JESUS SAVES

JESUS SAVES

NOT AN INDIVIDUAL ETHIC  

In the 2^nd. Century, the version of Christianity called Gnosticism focused on the salvation of the individual soul from the body. The soul needed saving since it had fallen into the body by mistake or mischief. According to the Gnostics, only spirit is good; matter is bad. So the spirit, as a “spark” of divinity, had to be awakened to realize its true being, and set free from the shackles of the body in order to return to the pure light, which is Christ. The Gnostics had no time for the Incarnation, since the divine goodness could not be associated with evil matter. So they had little good to say about ordinary human life or about social institutions. Their point of salvation was the “return” of the human soul to its “source.” Even today, certain forms of Christian spirituality concern themselves only with the salvation of the individual, with no care for the wider world at all. Happily, this individualistic mentality is being phased out with better understanding of the interdependence of person and society.

NOT A SOCIAL ETHIC

                A certain type of liberation theology today locates salvation in society, not in the individual. Sinful and alienating social structures keep human beings from realizing their full potential. For instance, patriarchalism, racism, neo-colonialism, and globalisation – these are the systemic patterns of oppression and marginalisation that engender and perpetuate the moral diseases of envy, competition and violence. Salvation will be accomplished when the social order reflects “the rule of God” preached by Jesus and exemplified by his style of life.

                While this idea of social salvation is admirable, it fails to present a clear picture of how God saves, except through the efforts of humans who work for such a social agenda. Nor is it clear how Jesus is Saviour, except as his proclamation of the good news in Nazareth (Luke 4, 16-32) and his Beatitudes (Luke 6, 20-24) sketch the agenda, while his embrace of the outcast suggested how it might be fulfilled. Thus Jesus is seen primarily (and popularly) as the reformer of the social order, and the good news amounts to the vision of a society freed from distinctions and discrimination.

OVERSIMPLYFYING SALVATION               

Escaping our bodies or changing our social structures will not address the real issue of salvation. The real issue of salvation is the disease of the human heart and the distortion of human freedom that we call sin; salvation consists in the restoration of the person to participation of the divine life in Jesus, thereby bringing about the healing of societal structures. Salvation derives, not merely from a philosophical analysis of the human condition or an ideological critique of society, but essentially from the intervention of God in the personal and social life of man and the latter’s experiential surrender to this divine intervention in Jesus Christ.  

RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

The complex stories of the Bible reveal that salvation was rooted in the history of a long relationship between human beings and the God who created, called, chastised and finally graced them fully in the person of Jesus Christ. Salvation also involves the healing of this relationship that only God can accomplish. God alone saves. The implication of this is that both God and humans are persons, that is, they have the freedom to direct their knowing and love towards others. Only persons can hear and accept, freely give themselves to and accept others, for love means to possess and to be possessed.

The fact that God alone can save implies that human freedom is so enslaved by sin that it cannot direct itself properly. Sin is not a matter of the spirit being polluted by the body, nor is it a matter of people being enslaved by an unjust social order. Sin is a disease of freedom itself that is so profound, so complex, so entrenched, that only God – who has created us as free creatures – has the power, knowledge and love to redirect that freedom rightly. Salvation is not only about getting right knowledge of the self, nor merely about creating the right political order: it is about being in right relationship with God. And only God can make that relationship right.

Good for us, Jesus is God !

JESUS – SAVIOUR GOD

                If God above all is Saviour, and salvation comes from him, then the designation of Jesus in the New Testament as Saviour is of tremendous significance. It means that God saves us through Jesus’ agency. Jesus is God’s prophet, apostle (“sent”), Word, and, most frequently and intimately, God’s Son. Jesus is not only the sort of human that God desired and was pleased with, but also that he is the very human face of God. This is a confession that orthodoxy has defended against all diminutions, for if God has not entered into the fabric of human freedom in order to heal it, then it indeed remains unhealed. Good for us, God has got involved with us in Jesus !

                Precisely through the way in which he was human, Jesus was Saviour. His human freedom expressed the right relationship with God and thus all other relationships as well in an ever-widening pattern of healing and reconciliation reaching even to the structures of human society.

