Believers are presented as a bride to the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:25-27). The Resurrection of Christ has given us sonship through Christ. Think about the foster kids waiting for someone to adopt them. The heavy weight of “maybe this time.” “Are they the ones who will give me a permanent home?” Yesterday I spoke about the inherent desire for relationship I believe we all have. The desire to be loved and valued for who we are is very strong. Jesus gave us the option to choose Him to fulfill this.

Jesus gave us the choice of a permanent home when God raised Him from the dead. Ephesians 1:4-6 – “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” God’s love for us can be hard to fathom. 

My relationship with God changed forever after I accepted His love for me. I spent several years on this journey with a wrong perspective. I had to work for God to love me. I couldn’t accept His love for me because I had too much to do to pay for it. Jesus loved us before we were born. Accepting the gift of salvation and God’s love for us can be difficult for some. It was difficult for me. I had the destructive perspective that I wasn’t worthy of love. The perspective that our worth is based on what we do, what we have or don’t have, and our past, is futile.

The message today is very clear. Jesus loves you. Why else would He give is life on the cross? John 15:13 – “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15 is a chapter to become familiar with. He died for you and me. Praise God He was raised from the dead!

God bless you and be encouraged.