You Are As Loved As Jesus

What comes to your mind when I say you are as loved as Jesus? That God loves you just as much and with the same intensity as He loves Jesus?

For many, it sounds unbelievable, almost heretical. It’s like there’s an inner pushback saying, No, that can't be true. It sounds nice but hard to believe.

When I tell people this, especially Christians, I see doubt in their eyes. I have it too in my own eyes. Help my unbelief. Our minds race through reasons why it can't be true. Even if we can’t find a reason, we still feel like it's not true for us.

The main reason is that it doesn't make sense to us. Jesus is perfect, so of course God loves Him fully. But we’re not perfect like Jesus. If we’re not perfect, how can we be loved the same?

The problem is, that’s not how God thinks. Nor is it the nature of love. We often think our behavior and moral standing determine God’s love for us.

We believe if we act right, read the Bible, pray more, don’t snap at the kids or argue with our spouse, serve more in church, or attend church regularly, we become more lovable.

But none of that changes God's love for us. God loves us not because of who we are but because of who He is. He is love. And love naturally flows towards others. Love is self-giving. To whom does this love give itself too?

To the Trinity. The Father loves the Son who loves the Spirit who loves the Father, and so on. This love includes us in the Son. We are seated in heavenly places right now. We were thought of before in Christ the foundation of the world.

He holds all creation together, in Him we live and move and have our being… we are already loved. We just don’t fully believe or accept it.

We are loved not because we’re lovable—(though we are because we are in Him)—but because He is love. Love can’t help but love. So I am as loved as Jesus not because of what I’ve done but because of who He is. Read that again.

I can't change that fact. I can’t change God. He is who He is. In fact he introduces himself to Moses as “I am who I am”. Nothing will ever change that. God is love; therefore, I am loved.

God invites us to become more aware of this truth and to be transformed by renewing our minds. Life is about learning how to love Love (first and second commandment) and living fully aware that He is with us. Emmanuel.

Sometimes I struggle to fully believe I am loved because I still try to earn it or hide in shame when I feel unworthy.

But true love isn’t about deserving or earning it. You can't earn or deserve it or separate yourself from it. Ask any parent and you’ll see a glimpse of this truth. If we, being imperfect, know how to love, how much more does a Father who is pure love?

God’s open arms and intense embrace remains even while we smell like the pigpen (while we were still sinners, God…)

It would be the same embrace had we never left home at all. He is the God who shows up for the walk with us, after we bit into our apple.

Don’t believe the lie that says God doesn't love you because you’re not good enough or have fallen short. He asks us to repent not of what we did, but of what we thought about Him. He asks us to change our thoughts, to be transformed by the renewing of our behavior, no of how we think. But what we think about what?

What we think about God. His nature. Who He is and what He is like. What you think about God is the most important thing about you.

And how do we know what He is like? Jesus. Jesus is what God has to say about Himself. Jesus is perfect theology.

God loves you and wants you to recognize this truth: you are loved.