"...the consummate blood sacrifice..." - Romans 5:9-10 (MSG)

Consider the possibilities! Because of Jesus and His sacrifice, we have been given an opportunity to grow exponentially in Christ to know and experience the depths of the Father's love for us.

The only thing I can compare the love of the Father to is the ocean, considering how deep and vast is its expanse; it boggles the mind to think how much He loves us.

  

"I'm asking God to give you a gift from the wealth of his glory. I pray that he would give you inner strength and power through his Spirit. Then Christ will live in you through faith. I also pray that love may be the ground into which you sink your roots and on which you have your foundation. This way, with all of God's people you will be able to understand how wide, long, high, and deep his love is. You will know Christ's love, which goes far beyond any knowledge. I am praying this so that you may be completely filled with God." 

Ephesians 3:16-19 (GW)

Jesus offered Himself freely to die in our place so that we (and He) could be physically and spiritually near our Heavenly Father once again; His death was the penalty for sin. Jesus removed the argument that was between our heavenly Father and us and settled the score. Jesus's death provided us access to God once again, and it is a privilege to get to know our Creator. 

"Each of you is now a new person. You are becoming more and more like your Creator, and you will understand him better." 

Colossians 3:10 (CEV)

I love the fact knowing that while we still sinners when we were at our worst, Jesus stepped up and paid the price for us. We deserve none of God's favor because of our affinity to sin and our inability to please Him, but it is the devotion and sacrifice of Jesus that He sees in us when we receive His sacrifice in exchange for our sin.

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." 

Romans 5:8 (MEV)

In some translations, the above phrase reads "God demonstrates (or commands) His love toward us," in the Greek, the word 'demonstrates' is (sunistemi from sún = together with + hístemi = set, place, stand) means literally to set, place or put together. To set in the same place, this literal meaning being found in Luke 9:32 To bring together.

"Peter and his companions were sound asleep, but they woke up and saw Jesus' glory and the two men who were standing with him." 

Luke 9:32 (GNT) emphasis mine

When one brings together a person with another person, it is a way of presenting or introducing them. That gives sunistemi the meaning of commend, which means to recommend as worthy of confidence (the implication being that others adopt a similar attitude) or to present to one's acquaintance for favorable notice.

Jesus has brought us together with our Heavenly Father and has introduced us to the Father's love which He has for us, and the Father has received us warmly. 

Our Heavenly Father sees Jesus in us and fully receives us as His children; we are now the sons and daughters of God through the sacrifice of Jesus.

"What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we're called children of God! That's who we really are. But that's also why the world doesn't recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he's up to.

But friends, that's exactly who we are: children of God. And that's only the beginning. Who knows how we'll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we'll see him—and in seeing him, become like him. All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus' life as a model for our own." 

1 John 3:1-3 (MSG)

Whoever said being a Christ-follower was boring? The detractors just haven't yet tapped into the depth of God's love for them.

There is so much more to be revealed in us and through us as we allow the Holy Spirit to change us to become more like Jesus.

This Easter please reach out and connect with other believers either online or on Facetime or Zoom, (all of these connections are free) and receive the benefit of God's love for you.  Receive prayer, for His love for you is much more than you can imagine and is easily expressed through His body of believers.

Our God is love!

Be Blessed;

Stephen Barnett