JESUS SAVES  - 2

SELF-EMPTYING

            If Jesus had earned any title to divinity, we should consider an outpouring so total that nothing was left of the merely human. In setting the human to naught, all that remained was the burning flame of the divine. It was the moment when the divinity “absorbed” all that was left of the humanity in pure obedience to preserve it and unite it forever to his Person in the transcendent order. That was the moment when Jesus had the non-dual experience, when he could say, “I and the Father are one,” and “Whoever sees me sees the Father.”  His humanity had become so completely taken up into the divinity, that the Father was no longer an object, related as subject to object, but as subject in subject.

Here Jesus’ humanity came to full flowering; the quality of being human was completely perfected, i.e. that specific quality consisting of the capacity of total self-surrender to the Supreme Being. So it is with us when in union with Jesus we surrender ourselves to the Father. Our individual humanity with all its accumulated excellence is not exposed to futility, but rather consummated in God. This is what the Resurrection of Christ points to.  “Whoever follows Christ the perfect man becomes himself more a man.” “The fact that it is the same God who is at once saviour and creator, Lord of human history and of the history of salvation, does not mean that the autonomy of the creature, of man in particular, is suppressed; on the contrary, in the divine order of things, all this redounds to the restoration and consolidation of this autonomy” (Vatican Council II, Gaudium et Spes, art. 41).

            God may seem to be most absent when we are in pain, but with the denial of every access to pleasure or self-centredness, in the dying which life ultimately imposes on us, there often stirs in the deepest reaches of the soul another kind of life. It will come to flower in those who die gracefully by accepting their mortality and even welcoming it as a stage of growth. When this has been achieved, one has already risen from the dead, even as Jesus did at the moment of his death on the cross. We often notice in the lives of the saints a strange paradox: the deeper their appreciation of the things of God, the greater the darkness they have to endure. As they enter into realms of that union so far beyond the imagination of ordinary believers, the saints can find themselves at times in regions of anguish, which also pass our comprehension. Physically Our Lord’s sufferings were not the most extreme in the history of human torture. But if one takes account of his unique inner spirit, “his unique hypostatic (two natures in one Person) suffering embraces every temporal and eternal suffering possible to a created human being” (Hans Urs von Balthasar). At the same time we might bear in mind another aspect of the paradox of mysticism: even the very bitterness can have its sweetness, and even the very darkness can dazzle.

ASSUMING SINFUL CONDITION

            Now we can begin to understand the sinlessness of Jesus, who was, according to the verse from the Letter to the Hebrews, “in all things like us, sin alone excepted.” This is what distinguishes him from all other human beings, for sin is not part of human nature but a violation of human nature. All sins are “crimes against humanity.” Human nature is, so to speak, the raw material from which a human life has to be built. Human nature is not in itself sinful or sinless, for sin can arise only when the person, the leading edge of the self, chooses to adopt one desire or possibility of action over another. Sin does, indeed, mark our humanity without marring it. On the positive side, sinlessness does not abolish humanity but brings it to the level God intended for it in the new Adam.

            Good for us that the eternal Son of God assumed our nature and, with it, our sinful condition with its arrogance and self-seeking. And when died the Son, so did our pride and arrogance, for everyone knows how the process of dying signals the exhaustion of arrogance quite perceptibly, and, by that token, the advent of the kingdom of heaven. The process of dying is the physical sign of the advent of divine purifying love. That kingdom is now, in every death that we die to sin.

EASTER JOY

EASTER JOY

Away with plaint,

Away with pain;

Let plaint and pain

Be turned to praise.

Let dark manoeuvres come to light,

Our Sun has risen from the night.

He tarries not in t’Upper Room,

But summons us away from gloom.

For gloom is no Christian calling,

The Paschal Mystery bears recalling.

Victor Jesus, to you we cry:

Our bodies raise to you on high

Where on the throne, which you have won

You reign supreme, our glorious Son!

Amen.

