Elohim February 2015 | Page 19

as pure as God’s holiness glistens, there comes to our ears the word that the majesty of His love was moved for us, and the Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world. It was love that enabled Jesus Christ to become poor, that we through His poverty might be made rich. It was love, divine love, that made Him endure the cross, despising its shame. It was love that made Him endure the contradicting accusations of sinners against Himself, that restrained Him when He was falsely accused of blasphemy and was led to Golgotha to die with common thieves. It was nothing but love that kept Him from calling 12 legions of angels to come to His defense. It was love that caused Him, after every known torture devised by degenerate man had been heaped upon Him, to lift His voice and pray: love. When we preach justice, it is justice tempered with love. When we preach righteousness, it is righteousness founded on love. When we preach atonement, it is atonement planned by love, provided by love, given by love, finished by love, necessitated because of love. When we preach the resurrection of Christ, we are preaching the miracle of love. When we preach the return of Christ, we are preaching the fulfillment of love. No matter what sin you have committed, or how dirty, shameful or terrible it may be, God loves you. You may be at the very gate of hell itself. But God loves you with eternal love. Luke 23:34 “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do”. Because He is a holy God, our sins have separated us from Him. But thanks be to God; because of His love there is a way of salvation, a way back to Him through Jesus Christ, His Son. From Genesis to Revelation, from Earth’s greatest tragedy to Earth’s greatest triumph, the dramatic story of men and women’s lowest depths and God’s highest heights can be couched in 25 beautiful words: This love of God is immeasurable, unmistakable and unending. It reaches to wherever a person is. But it can be rejected. God will not force Himself upon any person against his or her will. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”. Many people misunderstand God’s love. “God is love” does not mean that everything is sweet, beautiful and happy, and that God’s love could not possibly allow punishment for sin. God’s holiness demands that all sin be punished, but God’s love provided a plan of redemption and salvation for sinful men and women. God’s love provided the cross of Jesus Christ by which we can have forgiveness and cleansing. Who can describe or measure the love of God? The Bible is a revelation of the fact that God is You can hear a message about the love of God and say: “No, I will not have it,” and God will let you go on without His love. But if you really want it, you must believe—you must receive the love of God, you must take