One of the deepest revelations we need as children of God is of the love of our Father God.

I know for many believers, at first glance, this may seem super simple, but I believe we cannot truly begin to love others until we receive God’s love for us. In fact, I don't think you can grow up into all Father has for you until you become settled in His love. There is a place of complete trust and acceptance in the love of Father that gives us the confidence to be and do all that He has called us to and created us for. I do not believe this is superficial but is deeply and profoundly supernatural.

Many times if I ask someone about the love of God, in particular, asking them if they believe God loves them I get a resounding, "Yes, but..." If your yes is followed by a but, there is probably a problem. You most likely have a misunderstanding of the love of God. The fact is, Father loves you and there is nothing you can do about it!

I believe the Spirit of God is at work now setting the church free from an orphan nature and causing us to rise up into our sonship in Christ! We are sons and daughters of the Living God! But many, who are not settled in the Father’s love, live like they are orphans in His Kingdom.

Signs of orphan nature: Truly struggle with envy, jealousy, insecurity, anger, and fits of rage, always feeling you have to compete with everyone, and always trying to earn God's love. Orphans always struggle with a fear of lack, often feeling like they have to fight for what they get fearing there will not be more.

Maybe some of us think that we really understand God’s love, but our experience proves otherwise. We feel lonely, depressed, discouraged, and defeated. Every one of these negative emotions would be changed by a clear revelation of God's love for us.

No one ever has to question the love of God for all humanity as it was clearly displayed by HIs sending Jesus. It was love for us that motivated Him. John says that it was in this that the love of God was made manifest.

I love the way the Passion Translation puts it:

So beautifully stated. The light of God’s love shined within us. Not just on us, but within us. Jesus came to show us the Father’s love and to wake us up to the life we have in Him!

This is love: He loved us long before we loved Him!

I remember growing up singing Victory in Jesus and singing the line, “He loved me ‘ere I knew Him” and really not understanding that it meant He loved me before I knew Him. But this is the truth of it all. God loved me before I knew Him. In fact, His love awakened love in me.

I think that having confidence in the day of judgment is being convinced of the love of God for you. It is more than just knowing about God’s love, but as John puts it, coming to the point that you know and believe the love that God has for you. This level of knowing the Father’s love means you know that He would never do anything to harm you. The reason I can love God is because God first loved me. I can love because I have experienced real love. I believe God’s love toward me or shed abroad in my heart is what awakened my love toward Him and taught me how to love others.

It is important for us to understand that God loved us, that is why He sent Jesus. And we must remember that Jesus came because God loved us and that Jesus didn’t come or die to make God love us.

Jesus didn’t die to make God love us; God already loved us!

For God so loved that He gave. That is the heart of it all.

Do you believe God loves you?