- Mervyn Carapiet

Easter 2015

BOSTON SABBATICAL

                                          BOSTON SABBATICAL      

We were tramping out on Chestnut Hill, out around the twin reservoirs they call lakes. Dusk was shifting out of Boston and the giving massed trees – of which there are plenty in Newton and Chestnut Hill – that stealth and secrecy which is their pretence at night. Boston College, with its solid Gothic tower, stood black against the last smoking flame of the November sunset. We were down in the dark, even in November, with the Gothic that dominated the hill. One of us caught her breath at the magnificent silhouette. “That gives me courage,” she said, with her face towards the hill crest. “Of late I have been melancholy with autumn – a sign of adolescence or old age. But I couldn’t be melancholy with that above me. Not that I care for the Gothic, but for what it represents. Sunsets may flare and the blackness of Hades eclipse the earth, but that will endure.”                                                                                                                                              That up there was no mere group of college buildings, but a sanctuary, a hearth and home for a cause that is never lost, the fireside warmth of enduring friendships and the loveliness of a garden. Looking at the imposing buildings, so clean and fresh, of Boston College within such a vast expanse of land, I thought I must make the best of it by attending as many courses as possible, go back with a heavy load of academic knowledge, and ship back loads of books as evidence of time and money well spent. But in the good God’s loving plans for me I got something infinitely richer: not merely academic information but personal-spiritual enrichment. Plunged into this diverse group made up of priests, women religious and one laywoman, hailing from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, England and Ireland, it was refreshing to hear that this was our year to relax reflect and recreate. My mind and emotions wanted to keep a safe distance from academic degrees. I wanted wisdom without credits, and my rewards went beyond all expectations in one of the best years of life.                                          I had time, space, rest reflection, opportunities for self-understanding and self-care, occasions for spiritual direction. And I had my God who was most relaxed with me. I didn’t have to prove anything to Him. I gradually began to realize what it was to be in human contact with the sabbatical organizers and, indeed, all the members. Through them I was learning to cope with a God who cares. Now we could sit back and wonder what the fluster of our life was all about. No one was alone for we talked about similar things. That was how we came so close to each other in the colloquium, which was the backbone of the sabbatical. In a context of sincere truth and loving care we dialogued with each other on deepening levels of our spirituality and experience of the church. We discovered to each other our hurts, disappointments, angers, fears about the future, and transition in our ministry. As we talked, prayed, lived and loved through the anguish, a great and profound peace began to descend upon our minds and hearts.                                Framework and flexibility. To give me opportunities for expansiveness beyond the sabbatical circle, divine providence arranged that I should be in St. Lawrence’s parish, Brookline, - mercifully close to Boston College – in which I discovered and garnered a wealth of human experience through contact with the parishioners. One important medium of contact was the liturgy and preaching for which I took some trouble and which – from what they told me – was heartily appreciated by the people. Inevitably friendship with the parishioners grew into a wide circle.                      Many years of priestly ministry and teaching in schools and seminaries, of traveling over the world and meeting people of different climes and cultures, and personal interaction with some people on a more intimate level have enabled me store up a wealth of intellectual, emotional and spiritual capital. The active programme of the sabbatical has added to and – what is more – unleashed this accumulated affluence. Life is about to begin again and, perhaps, its best years are about to be launched, now with greater self-assurance. The dynamics of the sabbatical have opened from within the fount of flowing freedom and self-affirmation to care for myself and to reach out for the up-building of other people. I believe I shall continue to discover and nurture this inner freedom and power so they work for my personal expansiveness and in that very movement allow myself to be poured out into the lives of others so that they too may affirm themselves and grow: clear, deep and resilient.   I am deeply grateful to the sabbatical and the colloquium but do not feel the need of its extension for me. I have outlived them and passed the stage of discussion and the anxiety attaching to it. I may, God willing, go on another after some years. But for me, this time, there will be no sad goodbyes, no wrenching, since nothing is lost and lot that has been gained.

Mervyn Carapiet

February 7^th. 1990

                     

ST. JOSEPH, EDUCATOR AND FATHER

St. Joseph is the model of the educator, daddy & of the father 

Vatican city, March 19, 2014: Here is a translation of Pope Francis’ address this morning at the general audience, which in light of today’s solemnity, he dedicated to St. Joseph.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning!

Today, March 19, we celebrate the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of Mary and Patron of the universal Church. Therefore, we dedicate this catechesis to him, who merits all our gratitude and our devotion for his having been able to take care of the Holy Virgin and her Son Jesus. Joseph’s characteristic is to be a guardian: it is his great mission, to be a guardian.

