Activating the Power of God’s Word

[Nothing] will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

KARL BARTH IS considered one of the most renowned theologians of the twentieth century. His influence on the study of God is so significant, in fact, that he is sometimes referred to as the Einstein of theology.¹

People may debate Barth’s doctrine, but there is no arguing that he had plenty to say. His most famous work, Church Dogmatics, covers the breadth of theology from creation to redemption in more than six million words.² His depth of knowledge, sometimes riddled with controversy, attracted audiences in whatever esteemed institutions he lectured throughout the world.

One of the most famous stories about this man of great intellect is also one of the most endearing. Toward the end of Barth’s career, as he was closing up a lecture at the University of Chicago, someone stood up to ask, “What is the most important insight to God you have ever discovered?” At this, he paused, smiled, and replied with the words of a Sunday school song: “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”³

Though Barth’s answer sounds simple, it is as equally profound as any complex doctrine he ever espoused. Maybe that is because the concept of God’s love is often hard to comprehend. Over the years countless books and sermons have tried to explain what God’s love looks like, what it feels like, who God loves, and on what basis God loves someone.

Often our thoughts about God’s love are handicapped by how we have observed love in our own lives. So we can’t fully fathom a love that transcends self-interest, conditions, and even time itself. On a daily basis we think questions such as the following:

• Does God still love me after I have ________ (fill in the blank with something you have done)?

Certainly these questions aren’t influenced by anything the Bible says about God’s love. Think about the truth we explored in the previous chapter: “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ” (Eph. 1:4, NLT). Speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, God said this about His people:

I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.

—JEREMIAH 31:3, NLT

Don’t miss what God is saying here: He loves us with a love that can’t be measured by time. He loved you well before you were born—even well before the world began. Amazingly, God promises that He loved you before you made any mistakes or had a chance to earn His love, and He loves you after you made mistakes and had a chance to lose His love. Yes, God’s love for you never ends!

I often talk about my religious upbringing and how it affected my view of God. To be fair, I don’t recall being directly taught this, and the denomination might take issue with what I am about to say. Nonetheless, years of walking into a cold, dim sanctuary and having to perfectly memorize certain prayers and gestures shaped my view of God as distant and critical. I felt as if God was in heaven keeping a checklist of whether or not I kneeled for the proper length of time, appeared reverent enough during communion, or knew all the recited prayers. I believed God was dissatisfied with me after any failure on my part.

Some of you from similar backgrounds are nodding your heads in agreement because you can relate to these same feelings. But I am not putting the blame on any single person, event, or religious institution. Ultimately this is the devil’s work. He uses whatever means will achieve his goal to erode confidence in God’s love. For some he uses religious tradition. For others he uses abuses of the past or struggles in the present.

In a world laden with scandals and disaster, many people live their lives blaming those things on God, which results in a skewed concept of who He is. Recently a highly regarded study conducted by two sociology professors at Baylor University uncovered a saddening find: nearly three out of every four Americans view God as furious, critical, or distant.⁴ I have simplified each of these beliefs down to some thoughts about God that I know you will recognize.

The study found that 31 percent of Americans believe that God is an authoritarian who is angry with humankind and ready to punish us at any time.⁵ To be sure, this isn’t anything new. This “God-is-mad” belief is what Adam and Eve held after they succumbed to Satan’s temptation and took a bite of the forbidden fruit. Rather than seek God’s forgiveness and move on, they hid from God out of fear of what He would do (Gen. 3:10).

People who believe similarly to Adam and Eve frequently say things such as, “That tornado was God’s judgment on that town” or “God must have afflicted me with this issue because I made a mistake.” What an awful way to live! These people live paranoid, and all too often they try to stay away from God out of fear of how and when He might punish them for yesterday’s mistakes.

The solution to overcome the fear of God’s anger is found by looking at the cross. Two thousand years ago God’s wrath was satisfied once and for all as Jesus so selflessly took the punishment for sin that you and I deserve. Today God isn’t trying to afflict you with His wrath; He is trying to woo you to Jesus by directing your focus to the love He poured out at Calvary. Furthermore, because you now know that God chose you to be a part of His family, it is safe to say that He isn’t trying to scare you away!

