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For those of you whose only knowledge of Jonathan Edwards is "Sinner's in the Hand of an Angry God," for those who think of him as a staunch, cold theologian... I offer to you Resolution #25, as proof of his balance, commitment to the whole cannon of Scripture, and tender heart.
Edwards resolved himself to know God's love, to meditate upon it, and to fight with all of his might against anything that caused him to doubt it.
Have you ever doubted God's love for you friend?
I sure have.
I've seen my sin, my ugly, my lack of desire for all things good and holy and of Him... and I've wondered- am I really one of God's chosen ones? Do I really know Him? Does He really love me?
It's my sin that causes me to doubt. I know that God hates sin, and I am so stuck in it, so covered with it, that I am sure his deep displeasure covers me right along with it.
BUT in Christ, it is no longer my sin that covers me or defines me. Through faith in Him, the precious and spotless blood of Christ covers all of my sin. I've been washed white as snow. In Christ, God the Father loves me, because He looks on me and sees His perfect Son.
When my sin causes the doubts to come swirling in, I need to resolve to run to Christ.To claim His blood, to cling to Him. I need to run to the Word, read the promises, and remind myself that yes, He does indeed love me, and call me His own.
Remembering and being firmly convinced of God's love for us is vital to our walk with Christ.Instead of obeying Him out of fear, and with a performance, must-earn-His-favor mentality- basking in His love helps us to endeavor after joyful, Christ-centered obedience.
We love Him because He first loved us. We obey Him because He loves us, because we long to please Him, because we desire to be conformed into the image of Christ.
The book that transformed my thinking in this area is Elyse Fitzpatrick's Because He Loves Me (you can read my review of it here). I highly recommend it to you if you struggle with confidence in God's love for you, or if you wonder why His love for you is so desperately relevant to your sanctification as a believer.
"but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Rom. 5:8
"Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations," Deut. 7:9
"The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love." Ps. 103:8
What causes you to doubt God's love? What Scriptures have been precious to you as you fight for confidence in His love?
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