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Thoughts from our team...

God IS Love

July 26, 2023

From Pastor Joseph Wamack


Somewhere in my past-when I was young, I guess-I learned something. It is something that is not true but still-I came to believe it as Truth. Here is what I assumed was true: “I was not supposed to make mistakes. If I tried hard enough, I could be “perfect” and if I was not perfect, i.e. mistake free-then I was not as good as I could be.”

And if I was not good, then perhaps people didn’t like me as much as they might if I was perfect or good or mistake free or whatever else I imagined I could be. And if people didn’t like me, then perhaps God didn’t like me because He (I assumed) based His liking me on my behavior. Was I a good boy? Did I eat all my vegetables? Did I help the kitten out of the tree? Did I help dear, old, sweet Mrs. Jones across the street? God liked me more if I did all of those things-or so I assumed and thought.

In this world-most people judge/like/love us based on behavior. But God loves us for who we are. He knows all things-the end from the beginning-the middle from the beginning. God knows beforehand what each of us would freely choose to do or be if we had the skills and access to opportunity or knowledge or skills. His foreknowledge does not cause us or force us to make choices against our free will. We still have a choice. We still have freedom.

But you might say “I am not worthy” You might feel this love of God, a promising future with Him is reserved for someone with a better pedigree than you. You might not see yourself as His child-worthy of this Presence. You are undeserving. The truth is–yes you are undeserving-of yourself you are. But this isn’t about you-it is about Him. Look at some of our Biblical friends.

Cain killed his brother, Abram lied and said Sarai was his sister, Jacob was a cheater, Peter had a temper and denied Jesus 3 times, David was a murderer and an adulterer, Noah got drunk, Jonah ran from God, Paul was a murderer, Gideon was insecure and demanded signs, Miriam was a gossiper, Martha was a worrier, Thomas was a doubter, Sarah was impatient, Elijah was depressed, Sampson was conceited, Moses stuttered, Zaccheus was short, Abraham was old, John the Baptist dressed weird, and Lazarus was dead. They all lived the Human Experience.

You might think you are too far from God, drifted too much away from Him. The Bible tells us “God IS Love.” It is within Him to love. He loves us because He is love-we receive it as a gift-as grace-as amazing grace. The bad news is-you will never be perfect. The good news is-God loves imperfect people perfectly. That’s cause to rejoice!


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