND FOR ALL” deed.  He was fully obedient to fulfill why He was on earth for the JOY that was set before Him, seeing you and I fully restored into our Heavenly Father’s embrace FOREVER.

All He is asking of us is to BELIEVE on what HE SAID in His Word about Who He is.  He is Love.  He is Good.  He is Faithful and True.  We are the apple of His eye, Kis royal priesthood, His dearly prized possession, His chosen generation meant and created to ENJOY HIM IN HIS PRESENCE. 

When we believe and receive His Word, our perspective changes and our lives are transformed from faith to faith, from strength to strength, from glory to glory. 

Let us then get rooted and grounded in His love and no amount of opposition can dislodge or tarnish our identity of being WITH HIM and IN HIM.

“For IN HIM we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.” (Acts 17:28)

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank You for Your great love that You rent the heavens and came down through Your only Begotten and Beloved Son, Jesus.  Thank You for gifting and giving us Jesus Who is THE WAY, the only Way for us to have this undisturbed and unbroken fellowship with You. 

Jesus, I open my heart to receive You as my Lord and Savior.  Thank You for shedding Your blood at the cross to forgive me from all my iniquities and remember them no more.  I am now a new creation in You, blameless and pure before You.

Holy Spirit, have Your way in me.  Open my eyes to daily have a fresh and new revelation of Who Jesus is, His complete and unwavering love for me and how greatly loved I am because the Word says so.  Amen!

Photo Credits: Jana Paz, Philippines