“Critical” and disengaged is how 16 percent of Americans think of God.⁶ Ultimately this is the belief that God sits in heaven critiquing your every action. To gain any kind of favor with God, these people believe they must earn it by working harder for Him.

Here again, the idea that we must work to impress God is nothing new. This is precisely what a woman named Martha tried to do when Jesus came to visit her home. The Gospel of Luke records that rather than being enamored in the company of Jesus, Martha busied herself with tasks, essentially saying, “Look at me, Jesus, and all I’m doing for you!” But Jesus wasn’t impressed. Without mincing words, He indicated that it would be better for Martha to forget the to-dos and simply enjoy His presence (Luke 10:41–42).

In today’s world it is hard to break the notion that we must perform to achieve. And as it was with Martha, working to impress God is often the extent of our relationships with Him. I especially see this in ministers who should know better. We think God is impressed by how many churches we plant, the number of people in our seats, or the number of books we write. It is wonderful to work in ministry and to see your work be used to help people. But don’t be fooled: all your effort doesn’t add one iota of significance to your value or to how much God loves you. His love is a free gift that is lavished on you simply because you are His child, not because you have earned it.

Sadly, 24 percent of Americans believe that God is distant and disinterested in their everyday lives.⁷ For too many this belief is deeply rooted in the idea that God has betrayed them because of something they have done.

When you read through the Old Testament, you will notice some extreme differences in Israel’s thoughts about God. When all was well, they predictably praised Him for His attention to their needs. But during their time of exile, when their people were scattered, their temple was defiled, and their enemies had gained an upper hand, they quickly complained of God’s absence. We can observe this in the arrangement of the Book of Psalms, which contemporary scholars believe reflects Israel’s history.⁸ By book two (Psalms 42–72), we begin to notice more grumbles, such as, “I say to God, my rock, ‘Why have you forgotten me?’” (Ps. 42:9).

To believe that turmoil and trouble are the result of God abandoning you is foolish thinking. And that is precisely how the psalmist responds to accusations about God’s absence: “Only fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God’” (Ps. 53:1, NLT). To put it into modern words, it is ridiculous to believe that God has abandoned you!

Unfortunately, most of us can admit that we have been tempted to believe God has forgotten about us. When opportunities begin to slow, some people believe it is because God has put them on a shelf and walked away. When finances get tight, others are afraid it is because they have somehow let down God and He has removed His blessing. These are lies! The Bible assures that God is always with you and is there to get you through times of great trial (Ps. 23:4).

The belief that God is mad or critical or that He has abandoned you is nothing but the devil’s propaganda. These aren’t characteristics of God; they are characteristics of Satan! Ascribing his characteristics to God is one of the enemy’s slickest tricks because it allows him to remain under the radar while God is blamed for everything. Don’t fall for it! The truth about God is radically different from any of this.

Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.

—1 JOHN 4:8

God is love. This is mind-boggling to think about because most of us view love in the ways reflected by some of the dictionary’s definitions:⁹

Notice how these definitions describe love as “based on” something. This is another way to say that love is earned or some kind of a “you scratch my back; I will scratch yours” deal. It also suggests that love is felt as an intense euphoric feeling. The problems with these definitions are that they define love in ways that are fleeting. Love is not a deal to be kept, nor is it an emotion that comes and goes. And certainly neither of these reflect God’s character.

To more fully comprehend the enormity of God’s love, you must scratch what you have ever known about love and renew your mind according to how it is expressed by God in Scripture. In doing so, you will also begin to understand how it is possible for God to love you.

