“We love because He first loved us.” – 1 John 4:19
We could answer every question in regards to Christianity with this verse. What it ultimately comes down to, is that we do anything and everything because of what has already been done for us on the Cross.
I think there are moments we need to be reminded of this as Christians…myself included. Whether we’ve been a Christian “our whole lives” it seems, or this is a new thing for us, we often get distracted by the things of this world and start to venture out towards other things, new methods, all while still being a believer.
Why do I get up the morning? How can I breathe the air I am breathing right now? Why is it that my heart is still beating? How is it that I can really do anything on my own? The answer is I can’t. None of us can. We were made to be dependent on God from the beginning, even before the Fall (Genesis 2). It is only because of Christ that we are able to do anything – live, walk, talk, love, eat, breathe, laugh, cry, etc.
The same goes for someone who has yet put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ, however this should be great news! You have an opportunity to seek after God and see what Jesus has done for you and how He has paid the price for your sins. Scripture teaches how we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). How can we be with God as sinful people while God is Holy? After all, He must be Holy, He must be separate than us, otherwise what kind of God would that be?
Therefore, you, me, all of us are separated from Him. There is no way to bridge this gap, but we try. “I haven’t killed anyone,” “I’m a good person,” “I’m good enough for the Jesus I know.” All these are attempts at us trying to bridge the gap ourselves, but it simply isn’t possible. Jesus is what makes it possible.
Jesus bridges the gap. Born of the virgin Mary (meaning he wasn’t born into sin like all of us), living a perfect, sinless life (which we will never be able to do), paid the price of our sins on the Cross and died for us (which we obviously can’t do, and God poured out the wrath we deserved on Jesus for our past, present, and future sins), and rising from the dead (defeating death) and ascending into heaven, Jesus bridged the gap for all of us.
The Bible says all we have to do is confess and believe that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead. Meaning we own up to the fact that we are sinful and can’t bridge the gap on our own. We own the fact that we need someone to bridge this gap for us and that His name is Jesus. We give up trying to cross this gap over and over again and trust that we can cross it on the Cross of Christ. We believe in what Christ has done for us and just like that – we are saved.
You will forever from that point on never be condemned again for your sin. After all, if you were by God, then what was the point of Jesus dying in the first place? You won’t be, Scripture says you can’t be (Romans 8:1), and when God looks at you from that day forward, He sees the blood of His son covering you in which you are forgiven!
At least start there, and from that day on you can start to live your life for Jesus and seek out what He is calling you to do. Get plugged in to a church, walk with other Christians, read your Bible, pray and spend time with your new Lord, and take things one day at a time.
I hope if you are seeking or if you have any questions, you will ask. Ask here, ask people around you, ask the local church (who preaches the same message of Jesus), ask anyone. Or if you feel God drawing you in and you know and believe about Christ, then I encourage you to pray right now about this. Afterwards, find others to connect with because you are not to live life in isolation.
I hope for the believer reading this that you are encouraged and built up. I hope that if you “skimmed” past the Gospel, that you would scroll back up and read through this again. Let it bring refreshment to your bones. Let it remind you why you are here and that you are forgiven. And that as you go on with your day, with anything that comes your way, that you would be reminded that “We love because He first loved us.”
