The Precious Gift of ForgivenessSample

Why would God want to forgive me?

“By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us” (1 John 3:16)

Yesterday, we learned that Jesus poured out His own blood for the forgiveness of sins. Why would He do that? Why would He humble Himself to become human, endure suffering, and even be crucified?

The answer is: because He loves us.

God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. The Son so loved the world that He laid down His life for us.

In John 15:12-13, Jesus says: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends”. But Jesus’ own love goes even further. For as we read in Romans 5:8, He died for us while we were still hostile to Him. We were His enemies, not His friends!

There is nothing in us that makes us worthy of forgiveness. Besides His endless divine love for humans, there is no logical explanation why God would take so much effort to save sinners. He is like this father in the parable, who longs for his son — not because the son has behaved so well or because he needs his son for practical reasons, but because the father loves his child.

Do you feel loved by God?