Have you ever placed limits on the love of God? I have. Even though I have received such grace and forgiveness, there are always those whose sin is so astounding or whose decisions are so out there that it causes me to think maybe God’s love has a limit. It doesn’t. He loves the whole world and proved it.
John 3:16–17 (NKJV) “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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
God’s love extends to those we think deserve it and those who don’t. From the very beginning, God made sure His Love extended to everyone. Even with their failures, God loved Adam and Eve. Even after the murder, God loved Cain. This is the familiar true love story woven into every theme of the Bible.
The flood is over, and it’s time to repopulate the earth. In Genesis 10, we have what is known as the “Table of Nations.” It’s an astonishing chapter that includes a brief history of most ethnic backgrounds. In it, we learn of God’s Love for all people, no matter their origin. We learn that all nations and people come from one source, a common ancestor, Noah, going back to Adam and Eve. It’s yet another evidence of God’s great love for everyone, including you and me! The unity of all humanity is a fact. We enjoy a common link of brotherhood that binds the human race together.
There is no more extraordinary love story than this! God loves the saint, and He loves the sinner. He loves the Jew, and He loves the Gentile. He loves the religious ruler, and He loves the harlot. God’s agape love is mesmerizing!
1 Corinthians 13:4–8 (NKJV) “Love suffers long and is kind; Love does not envy; Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails…”
God’s love isn’t easy to comprehend, but we see it most clearly in the person of Jesus Christ. He is God in human form and loved us enough to die for our sins. This is the proof that there are no limits to His Love! Remember the cross if you have ever doubted that God could love you. He loves you that much!
If we are honest, there are people in our lives that we love with conditions. We love them as long as they act, talk, and look right. We pull back our love when they don’t meet our expectations. We think, “if only they would change, then I could love them.” This is not the way of Jesus.
Jesus loves us just as we are but also enough not to leave us there. He wants to see us transformed by His grace and power. He wants to heal our brokenness and set us free from sin. As we surrender our lives to Him, we begin to see change. We become more like Him and start to love others the way He loves us.
The Love of God is for the whole world. It’s not just for those who are easy to love but for everyone. Let us never forget that!
Colossians 2:13–15 (NKJV) “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”
Have you ever struggled to understand God’s Love? Maybe you have placed limits on it, thinking it couldn’t possibly extend to you. The truth is that God’s Love is for everyone! Let us never forget that! As we surrender our lives to Him, we begin to see change. We become more like Him and start to love others the way He loves us.
Yes, friend, remember the cross if you have ever doubted God could love you. He loves you that much! The love of God is for the whole world, including you.