Today I would like to take up the topic of guardianship according to a particular perspective: the educational perspective. We look at Joseph as the model of educators, who takes care of and supports Jesus in the course of his growth “in wisdom, age and grace,” as the Gospel says. He was not Jesus’ father: Jesus’ Father was God, but he behaved as a father to Jesus, he behaved as a father to Jesus to make him grow. And how did he make him grow? In wisdom, age and grace.

We begin with age, which is the most natural dimension, physical and psychological growth. Joseph, together with Mary, took care of Jesus especially from this point of view, namely, he “brought him up,” taking care that he did not lack the necessary for a healthy development. Let us not forget that the diligent looking-after of the life of the Child entailed also the flight into Egypt, the harsh experience of living as refugees – Joseph was a refugee, with Mary and Jesus – to escape from Herod’s threat.

Then, once they had returned to their homeland and were established at Nazareth, there is the whole long period of Jesus’ life in his family. In those years, Joseph also taught Jesus his work, and Jesus learned to be a carpenter with his father Joseph. So Joseph brought up Jesus.

We pass to the second dimension of education, that of “wisdom.” Joseph was for Jesus an example and teacher of this wisdom, which is nourished by the Word of God. We can think of how Joseph educated little Jesus to listen to the Sacred Scriptures, above all accompanying him on Saturdays to the synagogue of Nazareth. And Joseph accompanied him so that Jesus could hear the Word of God in the synagogue.

And, finally, the dimension of “grace.” Referring to Jesus, Saint Luke says: “And the grace of God was upon him” (Luke 2:40). Here, certainly, the part reserved for Saint Joseph is more limited compared to the ambits of age and of wisdom. However, it would be a grave error to think that a father and a mother can do nothing to educate their children to grow in the grace of God. To grow in age, to grow in wisdom, to grow in grace: this is the work that Joseph did with Jesus, to make him grow in these three dimensions, to help him to grow.

Dear brothers and sisters, Saint Joseph’s mission is certainly unique and unrepeatable, because Jesus is absolutely unique. And yet, in his taking care of Jesus, educating him to grow in age, wisdom and grace he is a model for every educator, in particular for every father. Saint Joseph is the model of the educator and of the daddy, of the father. Therefore, I entrust to his protection all parents, priests – who are Fathers – and those who have an educational task in the Church and in society. In a special way, I would like to greet today, Day of the Father, all parents, all daddies: I greet you from my heart! Let’s see: are there some daddies in the Square? Daddies, raise your hand! But how many daddies! Best wishes, best wishes on your Day!

I ask for you the grace to be always very close to your children, letting them grow but being close to them, close to them! They are in need of you, of your presence, of your closeness, of your love. Be for them like Saint Joseph: guardians of their growth in age, wisdom and grace. Guardians of their path; educators, and walk with them. And with this closeness you will be true educators.

Thank you for all you do for your children, thank you. Many good wishes to you and happy Daddy’s Feast to all the daddies who are here, to all daddies.

May Saint Joseph bless you and accompany you. And some of us have lost our daddy, he has gone, the Lord has called him. So many who are in the Square do not have their daddy. We can pray for all the daddies of the world, for the living daddies and also for the deceased and for our own, and we can do so together, each one remembering his daddy, if he is alive and if he is dead. And we pray to the great Daddy of us all, the Father. An “Our Father” for our daddies: Our Father …

And very best wishes to the daddies!

O St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in you all my interest and desires.

O St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession, and obtain for me from your divine Son all spiritual blessings, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. So that, having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers.

O St. Joseph, I never weary of contemplating you, and Jesus asleep in your arms; I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press Him close in my name and kiss His fine head for me and ask Him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for me. Amen.

DIFFERENT NAMES FOR GOD

Question: "What are the different names of God and what do they mean?"

Answer: Each of the many names of God describes a different aspect of His many-faceted character. Here are some of the better-known names of God in the Bible:

EL, ELOAH: God "mighty, strong, prominent" (Genesis 7:1; Isaiah 9:6) – etymologically, El appears to mean “power,” as in “I have the power to harm you” (Genesis 31:29). El is associated with other qualities, such as integrity (Numbers 23:19), jealousy (Deuteronomy 5:9), and compassion (Nehemiah 9:31), but the root idea of might remains.

