Hello! I hope you are all doing well!  I was thinking about love and what God says about love versus what one may think love is. However, I do believe some people can naturally be loving-meaning tender, caring and affectionate. Some people also “learn” loving qualities in spite of the fact that not everyone is fortunate to have been born into a Godly, loving family and/or environment.  Consequently, one might interpret what love is; or think love is purely based on performative or conditional behavior due to their upbringing and environment.

    I became Born Again in my twenties. I can confidently state that I did not know what love was, or what it meant to give or receive love before I found God. What I mean by that is I learned what love is through the eyes of God and His Son, Jesus. One of the first things I learned is that God’s love for me is eternal. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) As a result, God’s love is limitless.

 As a Believer, I learned that God’s love was unconditional. That means His love for me is not depended on my status, performance or by being perfect. In other words, He accepted me as I am with no strings attached. I didn’t have to “change” before coming to Him-I didn’t have to “clean up” to be accepted by Him-all I had to do was repent of my sins, accept His invitation of love and welcome Jesus into my heart and life. In addition, God’s love is forgiving as well as sacrificial.  The sacrifice for God’s love was Jesus’ life in exchange for humanity’s sins because God is Holy and cannot be in the presence of sin. Thus, Jesus is the mediator (for all  who accept Him) between sinful man and God’s Holiness. He bridges the gap to enable believers to receive an internal inheritance through his death.  Sacrificial love encourages accountability rather than enabling destructive behavior out of fear of rejection. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

   Once we accept Jesus into our lives, His love indwells within us. Therefore, His love is transformative from the inside out. God’s love does not leave people broken-instead He heals the broken hearted-he binds up our wounds. His love is not codependent-rather it is a relationship that shifts to placing it wholly on Jesus Christ. This love brings forgiveness and removes fear; this love provides peace and gives us a new heart with purpose. His love gives us a new life that teaches us to love others with patience and kindness. Jesus’ love helps us take our eyes off ourselves so we can actually focus on loving others-putting their needs before our own. His love also helps us to forgive those who hurt us so we can have a fresh start and to honor God and love others. “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. “(Ephesians 4:32) 

 As Believers, we need to remember that NOTHING can separate us the love of God. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: For Your sake we are killed all day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love if God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39)

 Please continue to join me as we grow together with A Renewed Heart.  Melody Elias