How to Respond to God’s Love

By: Shelly DeBone

​God’s Love: Did you know God loves you with an everlasting, steadfast, and devoted love? God’s love has no equivalent. It’s all encompassing. Lamentations 3:22 ESV says, “the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” God’s love wraps us up in light and never lets us go. He doesn’t court us with His love and then abandon us. His love is merciful and kind. It’s always forgiving and always protecting. It’s full of grace! God’s love is rock solid! How do I know? God has proven Himself faithful in my life. I’ve experienced God’s love in tangible ways. I’ve seen God’s love transform the lives of others. Our doting Father has filled His world with beauty. His creation is a captivating display of love. Take some time and study what He’s made. It's miraculous! But, beyond His creation, I behold God’s love when I gaze upon His Son. Jesus is the embodiment of love. He truly is!

​The Fall: 1 John 4:16 says that “God is love.” NIV Therefore, everything He says and does is born of love. When God first created the Heavens and the Earth, it was dark and empty. He envisioned light. He spoke it into creation, and it burst forth. He saw that it was good. From there God began implementing a grand design for our universe, by orchestrating the placement of every star and planet. And He chose Earth to be our home. He thought up every minute detail. Our lives could be bland, but He chose colors, textures, tastes, and smells that elicit feelings and prompt behaviors. He engineered life cycles. He watered the earth. He warmed it with the sun. He filled the atmosphere with air. An array of flowers, grass, ferns, and trees dotted the landscape. And, one by one He brought forth the fish, birds, insects, and the animals that are all unique and fascinating. And all of His creation had a purpose. In accordance with God’s beautiful vision, “God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27NIV He intricately fashioned man and woman with distinct characteristics. He formed them to be helpmates to one another, and to care for their incredible home. They were created to love. The first humans, Adam and Eve, were made in His image, after all. They were created for love, but they were also created to choose. They had minds, wills, and emotions. And eventually they chose poorly. From the moment they fell, our beautiful planet has never been the same. Adam and Eve shared an intimacy with God. But they weren’t God. The fallen angel, Satan, tricked Adam and Eve into thinking equality with God would be better than the life they were living, but it was a lie. "You will not certainly die,” the serpent (Satan) said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it (the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 2:4,5NIV In an instant, their eyes were opened to darkness. Sin entered the world, when they ate from the forbidden tree. Fellowship with God was broken, and they were forced to navigate life’s struggles without God’s companionship. Now, they were destined to die. Before the fall, they had God’s unfettered attention. But now, death, pain, and suffering entered the equation, which proved debilitating, disheartening, and distracting, and although God longed to be close to them, they didn’t always know how to respond. From that point on, Adam, Eve, and every living being were lost.

Hope: Despite our fallen nature, God never gave up on us. From the foundation of the world, God had a plan to redeem His people. With the same precision and love that He created us, the Father paved a way for us to be saved. Generations after Adam and Eve, God’s people found themselves in bondage. At a time when they needed encouragement, hope spoke, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11 – 13 NIV These verses give us insight into how to respond, in light of God’s love. In His Word, God shared that He has good plans for us. We can trust those plans. “For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does. He loves whatever is just and good; the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth.” Psalm 33: 4,5 NLT The Bible clearly states, God’s unfailing love never left the earth. Yet the people were hindered by sin. Sin was certainly an obstacle, but every now and then they’d figure out God wanted to be sought. And when they sought Him, He could be found. It was up to them to do the seeking. Both then, and now, God was longing for reconnection. It’s always been His desire. But he also loves what is just and true, and we’re neither of those things without Him. A chasm had been created. After the fall, we needed a way to get back to God. He would certainly make a way.  

​God’s Redemptive Plan: As we read God’s Word, we read about God’s redemptive plan. We learn that a baby was born to a humble girl named Mary. She was an Israelite who lived in a small town called Nazareth. Mary was a virgin, pledged to marry a man named Joseph, when a miraculous event took place. Mary was visited by an angel named Gabriel and when he came to her, he said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Luke 1: 28 NIV Mary was troubled as the angel went on, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” Luke 1: 30-33 NIV Being a virgin, she went on to question how that could happen, and the angel explained that the Holy Spirit would overshadow her, and she would conceive. What an incredible proposal! The Holy One of Israel would place the Son of God in the womb of an ordinary teenager, so Jesus could be born, and salvation could come to the world. God’s grand plan came down to a “Yes” from a young girl. Mary’s response was extraordinary. She replied, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” Luke 1:38 NIV She said Yes! Wow – What a precious gift Mary gave to all of us. She decided to bear and raise the Son of God. She carried Him in her body and brought Him forth. She raised Jesus until the age of independence, but even then, she followed Him. Over time she realized a lifetime with her child was a lifetime spent with God Himself. It forever marked her. And Jesus can do the same for us.

