I believe it was Joe who talked about the widow who gave “two mites” (NIV says “very small copper coins”) into the temple treasury, representing “all that she had” (Mark 12:44). I don’t know about you, but such examples like this cause me to think deeply about what it means to give. In a sense, there is a measuring stick, so to speak, that enables us to try and grasp how much someone cares. So, I wondered, is there some way we can measure God’s love for us…for me?
“…For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
Romans 3:22-23
Sin is a word often tossed around in discussion, but has it lost its edge; that is, just how serious a problem it is for mankind? If you are like me, I have little problem reeling off the bible verses that speak of its devastating consequences. It has caused a separation between God and His creation, humanity (Isaiah 59:1-2). Left unchecked, it brings about spiritual death (Romans 6:23) and “everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2nd Thessalonians 1:9). But like with so many things, we tend to measure sin. And it’s not that measuring is wrong, but rather, how we measure is so often flawed. The Pharisee did this as he prayed to God, thanking Him that he wasn’t “like other men…even as this tax collector” (Luke 18:11). When it comes to sin, we measure it by severity rather than merely by its consequence. In so doing, whether we realize it or not, we could be devaluing our understanding of God’s love for me. The implications are profound.
“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved…
…if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ
forgave you, so you also must do.”
Colossians 3:13
Okay, work with me for just a moment. 1st John 4:19 states, “We love Him because He first loved us.” Paul writes, “But God demonstrates His own loved toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8) while we were still SINNERS! Just how much of a sinner were you? To the extent that I measure my sinfulness and desperate need for His redemptive work, will be in part, be how I can measure His love for me. That measure of love will then be the force that empowers me to love others. One of the most challenging acts of love towards others is forgiveness. Forgiveness is not easy! As accurate as that may be, what empowers us to take that journey? It begins, in part, by reminding ourselves of God’s enormous love for us, for me, that while I was still a sinner, He gave Jesus, His only begotten Son to redeem me, us.
So, can we measure God’s love? Psalm 103:12, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” I believe you can, the only problem is, there is no measuring stick long enough. May He who loves us so much, who has given us such a fantastic gift filled with hope, move us today to share His love with those around us. Have a blessed day!
Dennis
Biddeford Church of Christ 