Fridays with Phil

The Bible tells us that love is from God. Love is the primary characteristic of God. More than that, God is love.

God’s love is a non-discriminating, sacrificial, unconditional love.

John 3:16 says, For God so loved the world (everyone) that he gave his one and only Son (Jesus), that whoever (that’s you and I) believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (life now and even if we die).

What does this mean? It means that God sent Jesus, His only Son, to die for you and I, so that when it comes time for us to face our own death, we have an answer in the Saviour, Jesus.

It’s the greatest love story ever told. Everything that Jesus endured was all for you and it was all for me. Love was the reason, the motivation, and it’s the answer to it all.

If something is only as valuable as how much someone will pay for it, consider this: Jesus gave all He had for us.

Whatever the highest height or the lowest low we experience, our value as a human being is not found in what we do, our position in life, or the challenges we face, but it is found in His love for us.

Jesus died for you and I before we ever knew Him, before we called Him friend. He loved us in our sin, through our sin, and exchanged our sin for His life.  Because we are created in His likeness, God made us with the capacity for love, both to give and receive it.

Why this couldn’t wait until tomorrow is because I want to encourage some of my readers who are going through some really difficult times. Some who are literally facing the reality of their own transition from this world to the next.

Today, I encourage you to find time this Easter to consider Jesus as your answer to death and its sting, its power, its fear. It’s only as we have dealt with the reality of our own frailty and impending death that we can freely live and live freely.

And for the record, 10 out of every 10 people in this world will die!  The question is not “when will I die?” or “will I die?” but “what will be my new address when I die?”  I have chosen life, heaven, and eternity in God’s presence. I have chosen Jesus to be my Saviour.

If you’re in Newcastle, Australia and you don’t have a church to call home, I invite you to join me tomorrow at Hillsong Newcastle, 10am, 669 Hunter Street.

For everyone else, why not find a church this weekend and consider the love that Jesus has and its relevance to you.

Phil

Here is a link to some services around the world: crossequalslove.com

Please share this with your friends, let’s together get the message of love out there this Easter!