I marvel at the faithfulness of God’s love, especially when His people are anything but faithful to Him. Perhaps the best illustration of this is seen through His determined commitment to His people Israel. After He miraculously rescued Israel from the clutches of Egyptian slavery and bore with them through a forty-year excursion to the Promised Land, Israel had a penchant for questioning God’s promises and turning to idols. Their relationship with God turned so cold, in fact, that He finally gave them a certificate of divorce (Jer. 3:8). To be sure, divorce was never God’s idea, but out of love, He was willing to give His people what they had already chosen in their hearts.

Even after the Israelites’ total betrayal, God continued to give opportunities for Israel to come back. Just a few verses after issuing the certificate of divorce, God beckoned, “Return, O faithless children . . . I will take you . . . and I will bring you to Zion” (Jer. 3:14). These aren’t the words of someone happy to wash His hands of a relationship. No, these are the words of a lovesick God offering forgiveness to a people who had already used up their share of forgiveness.

God put up with so much more than you or I would tolerate. But eventually His enduring love won the day and His bountiful mercy recaptured the hearts of His people. “O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever,” the people proclaimed (Ps. 106:1). These sentiments out of the mouth of a once wayward people give us a glimpse into the depths of God and His love: He is faithful and unwavering, He loves even when love is not reciprocated, and He believes the best in people, especially when they are at their worst.

The most widely quoted verse of the Bible is also one that vividly reveals the greatest lengths of God’s love.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

—JOHN 3:16

That God “gave His only Son” to the world is proof that God’s love was never meant exclusively for just one people group but was to be showered on His entire creation. Take note of the word world. In Greek it is kosmos, from which we derive our similar word to describe the universe. Kosmos is an all-encompassing word, which means that God so loved all His creation that He gave His only Son.¹⁰

To more fully understand the depths to which God loves, you must envision into what He sent His Son. Motivated by love, God sent Jesus to leave the brilliance of heaven to become a human being (Phil. 2:7). In human form Jesus endured every trial and tribulation known to people (Heb. 4:15). Then finally Jesus voluntarily suffered the ultimate punishment of being brutally mutilated on a cross.

Adding to the magnitude of the cross is that Jesus endured it for the very people who put Him there and for people who had yet to know Him. Paul boasted that this single act is the greatest evidence that God loves us:

But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.

—ROMANS 5:8

Think about this! Jesus died for you before you had any chance to do anything that deserved it. He chose you well before you ever could have chosen Him and well after you chose other things besides Him. What could be more self-sacrificing? The cross is not merely proof of God’s love for you, but it is the ultimate demonstration of it. Envision those arms of grace stretched out across that rugged, splintery cross, exhibiting just how long, how high, how wide, and how deep God’s love is for you.

• Because of love Jesus gave up His life for people who had nothing to give Him in return.

What could separate us from a love that would go to those lengths? Paul answers this question with an emphatic, “Nothing!”

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

—ROMANS 8:38–39

How amazing! What Paul depicts here is a kind of love not affected by conditions, but based solely on the fact that God is love and there is nothing that can change who He is.

Finally, it should be said that unconditional love doesn’t mean that God is pleased with everything you do. But as we have learned, God’s love isn’t a deal, nor is it a fleeting emotion. He is not in love with you today and threatening to leave tomorrow! God’s love is the most beautiful example of what true love is: unwavering, self-sacrificing, and unconditional. And this is the love with which He absolutely loves you!

I can’t overemphasize how important it is not just to know about God’s love, but to know that God loves you. The words we previously read from revered theologian Karl Barth ring true. God’s love for you is the truth on which every other truth hinges.

Believing that God loves you is the cornerstone for believing God’s promises. In fact, it is what the remaining declarations in this book are founded on. Because God loves you, you can be certain that He has great plans for you. Because God loves you, you can expect that He will heal and deliver you. Because God loves you, you can face any difficulty knowing that He will protect and take care of you. Indeed, God’s love for you is the foundation of any transformation in your life.^*

#ActivateTheWord

I am loved unconditionally.

God is not mad at me; He has not forgotten about me. God has always loved me, and He proved it by sending Jesus to die for me. I declare that no person, no past, and no devil can separate me from His everlasting, unconditional love!