“But God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Rom. 5:8
It’s almost Valentine’s Day and love is in the air. American consumers will spend approximately $25 billion on gifts d’amour which fly off the shelves faster than I can say “Give me chocolate!” Based on the spending habits around this mid-winter day filled with extravagant gestures of devotion, we might be tempted to think love relationships are strong. Unfortunately, the love of this world is fickle so when the going gets tough, love moves on. Soaring divorce rates and the slew of broken families in our neighborhoods are good indicators of this capricious emotion.
Many of us are familiar with, and scarred by, this volatile love, and are unable to comprehend anything else. But there is another kind of love—a steadfast love, that is unchanging, faithful, and genuine. It almost sounds too good to be true doesn’t it? This love is a verb, an action not only an emotion, that considers neither the appearance nor worth of the one being loved—it simply gives for the good of another. It’s a heartfelt love, pure and overflowing. It’s not a love which I deserved, but it has changed my life. I’m talking about the love that God has for his people. This love doesn’t depend upon my goodness, or yours; it doesn’t depend upon us at all.
Recently, my daughter and her husband purchased their first home. It’s a remote, turn of the century (20th) homestead—acres of neglected pastures surround a faded but towering barn, all framed by a pine forest. In the middle of the property stands a house, abandoned for at least a decade and in desperate need of attention. The white clapboard siding had mostly peeled and weathered to dull speckled grey. The century old shingles, once shiny silver, now rusted to burnt umber, warned of impending trouble. Mounded soil and grass smothered the wooden sills of the house and hinted at serious problems. This house was not an idyllic diamond in the rough, it was the rough without the diamond.
There was nothing about the house that deserved their attention—nothing that they should desire it—except that available real estate in this rural area is rare, and my daughter’s family needed a pasture and a barn for their three horses. This homestead met their needs so they accepted the risk.
Even though they knew major work was needed they were surprised by the problems they found hiding beneath the surface. Extensive rot was discovered in the sills which supported the whole house. This rot had spread to some of the floor joists and outer wall studs. The back addition was sinking into the ground and an excavator had to be brought in to tear it off. In the end, the house was a gut job. Even so, they couldn’t change their mind and abandon it for something better, they were in it for the long haul. Since October, they have spent hours upon hours working on the house. The cost has been high, but their labour of love has endured. They have persevered undiscouraged and soon hope to make this transformed house their home.
You and I, we’re a lot like that ramshackle house of my daughters—unappealing, rotten at the core and in need of a major renovation. We don’t see it ourselves (nor do we like to hear it), our outside appearances don’t always give it away, but we are sinful at the heart of our being. This is what the all-knowing God says of us, “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Gen. 6:5) While we say about ourselves, “I am rich, have become wealthy, and I have need of nothing”, God says of us, “you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.” (Rev. 3:17)
We weren’t created that way; in the beginning, we were perfect (Gen. 1:31). But sin entered our heart when we chose to overthrow God’s authority, and in that moment our hearts decayed, and our souls separated from our beloved Creator. We were now sinners, enemies of God, and spiritually dead.
But God, because of His great love, didn’t abandon us. No, he made a promise, and he kept it. How?
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
Divine love gave himself to rescue you and I from eternal perishing, and restore us to glorious eternal life with God. For those who believe, God’s love reaches down into our sinful mire and pulls us out, cleanses us and leads us faithfully toward our heavenly home. And here’s the great and lasting love story of history: God chose a people to set his love upon, so that he might display his mercy and grace. The amazing truth of his love is that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:8)
Did you get that? While we were his enemies, Jesus died to save us. This is no fickle love of the world—this is the steadfast love of the LORD that endures.
This love is offered to the whole world, but not all the world will have it, for it must be received by faith. Most people, according to Scripture, will reject it. But for those who will believe upon Jesus, and follow after him, they are partakers of this divine, unfathomable, transforming love that will never fail.
That’s the kind of love we ought to celebrate on Valentine’s Day. It’s worth far more than $25 billion—it’s of infinite value. Do you know this faithful, steadfast love?
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 8:38-39)
“For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.” Psalm 57:10
The Light for My Path 