This week’s article will be short but straight to the point! The greatest love you can know is when someone lays down his life for you (John 15:13). Especially when you were an enemy when he laid his life down for you (Romans 5:10). And that’s when Jesus laid his life down for you (1 John 3:16),

– on a Roman cross of torture (Philippians 2:8),

– to bear the guilt of your sins (1 Corinthians 15:3),

– and pay your debt of infinite offense against a holy God (Colossians 2:14).

So while you were still a sinner (Romans 5:8),

– he who had never known sin became sin for you (2 Corinthians 5:21),

– so you could become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21),

– and become God’s friend (John 15:14),

– and live with him forever (John 3:16)

– and see his glory (John 17:24),

– and experience full joy and eternal pleasures (Psalm 16:11).

There is no greater love for you than this. And God wants you to know this love that extends way beyond your capacity to comprehend (Ephesians 3:19). Oh yes! He wants you to know his love. But it is not a love that you can gauge by how you feel today, or by the state of your health, or by the amount of your wealth, or by how well people speak of you, or how gifted you are, or whether your dreams of marriage or career or parenting are coming true, or whether your church is growing, or how many likes you get on Facebook, or any other achievement.

“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us” (1 John 3:16). That’s where God shows his love for you (Romans 5:8). If you begin there and work backwards, realizing that this free gift of love has purchased for you everything you will ever need (Philippians 4:19), in fact, everything period (2 Corinthians 6:10), then whether you abound or experience want (Philippians 4:12) you will see it all working for your holiness (Hebrews 12:10) and your ultimate good (Romans 8:28) and revel in the truth that nothing can separate you from the love of God for us in Jesus (Romans 8:39). That’s what this Sunday’s sermon is about; that you might remember and more deeply know how much God has loved you — so much that he gave his only Son for you (John 3:16). Worship starts at 10:45, and we would love for you to come!

In Christ,

Barry Pettit

Lead Minister

South Side Church of Christ

www.southsidewch.com