An everlasting love

(Jeremiah 31:3) “…I have loved you with an everlasting love;”

If God has said, that He will love with an everlasting love it must mean exactly that, everlasting (never coming to an end). It could never mean a love that will eventually run its course; that could never be! He is not like a man who at a time will say his vows, “for better or worse” and then if things do not pan out as previously thought he will be quick to throw in the towel. Divorce rife even amongst the church, once so many mistakes are realised by believers its leaves so many with such heavy burdens; the “strong” frowning upon what they have never been privy too, somehow feeling justified by what they haven’t done. If that be the case their perception are most certainly cockeyed. As Christians somewhere along our journey we fall prey to mistakes, entertain so many wicked thoughts and carry out such dreadful actions. The actions of some are more pronounce than others. I know as I am guilty as charged! However when we stumble our God does not hold that to our charge. This is the most phenomenal thought when actually realised and I don’t mean on an intellectual level but when it resonate deep within our hearts it is so liberating. Praise the name of Jesus! You see salvation is a gift of God, it can never be earned! The only reason we will ever be accepted by God is because of what the Lord Jesus achieved on Calvary and not by what we think we have earned and deserve, that is religion and it is dead!

Satan gets us to question our position in God by challenging us on our own merit, when we think we do well we have liberty but when we fail, and haven’t quite cut the mustard then we are not worthy, this is a lie from the pit of hell! We are always worthy because we have been sanctified by the blood of the Lamb, period! God will always encourage and correct us from a position of son-ship, when we need discipline He will bring it about but our position in Him will never be in question. If it could be any other way there would be a place for boasting, which is sadly at times evident amongst Christian; boasting has been excluded! “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) – Where we can be tempted to make the mistake is once we have been saved we now think we need to prove ourselves and earn our salvation; The Apostle Paul addresses this; “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:1-3)

Our love for God must spring from our hearts and not our minds as a form of duty but rather we love because He first loved us. This understanding will free us to embrace our heavenly Father not out of duty but out of love. If we can grasp this truth it will be well with our souls. The banner we fly with absolute assurance is this; “if God be for me who can be against me?” Praise the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, for He has freed us into this relationship with His Father who is now our Father. We now cry “ABBA FATHER” and are treated as sons by the God of the universe, hallelujah!  

With that said; when God has decided to do something and He has sealed it with the promise of His Word it will never be undone, for neither height nor depth, nor will any created thing be able to undo those who have been sealed by that promise. For someone to suggest that God‘s promise is subject to our actions is ludicrous; as if we could get God to break His Word, as if His creation wield such power. What His love will do is melt a person’s heart and with it bring about a change of recuperating love if sin has somehow damaged our faith along the way. Do not yield to the voices contrary to God’s Word, they are nothing but lies! His love has saved us and His love will get us home. Think it through! Even if the recipient did not want to be covered by that love what chance would they actually have? Who can resist God’s will? In fact this point can be proved; but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)  - This commitment is not about men but about God! He initiated everything pertaining to that love; He has so chosen to “love with an everlasting love”. We now only love God because He first loved us, period!

The question now that needs answering is who will be covered by His love, for not all will make it to heaven? "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) – all that is now left to do is to call out to the One who has the power to save us from our sin, all hail King Jesus! “For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."” (Romans 10:13)   

Signing off

Tyrone