Yes or No? The remarkable thing about our salvation, is it requires a response like Mary’s. Will we say Yes or No to God? When we say Yes to Jesus, the Lord of the universe breaks into our ordinary existence, and He comes to live inside our hearts. In much the same way Mary carried Jesus, we have the privilege of carrying him, too. With a contrite heart, Mary shared “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.” Luke 1:46-55 NIV Mary had always believed God had a good plan for her people. When she was asked to participate in God’s loving plan, in humility, Mary agreed. And that’s our calling too.

​We find Jesus in God’s Word: Some of you may be wondering, how do you love and trust a God who you cannot see, and you don’t really know? Fortunately, a roadmap exists of how to love and trust Jesus. That roadmap is called the Bible. A full portrait of God is found in the Bible. God’s Word is His love letter to humanity, and Jesus loving presence is woven throughout the written Word. Jesus was there at the beginning. Colossians 1:16 NIV says, “For in him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.” God created the earth and everything in it, and then God came to earth, in the form of His Son, born of the virgin Mary. Jesus lived a sinless life, and during his earthly ministry, we saw the living God at work, performing miracles, healing the sick, and delivering the oppressed. Through Jesus death and resurrection, it was God’s plan to “reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” Colossians 1: 20 NIV Jesus reconciled us, when He died on the cross for us. And He chose the cross because it took the shedding of innocent blood to save us from our sins. It was the pivotal point of God’s redemptive plan. And, when you read his Word, you’ll see how much He loves us. He suffered, died, and was buried. On the third day He rose again, and he did that for you and me. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV It’s the great exchange. By dying in our place, Jesus proved his love for us. We deserved the death he suffered, and he took our punishment instead. That’s grace! And there’s nothing like grace.

Love God and Love Others: Jesus showed us what it takes to love the Father and how to love others. It requires grace, charity, forgiveness, and sacrifice. 1 John 4:11,12 NIV says “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is made complete in us.” We’re called to respond to God’s love with love. We’ll know we’re living in God’s love if we humbly ask Him to take our sin, and ask Him to come into our hearts. We’ll say Yes to Jesus and No to ourselves. We’ll lay down our will and begin living for him. For “greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.” 1 John 4:11 NIV We will publicly proclaim that Jesus saved us, and we’ll let the Holy Spirit guide our steps. A heart that truly loves Jesus will obey him. John 14:21 NIV says, “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.” We’re imperfect beings and we won’t always get this right, but we can be assured that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 NIV We will share the good news of the gospel so others can know him, the way we do. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” Romans 1:16 NIV

The Greatest Commandment: Mark 12:28-33 NIV describes how “One of the teachers of the law came and heard them (the religious leaders) debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these. ”Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Love is greater than sacrifice. It’s profound. Many of us put value on the frivolous things we do, day in and day out. We uphold our achievements, and all the things we’ve accumulated. But God doesn’t place value on those things. Loving God with your whole heart, mind, soul, and strength and loving your neighbor as yourself may feel impossible, “but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19: 26 NIV We’re selfish beings, but we carry God’s Spirit. And the same God who raised Christ from the dead can help us to live according to His good purposes. When we love God well, and love people too, we’re producing the kind of fruit God planned for our lives from the beginning. It’s good fruit. And, that fruit will direct people to Jesus. He said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35 NIV There’s a famous Christian hymn written in the 1960’s by Catholic priest, Father Peter Scholtes, and it’s called They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love. The title says it all. They will know we are Christians by our love. “Let him lead me to the banquet hall and let His banner over me be love.” Song of Solomon 2:4 NIV We ought to wave love like a banner. Love saved me. It’s a joy to love in return.

I Said Yes. Will You? There was a time that I didn’t know God. He revealed Himself in ways that held a mirror to my sin. I couldn’t run away from the reality that I was a sinner who needed saving. In God’s kindness, He didn’t leave me in my pitiful state. He came into my life, and He saved me. I was given a choice and I said “Yes” to my Savior. Will you say “Yes” too? It’s the greatest decision you’ll ever make. The God of the universe wants a restored relationship with you. Have you ever experienced a broken relationship. I have, and it’s painful. Jesus made restoration possible. He died for you, but He’s alive now, and waiting for you to ask Him into Your heart. Bring your hurt, sin, and shame to Jesus, and lay it all down at the foot of the cross. Ask Jesus to take the things you’ve been holding onto. He’ll do it. I promise. And, then ask Him to walk with you all the days of your life. When you do, life with Jesus will open your eyes to the riches of His grace. You’ll see Him touching every facet of your life, and you’ll realize you’re not alone. Jesus loves you! And He created you to love Him, and others, in return.