ELOHIM: God “Creator, Mighty and Strong” (Genesis 17:7; Jeremiah 31:33) – the plural form of Eloah, which accommodates the doctrine of the Trinity. From the Bible’s first sentence, the superlative nature of God’s power is evident as God (Elohim) speaks the world into existence (Genesis 1:1).

EL SHADDAI: “God Almighty,” “The Mighty One of Jacob” (Genesis 49:24; Psalm 132:2,5) – speaks to God’s ultimate power over all.

ADONAI: “Lord” (Genesis 15:2; Judges 6:15) – used in place of YHWH, which was thought by the Jews to be too sacred to be uttered by sinful men. In the Old Testament, YHWH is more often used in God’s dealings with His people, while Adonai is used more when He deals with the Gentiles.

YHWH / YAHWEH / JEHOVAH: “LORD” (Deuteronomy 6:4; Daniel 9:14) – strictly speaking, the only proper name for God. Translated in English Bibles “LORD” (all capitals) to distinguish it fromAdonai, “Lord.” The revelation of the name is first given to Moses “I Am who I Am” (Exodus 3:14). This name specifies an immediacy, a presence. Yahweh is present, accessible, near to those who call on Him for deliverance (Psalm 107:13), forgiveness (Psalm 25:11) and guidance (Psalm 31:3).

YAHWEH-JIREH: "The Lord Will Provide" (Genesis 22:14) – the name memorialized by Abraham when God provided the ram to be sacrificed in place of Isaac.

YAHWEH-RAPHA: "The Lord Who Heals" (Exodus 15:26) – “I am Jehovah who heals you” both in body and soul. In body, by preserving from and curing diseases, and in soul, by pardoning iniquities.

YAHWEH-NISSI: "The Lord Our Banner" (Exodus 17:15), where banner is understood to be a rallying place. This name commemorates the desert victory over the Amalekites in Exodus 17.

YAHWEH-M'KADDESH: "The Lord Who Sanctifies, Makes Holy" (Leviticus 20:8; Ezekiel 37:28) – God makes it clear that He alone, not the law, can cleanse His people and make them holy.

YAHWEH-SHALOM: "The Lord Our Peace" (Judges 6:24) – the name given by Gideon to the altar he built after the Angel of the Lord assured him he would not die as he thought he would after seeing Him.

YAHWEH-ELOHIM: "LORD God" (Genesis 2:4; Psalm 59:5) – a combination of God’s unique name YHWH and the generic “Lord,” signifying that He is the Lord of Lords.

YAHWEH-TSIDKENU: "The Lord Our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:16) – As with YHWH-M’Kaddesh, it is God alone who provides righteousness to man, ultimately in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, who became sin for us “that we might become the Righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

YAHWEH-ROHI: "The Lord Our Shepherd" (Psalm 23:1) – After David pondered his relationship as a shepherd to his sheep, he realized that was exactly the relationship God had with him, and so he declares, “Yahweh-Rohi is my Shepherd. I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).

YAHWEH-SHAMMAH: "The Lord Is There” (Ezekiel 48:35) – the name ascribed to Jerusalem and the Temple there, indicating that the once-departed glory of the Lord (Ezekiel 8—11) had returned (Ezekiel 44:1-4).

YAHWEH-SABAOTH: "The Lord of Hosts" (Isaiah 1:24; Psalm 46:7) – Hosts means “hordes,” both of angels and of men. He is Lord of the host of heaven and of the inhabitants of the earth, of Jews and Gentiles, of rich and poor, master and slave. The name is expressive of the majesty, power, and authority of God and shows that He is able to accomplish what He determines to do.

EL ELYON: “Most High" (Deuteronomy 26:19) – derived from the Hebrew root for “go up” or “ascend,” so the implication is of that which is the very highest. El Elyon denotes exaltation and speaks of absolute right to lordship.

EL ROI: "God of Seeing" (Genesis 16:13) – the name ascribed to God by Hagar, alone and desperate in the wilderness after being driven out by Sarah (Genesis 16:1-14). When Hagar met the Angel of the Lord, she realized she had seen God Himself in a theophany. She also realized that El Roi saw her in her distress and testified that He is a God who lives and sees all.

EL-OLAM: "Everlasting God" (Psalm 90:1-3) – God’s nature is without beginning or end, free from all constraints of time, and He contains within Himself the very cause of time itself. “From everlasting to everlasting, You are God.”

