The One He Loves

The love of God is the most powerful force in the world. It was love that motivated God to send His son to save us. Romans 5:8 says,

“God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

As believers, we’ve all encountered a measure of God’s love for us, or we couldn’t be saved. Salvation itself is God’s demonstrated love. However, it’s possible to experience more of that love. The Bible says in Romans 8:31,

“If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Just a few verses later, Romans 8:38-39 says,

“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.”

Do you live and breathe the truth that nothing can separate you from His love?

We must have a revelation of God’s love in our own lives. John the apostle (not to be confused with John the Baptist) is a phenomenal example of this. John was one of the twelve disciples and wrote five books of the New Testament, including one of the four gospels. The fascinating thing about his gospel is the way he refers to himself in the stories. Look at a couple of examples:

John 13:23 says,

“One of His disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side…”

John 19:26 says,

‘When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”

John 20:2 says,

‘So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”’

Do you see it? Throughout his gospel account, John refers to himself as the one Jesus loved. John the apostle is often called John the Beloved, but it’s not because Jesus called him, “the beloved.” John is called the beloved because he wrote a gospel for the world to read and called himself the beloved.

The religious would call it arrogance. The world would call it foolishness. However, as children of God, we must understand that this is the confidence that allows us to come boldly to the throne of grace to receive all we need.

Jesus didn’t love John more than any other disciple, but John so understood the love that Jesus had for him that he had the confidence to come close. When the disciples wanted to ask Jesus a question about who would betray Him, they implored John. John wasn’t afraid to lean in and ask. God is looking for people who will be so confident in His love that we will draw near, lean in, and ask the things that others wouldn’t ask. It’s not irreverence, but intimacy. Encountering God’s love will give us the boldness to ask!

God’s love doesn’t change, but our experience of the reality of that love will determine our proximity to Him. The prodigal son wasn’t any less loved when he was with the pigs than when he was in his father’s house. However, he lived in filth until he came to his senses, repented, and went home. The blessing was found in his proximity to his father. His father loved him and was waiting with open arms, but the rebellious son didn’t wear his father’s ring and robe until he came home (Luke 15:17-24). We see this pictured again in the elder son’s part of the story. Luke 15:25-28 says,

“Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in.”

The Bible very clearly tells us where he was, and I believe it’s intentional. He was out in the field and when he drew near, he heard rejoicing, but he refused to go in. He was near enough to the Father’s house to know there was rejoicing but bitterness kept him from stepping in. His misunderstanding of his father’s love kept him from intimacy. Luke 15:25-31 goes on to say,

“His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.”

His father’s blessing was available, but untouched. He did not draw near because he was working for his father without experiencing the love and blessing of his father’s house.

John the apostle was not afraid to draw near to Jesus because he had the audacity to believe that he was wholly loved.

Your understanding of how God sees you will determine your proximity to His heart, and it must be shaped by the truth of His word. Who are you?

The one He loves.
The one He delivers.
The one He heals.
The one He protects.
The one He provides for.
The one He speaks to.
The one He fills.
The one He empowers.
The one He sends.

I challenge you this week to believe with audacity everything the word of God says about you. I encourage you to come boldly to His throne and receive. It’s not arrogance to know you’re loved, child of God, and His love will change absolutely everything!