Articles
What More Could God Do to Show His Love?
Becoming a father has taught me many lessons in just three short years. A few simple lessons I’ve learned so far:
- Naps are great opportunities for parents to actually get things done without interruption.
- If you don’t want the little one to get into something, create a barricade.
- Food from Momma & Daddy’s plate seems far more appealing than anything on theirs.
While these are just a few fun lessons, by far the greatest lesson I’m continually learning is the depth of a father’s love. By no means am I discounting the love between a husband and wife. It’s an immensely deep love, which is experienced and expressed in different ways. I’m still learning in that relationship too. However, looking at love from the vantage point of a father to a child is incredible, and even more so when we consider and compare the love God (the ultimate Father) has for mankind.
We all have a beginning as pure, innocent children who have no concept of sin whatsoever. It’s why Christ uses children as an example to His disciples in Matthew 18:1-6. However, as we grow older it doesn’t take long for Satan to make his influence felt –an influence that we all fall prey to (Romans 3:23). Sin enters the picture for each one of us, and while God hasn’t gone anywhere, we’ve gone away from God. This is the most devastating situation we could find ourselves in.
The blame is squarely on us. However, while God didn’t do anything to force us to sin and turn away from Him, He has done everything to show His desire for us to come back to Him. As a father would do anything to see his child succeed, God has done the same for us. John 3:16 is a popular passage for a reason. It tells the love of a Father who wants to adopt (or save) lost children. Think about the message of John 3:16 –“For God so loved theworldthat he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” God did the one thing as a Father that I couldn’t do: He gave up His only Son so that He might save others and allow them the opportunity to become His children, which includes you and me.
Consider Paul’s words in Romans 8:14-17, “14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”
As any fair father does, our heavenly Father has similar expectations and rewards for all of His children. We are expected to suffer with Christ (to whatever extent that may be), and if we do so, we will be heirs of God with Christ. God loves us all so much that He not only wants to be our God, He wants to be our Father. So, what more could God do to show His love? Not a single thing, because He’s given everything.
