The American evangelist D.L. Moody (1837-1899) said, “If we could only make people believe that God loves them, they would be crowding into the Kingdom of Heaven! The trouble is that men think God hates them, and so they are always running away from Him.”
We have several things working against us in this regard. First of all, each one of us has a sinful nature, which points us away from Christ rather than toward the Lord. Secondly, painful circumstances sometimes corrupt our thoughts about God. And thirdly, we tend to trust our feelings more than we trust God’s Word.
Thankfully, the Christian faith is not rooted in feelings, but in facts; historically reliable and profoundly substantive facts. You will need to look outside yourself if you want to think straight. What Christ endured on the cross took place outside of us 2000 years ago.
To be convinced God loves you, it is necessary to turn away from your subjective feelings and look with the eyes of faith at the Savior’s excruciating sacrifice for your sins. “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Mature Christians do not base the assurance of their salvation on their feelings. Instead, we rely upon God’s promises regarding the free gift of salvation, (see John 3:16) even when pleasant feelings are absent. God can strengthen you to remain steadfast in faith, regardless of your feelings, emotions, and personal circumstances.
Jesus said believers have “streams of living water” (see John 7:37-39) within them. Spirit-filled Christians thoroughly enjoy God’s presence and experience the fruit of the Holy Spirit. (see Galatians 5:22-23) God’s living water in man’s soul produces joy and confidence.
So, what are you allowing to fill your heart today? Perhaps there is a mixture of living water, along with various impurities. The Holy Spirit leads God’s children to confess and renounce unholy thoughts and behavior. Deliberate sin, perhaps more than anything else, causes a person to doubt God’s love. It messes with your mind and produces spiritual confusion.
Why do some Christians seem to continually bask in the joy and certainty of God’s love for them? Well one thing is sure. This invigorating perspective requires constant vigilance. You see, if we are not careful, we can be easily swayed by the winds and waves of change, challenges, temptations, moods, etc.
Rock-solid faith continually focuses on the place where God demonstrated His love for us; namely, the cross. Nothing can ever undo the atoning sacrifice Christ completed when the Father sent His only Son to earth to redeem us. Jesus willingly gave up His life so that you and I could receive everlasting joy in Heaven.
Contentment on earth comes from resting in the arms of Jesus. We trust the Savior and cling to God’s unfailing and unconditional love. The Apostle Paul wrote, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation” (Philippians 4:12). The power of the Gospel is neither rocket science nor mysticism. It is, however, most certainly real and life-changing. “The reality is found in Christ” (Colossians 2:17).
Ultimately, the only way to become convinced God loves you is to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior (see John 1:12). Prior to conversion, the love of God is absent from a person’s heart. But everything changes the minute you are born again (see John 3:1-8).
“God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us” (Romans 5:5). Christ’s love literally melts away a person’s reservations about God. It gives believers the ability to love God and love others in response to what the Lord has done for us. “We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
A personal relationship with Jesus Christ is a dynamic experience with the God of the universe. You enter into this relationship by repenting of your sins and relying upon the historical facts of Christ’s death and resurrection for your eternal salvation.
Believers are filled with God’s love as we walk closely with Christ and soak in the goodness of God’s grace and mercy. We ground our faith in the objective reality of the cross and the empty tomb, and we experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit as we read the Bible, forgive others, pray, give thanks, worship with other Christians, serve one another, and love people with Christ’s love.
If you have not already done so, I hope you will surrender your soul to Christ and accept the Lord’s gracious offer of salvation: “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
Dan Delzell is the pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Papillion, Nebraska.
