“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, NIV)
Some people believe that calling someone spiritually lost is a put-down. But it’s not. It’s actually a great compliment to be called spiritually lost.
There’s a difference between losing something and misplacing something. If I misplace something, it means it wasn’t important to me. But if I lose it, it’s valuable enough for me to try to find it. You misplace a bobby pin; you lose your glasses. People are only lost if they’re worth finding. Think of it this way: The value of a masterpiece doesn’t go down when it’s lost; it goes up.
Human beings lose a lot when they aren’t connected to God. When you’re disconnected from God, you lose your direction, your potential, your joy, and your future home in heaven — just to name a few. But there’s one thing you don’t lose: Your value. God loved you enough to send His very best: Jesus. The most famous verse in the Bible says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, NIV).
Did you notice that there is an objective sense to this passage? God so loved the WORLD. Even the worst of the worst, the deniers, the rejecters; Jesus died for all.
Now look again for the subjective sense; WHOEVER believes in Him will have eternal life. Any one person, whose heart, and mind turns to seek God. Even the weakest faith. Even the skeptic who turns and seeks, has the Holy Spirit spurring the heart. And, sometimes it takes a lifetime to get there.
You matter so much to God that He underwent a rescue mission to come get you. He came to earth as a little baby so that one day He could die on a wooden cross for your sin. Jesus came to earth because you needed Him. God sent His Son to do something you could never do on your own: Pay for your sins. If you didn’t need it, God wouldn’t have done it.
Your sins have made having a relationship with God impossible on your own. That’s why Jesus came to earth — to save you from everything you’ve done wrong, so that you could be forgiven and restored into a right relationship with God. Why would God give up His divine privileges, His glory and honor, to come for your rescue? Because He loves you. He loves you more than you will ever understand. Trying to understand God’s love is like an ant trying to understand the internet — ants just don’t have the capacity. And you don’t have the capacity to fully grasp God’s love.
But you don’t have to understand God’s love. You just have to accept it and believe that you’re infinitely valued by the God of the universe, who gave His very best for you. God will grow faith, trust and hope in you until you pass from this world.
Prayer
Father, I thank You for the gift of salvation and mercy You gave me through Your Son, Jesus. Help me to be strong in faith and belief, help me to be more present in Your Word, and let my life be an example of Your love to all around me.
Stay encouraged!
Pastor Mike
