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You Are Loved!

We are constantly tempted to look within ourselves to seek to find some reason why God should love us. Such searching is, of course, usually discouraging. We usually find within ourselves reasons why we think God should not love us. Such searching is also unbiblical. The Bible is quite clear that God does not look within us for a reason to love us. He loves us because we are in Christ Jesus. When He looks at us, He does not look at us as “stand alone” Christians, resplendent in our own good works, even good works as Christians. Rather, as He looks at us, He sees us united to His beloved Son, clothed in His righteousness. He loves us, not because we are lovely in ourselves, but because we are in Christ. Here then is another weapon of truth that we should store up in our hearts to use against our doubts and the temptation to question God’s love for us. God’s love to us cannot fail any more than His love to Christ can fail. We must learn to see our adversities in relation to our union with Christ. God does not deal with us as, so to speak, “free standing” individuals. He does deal with us individually, but as individuals united to Christ.
- Jerry Bridges
(Source: Trusting God)

An excellent statement from Jerry Bridges. The temptation to look inwards of course sometimes emerges from that realisation that our sinful nature does not "stack up" to God. We are so tired of falling down time and time and again that we begin to look within ourselves for comfort. The quote is a timely reminder that God loves us no matter what! We are his children by the precious blood of the Jesus Christ shed on the Cross! That blood he poured out for us on that dark Friday in Golgotha.

God loves us beyond comparison. God's love is free, unconditional and uninfluenced by me !  He loved me while I was his enemy! How much does he love that now I am his in Christ? His love can never fail! This love that  has reached out to us through Jesus and lifted us out of sin and into God’s family. The love that has turned rebels into brothers in the Lord Jesus. So wonderful is this Jesus that the Bible says, he is not ashamed to call dirty and wretched sinners brothers! I need to keep being reminded that I am loved! And God's love cannot be earned. It is freely poured out on me in Jesus Christ!

Copyright © Chola Mukanga 2013

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