Knowing God’s love for you is the foundation of everything in your life!

Do you know that Christ has settled down and made His permanent home in your spirit by faith (Ephesians 1:17 AMP)? Since Jesus is the exact likeness of the unseen God (Colossians 1:15), and God is love (1 John 4:8,16), this means that Love Himself resides in you. Jesus is God’s love pursuing you; Jesus is the love of God manifested toward you (1 John 4:9). He planned to overwhelm your life with His love through Jesus, giving you the privilege to live through Him, in union with Him as His child (1 John 4:9; Ephesians 1:5; Ephesians 2:5). Christ in you should be your secure place as you are rooted in His love (Ephesians 3:17 AMP). This plan was made before you were born, before you had a chance to sin. This plan remains in place despite any bad behavior. This was God’s plan “to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved” you (Ephesians 2:4 AMP). This was grace: the unearned favor of God given to you in love, offered without any requirements, except that you believe in Jesus Christ and His blood sacrifice that canceled all of your sins (Ephesians 2:7 TPT)!

This plan is not for the future, only when you get to heaven. You are loved now, in union with Jesus now, forgiven of all sins now! In fact, eternal life is a gift from the Father to be experienced while you live on earth: “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3). Knowing implies relationship, an intimacy with the Lord.

Psalm 23 TPT gives a picture of this relationship:

• “Yahweh is my best friend and my shepherd” (vs 1).

• “He offers a resting place for me in his luxurious love” (vs 2).

• He leads me to quiet places to restore and revive me (vs 3).

• He shows me the right paths to take that will give him honor (vs 3).

• Fear will never conquer me, because his greatness and authority are my strength and peace; “the comfort of his love takes away my fear” (vs 4).

• “I’ll never be lonely, for you” (God) “are near” (vs 4).

• Because of your presence, Lord, I overflow with abundance (vs 5).

• I have no fear for the future because “only” (your) “goodness and tender love pursue me all the days of my life” (vs 6).

  
  

God’s love for you is meant to be known. But it is only by the presence of the Holy Spirit, “[Himself indwelling your innermost being …] (Ephesians 3:16 AMP), that you possess the power to understand “the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions” (Ephesians 3:18 TPT). When you understand by the revelation of God, you have the opportunity to experience His love as “this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19 TPT)! “Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you” (Ephesians 3:20 TPT). This is God’s love for you and His intention toward you. He desires that His tremendous love cascade over your life, loving you with the same love that He loves Jesus (Ephesians 2:6 TPT).

God claims you as His own and provides His love as your inheritance (Ephesians 2:11 TPT). In love He chose you, before the world was even created (Ephesians 1:4 TPT). Now, because Jesus has cleansed you of all sins, and you are holy in God’s sight (Ephesians 1:4 TPT), intimacy with Him is possible, and He delights in you. You were the joy set before Jesus when He was dying on the cross, and you remain His joy now (Hebrews 12:2)!

Jesus was so focused on His love for you just before He died that He prayed this prayer to the Father: “I in them and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me” (John 17:23 NKJV). And His love for you has never changed!

To understand the magnitude of His love, consider what Psalm 106 says:

God’s chosen people fought against Him. They wandered and went astray. They worshipped idols. They even sacrificed their babies to false gods! They grumbled and complained against God. They did not fully appreciate Him or the wonders He performed on their behalf. They took God for granted, rebelling against Him. They believed His words, but only for a short time, quickly forgetting His miraculous works that saved them from trouble. They placed demands on Him to satisfy their food cravings, tired of the manna He had provided. But they remained starved in their mind, will, emotions, and flesh; only a relationship with God could have satisfied what they longed for. “They preferred the image of a grass-eating ox to the presence of the glory-filled God” (Psalm 106:20 TPT). They forgot all the wonders of God to save them! They despised the Promised Land God had given them. “They grumbled and found fault with everything and closed their heart to” God’s “voice” (Psalm 106:25 TPT). Disobedience led the people away from God, and He “couldn’t even stand to look at” His “very own people” (Psalm 106:40 TPT). Even in the people’s state of depravity, God “waited and waited, watching to see if they would turn” to Him (Psalm 106:44 TPT). He still wanted and loved His people! Eventually they did turn back to God and cried out for help, and He turned to respond to their cry! This was the mercy and love of God on full display! God had made promises to His chosen ones, and therefore, despite their turning away from Him, He welcomed them with open arms of a Father longing for His children. He did this “according to” His “abundant overflowing, and limitless love” (Psalm 106:45 TPT).

Psalm 107:1 TPT confirms: “Let everyone give all their praise and thanks to the Lord! Here’s why – He’s better than anyone could ever imagine. Yes, he’s always loving and kind, and his faithful love never ends.”

Even after the people’s abuse toward God, He still sent Jesus to sacrifice His life for all of humanity! God knew mankind’s potential for sin, yet He wanted a relationship with us. We were and still are His joy! We can’t earn His love or sin away the magnitude of love He has for us! He proved this through Jesus, and He still longs for us, every one of us, today! How will you respond?