EL-GIBHOR: “Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6) – the name describing the Messiah, Christ Jesus, in this prophetic portion of Isaiah. As a powerful and mighty warrior, the Messiah, the Mighty God, will accomplish the destruction of God’s enemies and rule with a rod of iron (Revelation 19:15).

DOES GOD LOVE ME ?

"Does God love me?"

 The question of whether God loves us – personally and individually – is common. Surrounded by the conditional love of finite humanity, we cannot easily comprehend that God would love us. We know our faults. We know that God is perfect and sinless. We know that we are not. Why would God, who is infinite and holy, love us, who are finite and sinful? And yet the great truth of the gospel is that He does! Time and again, Scripture reminds us of God’s love for us.

To begin with, God created mankind in His own image. And He did so with great care and concern. He “formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being … the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man” (Genesis 2:7, 21-22). There’s an intimacy here between God and mankind. With the rest of creation, God merely spoke and it was. Yet God took time in forming man and woman. He gave them dominion over the earth (see Genesis 1:28). God related directly to Adam and Eve. After the Fall, the couple hid from God when He came “walking in the garden in the cool of the day” (Genesis 3:8). It was not abnormal for them to speak with God; it was abnormal for them to hide.

Relationship with God was broken after the Fall, but His love remained. Immediately following God’s pronouncement of curses on the sinful couple, Scripture paints another loving image of God. “The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. And the Lord God said, ‘The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and also take from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.’ So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of the Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken” (Genesis 3:21-23). God’s action here is not vindictive or punitive; it is protective. God clothed Adam and Eve to hide their shame. He drove them out of Eden to protect them from further harm. God acted out of love. Then, God’s plan of redemption and restoration begins to unfold—a plan not designed after the Fall, but before creation (1 Peter 1:20). God loves humankind so much that He chose to create us even knowing the heartache it would cause Him to redeem us.

There are many verses that demonstrate God’s love. We can see His tenderness in Old and New Testament alike. David and other psalmists were particularly articulate regarding God’s love. Just look at Psalm 139. Song of Solomon is another great picture of love. God’s love is even evident in the history of the Israelites, as He continually preserved a remnant and pled with His people to obey and live. God is seen as just, but also merciful. He is tender. He is jealous for His people, desirous that relationship be restored.

Sometimes we look at the Old Testament and think that God only loves people as a nation, not as individuals. But it is important to remember that Ruth, Hagar, David, Abraham, Moses and Jeremiah were all individuals. God stepped into each of their lives and loved them individually. This love becomes obvious in the person of Jesus.

God confined Himself to human skin in order to redeem us (see Philippians 2:5-11). He entered our world as a baby born to an unassuming family in a very humble way (He spent His first night in an animals’ feeding trough). Jesus grew up like any child would. During His public ministry, He often associated with society’s outcasts. He stopped for the sick. He healed. He listened to people. He blessed the children. He also taught us about God’s love. Luke 13:34 records Jesus crying, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” This speaks God’s heart desire that people would return to Him. He longs for us. Not to punish us, but to love us.

Perhaps the greatest picture of God’s love is Jesus’ passion and crucifixion. Paul reminds us, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8). Jesus’ work on the cross was a clear, unmistakable declaration of love. And this love is unconditional. We were in our worst state when Christ died for us. “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins … But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace that you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:1, 4-5).

This salvation has made true life possible. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy,” Jesus said. “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). God is not stingy. He wants to lavish His love on us. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death,” Paul proclaims in Romans 8:1-2.

Remember, Paul was formerly an enemy of Christ. He vehemently persecuted Christians. He lived by the letter of the law rather than through an understanding of God’s love. Paul, if he even thought of God’s love, probably felt that God could not love him apart from rule-following. Yet, in Christ, he found God’s grace and accepted God’s love. One of his greatest articulations of God’s love is this: “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all – how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:31-32, 35-39).

So the simple answer is, “yes.” Yes, God loves you! As hard as it may be to believe, it is the truth.

Other Scriptures about God’s love for you:

1 John 4:8 – “ … God is love”

Ephesians 5:1-2 – “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Ephesians 5:25-27 – “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”

John 15:9-11 – “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

1 John 3:16a – “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.”