“Love does not take pleasure in wickedness, but rejoices in the truth.” (Colossians 13:6)
Do you ever wonder why Jesus loves you so much?
Of all, we all know that God loves us because—insert iconic children’s song here!—”the Bible says so-oo.” (For evidence, see John 3:16 and Romans 5:5.) And we know that God loves us a lot—see Romans 8:38-39 for a wonderful reminder. But, truly, don’t you ever feel like King David when he composed Psalm 8:3-4 (NLT)?
“What are simple humans that you should think about, human beings that you should care about, when I look at the night sky and witness the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you placed in place?”
Why God Adores Me
We surely do not deserve God’s love, and He is under no obligation to love us. In fact, some individuals feel that God does not love us. They believe that either He does not exist or that He is/was a Being who created everything and set everything in motion before deciding to withdraw and keep a safe distance from us. To them, God (if He exists) is a cosmic Watcher enthralled by the soap opera events of planet Earth, not a personal god who would care to love the ants He made. Obviously, I believe that perspective is terribly flawed, yet I still wonder…
Why does Jesus care about you and me?
“Love… rejoices in the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6).
That, at the very least, provides a credible explanation for God’s seemingly unfathomable love for us. And it is for this reason that I believe Jesus loves me, you, and all the other innumerable, nameless individuals out there: Christ alone understands the complete truth about who He is and what He created—the truth about who we are, why we are, and what He is doing in us.
Listen to some of the sound bites Scripture has given us in this area (all NLT):
But he extended the privilege to become a child of God to everybody who believed and embraced him (John 1:12).
And because we are his children, God has poured his Son’s Spirit into our hearts, causing us to cry out, “Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6).
Because we are God’s handiwork. He has made us new in Christ Jesus, so that we might do the excellent things he has long planned for us (Ephesians 2:10).
… You have been chosen. You are royal priests, a sacred people, God’s own possession.. (1 Peter 2:9).
And I am certain that God, who began the good work inside you, will carry it on until the day when Christ Jesus arrives (Philippians 1:6).
See, Christ’s love for you is all about Him and has nothing to do with you. His is more than a cosmic sensation of benevolence; it is an everlasting truth about who He is and who you are as He is yours. Similarly, God’s everlasting truth about you isn’t just a cold fact; it’s an eternal passion based on who He is and what He’s doing with you as His.
Simply put, God loves because He is the only one who understands — and rejoices in — the whole truth about Himself and what He is doing in us. He loves us not because he has to or because he feels forced to continually produce an emotion like compassion. He loves us because it is who He is – our happy, everlasting truth. Come visit us at the Episcopal Catholic Church soon so we can give you a hug!
Why Does God Care About Us?
God doesn’t love me because He sees something attractive, something lovable in me. In fact, He probably doesn’t find anything to adore about me. God loves me because God’s personality is one of love. I look at my children, and I adore them. My grandchildren are wonderful. They don’t always do things that make me happy. If I love them, it is because I choose to. If God loves me, it is not because there is anything inherent in my nature that God deems acceptable to Him; rather, the reverse is true. The Bible repeats again and over that there is none who does good, not one. There is no such thing as a sinless person. Okay, OK.
If God is love and I am unlovable, I cannot claim that He loves me because of what I am. I have to declare that He loves me because of what He is. God loves me because it is in God’s nature to love. And if I accept that love, God accepts my acceptance of His love. He desires that we all embrace His love. God has some criteria under which we can satisfy Him, but no conditions under which He can love us.