Does God Really Love Me?
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.” ~Jesus
Matthew 10:29
I love that verse, “…yet not one (sparrow) will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.” When Jesus said this, something so simple, the way I began to look at the birds that fly around my neighborhood was forever changed. While out on my morning run, I’d see a robin fly by and land on a tree branch, immediately I’d think to myself, “God knows about that single bird, and He cares for it. He actually loves that particular bird.”
So amazing. So unfathomable. God is so big. He’s doing “all of this” at once. All of what? Sustaining His Creation. On an even deeper level, God doesn’t just know about that single bird in my subdivision’s oak tree, but He also knows the molecular structure of that bird. He even causes that little bird’s heart to beat…these were His ideas (see Genesis 1:21).
Just think about that for a moment, everything is in His hands, even our very own existence. The Bible says, “we live and move and have our being through Him” (see Acts 17:28). Life would not be happening without God wanting it to happen. Life would not be possible without His consent. This is why Paul said, “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17). Paul was speaking of Jesus, who is a part of the Trinity: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. All three together equal God (see 1 John 5:7-8).
A hyper-critical person might say, “Yeah Matt, that’s great. God is big, so what. Life still sucks.” To that I’d say, “Oh, my friend, but does it?” What if this inconceivable God actually loved us? What if our Creator made this entire universe just so we could have a place to begin a personal relationship with Him? What if that was His big idea? Relationship? Eternal relationship?
What if our Designer loved us so much, He would actually become a part of His very own creation? What if He joined us in playing by His own created rules of physics and morals–and did so perfectly–on our behalf? What if, just to be fair to us, He took on the very notion of pain and death for us, to help us? That, my friend, is what happened in Jesus Christ!
So why is it we can’t just “jump on in” and enjoy this relationship with such a loving God? Well, because God has allowed a spiritual enemy to join us on planet earth. “Matt, why would your so-called loving God do such a thing?! That sounds sadistic!”
To answer that question, I’d have to ask you a question: Have you ever tried to force someone to love you? How’d that work out?…It doesn’t. It never works out. Forcing someone to love you is an impossibility. God knew this. He knew that a planet full of walking, talking, mannequins would never be able to genuinely love Him back, just the same as a sandbox full of army figurines can’t love the boy back who is playing with them–no matter how he sets them up or “makes” them talk. In order to be able to love, we have to have free will. Therefore, God gave us the option to not love Him.
Our enemy, whom God has temporarily allowed to reside here with us, he is everything opposite of what God is. This idiot and his dark dorks only have three main goals: kill, steal, destroy (see John 10:10). Jesus said Satan is the father of lies and that he doesn’t even have the ability to tell the truth (see John 8:44).
When the Holy Spirit began to point out this jack-wagon to me, He said, “Start fighting him, not people, and not yourself.” Once I began to do this, my relationship with God went to a whole new level. Like Dorothy and her friends who could finally see behind the curtain at what the wizard truly looked like–a weak old man pressing buttons, trying to scare people and ruin their lives with loud noises and smoke–I, now knew the devil. My real enemy had been defined.
This moron not only wants us to doubt God, but he wants us to resent Him, ignore Him, be petrified of Him, feel condemned by Him, and he wants us to believe that God does not love us. “But Matt, how can God love me? I’ve done too many wrong things in my life for anyone to love me, let alone a perfect God.”
Friend, I’ve been there. I can remember the days when I just wanted to die. I had believed the lies of the devil for so long that I honestly thought God was out to get me for my bad behavior and poor choices! I can even remember being afraid to pray! I’d squint and say, “God, I know I don’t deserve it, but please, help me. I need your help.”
I also remember thinking, “If I could just straighten my life out, then God would love me.” These are lies from our enemy! These are falsities from our accuser! (See Revelation 12:10). He fights us spiritually, in our minds! (See Ephesians 6:10-17). We must begin to recognize that! God loves us as we are! Period! The Bible says, “God demonstrated his love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:9).
Let me repeat that: WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS CHRIST DIED FOR US! So if we were sinners in our spirits, how did we become non-sinners in our spirits? How did we become saints? After all, that’s what every Christian is, a saint. Some denominations have incorrectly awarded this title to only a handful of believers, but Paul said that all believers are saints! (See 1 Corinthians 1:2).
God has made the option of spiritual perfection–sainthood–easy: believe Jesus has forgiven you of your sins and you will get a brand new holy spirit–one of your own–and it will be combined with God’s Holy Spirit, forever (see Ephesians 2:8-9, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 2:20, Romans 5:1, 6:6, Colossians 1:22, 3:3).
It is only through believing Jesus has completed your spiritual perfection for you, that you can become a child of God! (See John 1:12, Ephesians 1:5, Hebrews 10:14). Afterwards, Jesus keeps you saved–not you (see John 10:28). The only way you can become un-saved is if Jesus dies again, and that ain’t happening (see Hebrews 7:25).
The Christian who doesn’t understand their true identity in Christ will then beg the question, “What if I don’t stop sinning completely, am I still saved?”
Well, did you stop sinning completely to get saved? No? Okay, so what did you do? You believed Jesus saved you, and He actually did! The Cross worked! So stop worrying about losing something that you aren’t even maintaining! Jesus is maintaining your salvation, your amazing attitudes and actions are not! (See Hebrews 6:19, Philippians 3:8).
So today, my friends, know this: Absolutely nothing can separate you from the love of God, which is found in Jesus Christ! (See Romans 8:39). And yes, God really loves you! He loves you so much He formed this universe! He loves you so much He gave you life! He loves you so much He gave you Jesus! He loves you so much He decided to make His home in you forever! Enjoy this unconditional love and live it out each day!
A prayer for you: Heavenly Father, thank you for your love. It has changed my entire life! Right now, I lift up all who are reading this, directly to you. So many of them don’t realize just how much you love them, some are even scared of you. They’ve been incorrectly taught that your love is conditional. They’ve been taught to think you’re mad at them, and you’re not. The enemy has also embedded a tremendous amount of guilt in so many of their minds. Some even think you have too much going on to get involved with their “small” problems, and that’s not true. Others believe they have to behave better before you’ll pay any attention to them–teach them that is incorrect! I command any legalistic, religious spirit to stop pestering them!
Teach them about the power that lies within them–YOU! Break the chains on their minds of guilt, condemnation, addictions, and fear! Build up a new confidence in them! Reveal Satan’s lies! Make him leave these good people alone! Strengthen them on such a level that they would no longer be passive, but instead, fighting hard through your grace! Teach them how to defeat hell with their words! Show them how to overcome evil with good, and hate with love! Use these awesome, heaven-ready people for great and mighty things! I know you will! In Jesus’ powerful name I pray, amen.
This devotional is from 60 Days for Jesus, Volume 1. Get your copy here!