LOVE ALWAYS

The following excerpt from Thomas Goodwin's The Greatness of God's Love to the Elect was used as part of our Sunday worship service at Grace:

God was not drawn on to love us, as a man is, who first begins to love one, and to set his heart upon him, and then his heart being engaged, he is drawn on beyond what he thought, and is enticed to do thus and thus beyond what he first intended. No, God is not as man herein, but as 'known unto God are all his works, from the beginning of the world,' so is all his love that he meant to bestow. And he took up love enough at first, as he should be expressing of all sort of ways that he hath taken to do it, unto eternity. For there is no new thing to God; if there should be any one thought or degree of love rise up in his heart afterwards, which was not there at first, there should be some new thing in God. And the reason is clear by this too, that he doth love out of his own love, therefore his love at the very first dash, when he first began to love us, was as perfect as it will be when we are in heaven. When Adam fell, God was not then drawn out to give his Son; no, we are not so to conceive it, God had all before him from everlasting.

Christian, consider how great is God's love for you this very day! God's love for us has been complete, perfect, and absolute from the very beginning. And this love is certain, unchanging, eternal, secure, beyond our comprehending.

Having a "bad" day? Struggling yet again with a familiar sin? Feeling not-very-righteous? Crabby with your kids or your husband or your boss? Thinking maybe, at least for today, God loves you a little less?

The great sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve, was that they denied the veracity of the Word of God - they disbelieved God. As their great-great-great-great-grandchildren, our great sin is the same - we do not believe the Word of God. God loves us, delights in us, rejoices over us, calls us His beloved children. Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? But that, plain and simple, IS the truth, the ravishing beauty of the Gospel. God's love for us today is perfect - not because we are perfectly lovely, but because He loves perfectly.

Feeling like God doesn't particularly love you today? Don't believe the lie. Consider the exhortation of Thomas Goodwin....(God's) love at the very first dash, when he first began to love us, was as perfect as it will be when we are in heaven. Believe the truth, rest, and rejoice!