God’s Love Is Always

1 John 4:16
And we have known and believed the love that God has for us…

When you come into your house from outside you may no longer see the sunshine but you know the sunshine is still there. Sometimes, when we enter into a dark situation of discouragement or sin, we move into a situation where we know God loves us but we have a difficult time believing it. We need to know that God loves us always, in every situation. This is how we know we’re living steadily and deeply in His Love, and He in us: He’s given us life from his life, from His very own Spirit. Also, we’ve seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent His Son as Savior of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God’s Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we’ve embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God. (1 John 4:16 MSG)

God’s Love Cast Out Fear

When you replace just knowing about the amazing love that God has for you, with believing His love is continual, even when you are in a painful, discouraging or sinful situation. When you believe His love is there for you when these situations are caused by yourself, someone else or accidentally.  That is when we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—and every day for that matter. Our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love. We can believe that God’s love is so amazingly wonderful that in every situation He is there, good or bad, encouraging us with His love and help. Never angry with us, never disappointing. God always sees us in the light of His Son’s sacrifice for us and always sees us covered in the gift of righteousness.

God Loved Us First

It is amazing to see how much God loved. As human beings, who of us could have, or even would have devised such a wonderful plan to redeem our enemies. On the contrary we attack our enemies, we don’t try to love them and redeem them, but God did this for us. For even when we were enemies of God, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. (Romans 5:10, Colossians 1:21)

Beloved, know and believe that since He loved you and died for you while you were still a sinner (Romans 5:8) at your worst and ugliest, how much more is His love for you now that you are His beloved child and the righteousness of God in Christ! (2 Corinthians 5:21)