My Loving Savior, the whole gospel comes into focus when You said, “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God’s love is not self-centered but reaches out to draw others in. In these words, You established a true pattern for unselfish love. It describes the basis for all love relationships … when I love someone dearly, I’m willing to give freely to the point of self-sacrifice. You paid dearly with Your life … the highest price anyone could pay. And Your Father sacrificed the life of His only Son to redeem other sons from the punishment due for their sins. In Your love, what You offered me was a new life with a better ending. When I share You with others, my love must be just as pure as Yours. I must be willing to give up my comfort and security so that others might get a taste of Your love.
Some people reject the idea of eternal life because they see it as a continuation of their misery here on earth or they are experiencing so much worldly pleasure that they do not want to give it up. Eternal life encompasses neither of those outlooks because it is the embodiment of eternal fulfillment which You give to all believers who will spend eternity with You. In eternal life there is no sickness, death, evil, pain, anguish or sin. When someone does not accept You, as the “Lord of their life,” they live as though this life is all there is. I have come to realize that this life is just an introduction to eternal life. As I receive the new life that You give to me, my life is filled with joy, contentment, hope, safety and a disciplined way to go about life. My love for You motivates my attainment of the goal of eternal life. And there is one sure thing that I know and it’s I do not want to live without You.
To believe is more than a mental agreement that You are the Son of God. It means I must put my trust and confidence in You to save me from eternal damnation and release me from the power of sin. It means putting You in charge of my current life and eternal destiny. Believing in You also means trusting Your words are true and reliable. It shows my reliance on You for the power to change my self-centered ways. Believing is rejecting the thought that something other than You … good works, skills or intelligence, money or possessions … can give me eternal life. Only You can save me from the one thing I fear the most … eternal condemnation. In believing, I recognize the insufficiency of my own efforts to achieve my salvation. I am also confident that my momentary doubts do not cause me to lose my eternal salvation. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
I John 4:15-16 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and can rely on the love God has for us.