Unconditional

Unconditional...

Have you ever thought about how much He truly loves us, or what He sacrificed in order to lavish us with that love?

God is love; He defines it, He breathes it, He exemplifies it, He is it.  His love for us knows no bounds.  It is truly unconditional; we did nothing to deserve it, yet have received more than we could ever know what to do with.  Have you ever thought of the term unconditional?  It literally means that there is not a single thing we could do to make Him love us any less; pretty amazing truth when one thinks of all the things they've done.  Without this love that He lavishes upon us daily, we would not have had a chance at forgiveness, at redemption, at salvation, at eternal life with our Heavenly Father. 

He calls us His children; we are His and He is ours, all we have to do is accept Him.  He love us like a Father, and longs for us to recognize and love Him in return.  He wants a relationship with His children.  He wants to hold us in His loving embrace, and let us know that no matter what He will love us and it will all turn out the way He has planned in the end.  He went to such great lengths to atone for the mistakes we've made, He became flesh and lived the perfect life, yet He bore our sins on the cross.  He paid the penalty that we all deserved to pay.  He gave His life, that we might see His unconditional love, and begin an unending relationship with Him. Do not be ashamed of the things you have done wrong, He isn't expecting perfection.  He sees our flaws, He sees our attempts, He sees our yearning, He sees our flailing, and through it all, He has continued to love us unconditionally!

Daily Verse:

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. ~ 1 John 3:1

The following lyrics are to the song, How Deep the Father's Love For Us by Stuart Townend, and I feel as though they summarize these truths in simple, yet profound terms.

How deep the Father's love for us,

How vast beyond all measure

That He should give His only Son

To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,

The Father turns His face away

As wounds which mar the chosen One,

Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,

My sin upon His shoulders

Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,

Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there

Until it was accomplished

His dying breath has brought me life

I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything

No gifts, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ,

His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom!

Never forget just how much He loves us; it is truly unconditional and impossible for us to imagine its depth!  Nothing you could ever do will make Him love you any less.  Rejoice and give thanks for this unmerited gift, this undeserved grace, this undefinable and unconditional love. He gave His life that we may have life.  I challenge you to live with this unconditional love emblazoned in your heart; lavish it on others, spread His love, and spread His kingdom.

Here is a link to the song:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSWC7XozVgY