Amen, Pastor Sean! What wondrous love!!
Some may at times may wonder if God loves them. Does God love you? Does God love me? By God's grace, I do not wonder about this. I know He loves me. How do I know? Because I have gotten to know Him personally. Over 30 years, I have talked with Him, read about Him, pleaded with Him, asked for forgiveness over and over, and had prayers answered, even before I prayed. More than that, I have studied His character daily for 30 years. In this book, especially in this chapter, I have seen His great love for me. It causes me to sorrow over my sins, and my sinful nature. When seeing His character of love and mercy it causes me to fall on my face. How much does God love you and me? Listen to this:
As Christ felt His unity with the Father broken up, He feared that in His human nature He would be unable to endure the coming conflict with the powers of darkness. In the wilderness of temptation the destiny of the human race had been at stake. Christ was then conqueror. Now the tempter had come for the last fearful struggle. For this he had been preparing during the three years of Christ's ministry. Everything was at stake with him. If he failed here, his hope of mastery was lost; the kingdoms of the world would finally become Christ's; he himself would be overthrown and cast out. But if Christ could be overcome, the earth would become Satan's kingdom, and the human race would be forever in his power. With the issues of the conflict before Him, Christ's soul was filled with dread of separation from God. Satan told Him that if He became the surety for a sinful world, the separation would be eternal. He would be identified with Satan's kingdom, and would nevermore be one with God. This was so very true.
Some think Jesus was just like us, He was not. Some think they are just like Jesus, they are not. He is our example, but He is God. He could have failed, He could have sinned, but He did not. Can you carry your own sins? No. Jesus carried the sins of the world. Was He sure He could do it? No, He was not. He was tempted far greater than we shall ever be.
Satan in heaven had hated Christ for His position in the courts of God. He hated Him the more when he himself was dethroned. He hated Him who pledged Himself to redeem a race of sinners. Yet into the world where Satan claimed dominion God permitted His Son to come, a helpless babe, subject to the weakness of humanity. He permitted Him to meet life's peril in common with every human soul, to fight the battle as every child of humanity must fight it, at the risk of failure and eternal loss.
The heart of the human father yearns over his son. He looks into the face of his little child, and trembles at the thought of life's peril. He longs to shield his dear one from Satan's power, to hold him back from temptation and conflict. To meet a bitterer conflict and a more fearful risk, God gave His only-begotten Son, that the path of life might be made sure for our little ones. "Herein is love." Wonder, O heavens! and be astonished, O earth!
Now, think about what we just read. If you contemplate this for 30 years, you too will know just as I do, that God loves you! Matter of fact, it does not take 30 years, it only takes one reading when you allow it into your heart and mind.