Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– Henry Blackaby
Sacrificial Love
Most of us know John 3:16 where it says “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” but since we’ve read or heard it so much, we don’t realize the full impact of this powerful verse. God loved us so much that He was willing to sacrifice His one and only Son, the Son of God, so that we might have our sins cleansed and then receive eternal life. What other type of love is greater than this self-sacrificing, live-giving love?
Servanthood Love
Maybe we don’t realize that at one time we were blinded by the god of this world (2nd Cor 4:4) and we were doing those things that were pleasing to Satan, but Jesus came to give His own life to ransom us from the god of this world. Mark writes, “for even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45) and “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). No human love could ever top that!
Fatherhood Love
When the disciples asked Jesus how to pray, Jesus said that we can pray “Our Father in heaven” (Matt 6:9a), showing that our relationship with God is like that of a child and their father. It is highly intimate. What a tender picture of the relationship that we can have. He is “our Father” and like any child, we can go to Him and ask for anything that’s His will, and like a benevolent and loving father would do for their own child, God the Father will do for us. This is the highest of all love relationships and it is such an honor.
Conclusion
Henry Blackaby is spot on by saying “To be loved by God is the highest relationship.” Think of any other human relationship you have now, outside of that with the Father, and it will pale in comparison to that of Father God Who loved us enough to have His Son die for us; Who came to give His own life as a ransom for us; and who loves us more than any human father does.
