Does God love me?

When we ask this question it is almost always because we are hurting and/or feeling guilty. There is false guilt and real guilt, but that is a separate question. For now we want to understand the logical and personal basis of God’s love.

The sunshine test

Go find some sunshine and stick your face in it. Notice that it does not veer away from you and make a shadow around you. You feel its warmth just like every other person on the planet. You are no more and no less worthy of God’s love. In fact, worthiness is not the question. The sun does not shine on you because it thinks you are worthy. It just shines. It is the same with God. He shines love on everyone and everything, friend and foe, good and evil, guilty and innocent.

The famous text

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)

God loves the world, the whole world, every person in the world. Therefore, you are included. The “world” does not exist apart from people. The Bible is not referring to the geological world, but to the world of people. And every person in the world looks at themselves as “me.” This means that God died for every ME in the world. I am a me. You are a me. Everyone is a me. God died for me!

Conviction

If you are feeling convicted about some evil you did, then that means God loves you and you are able to feel that love. If you feel no conviction, then you are hardhearted and spiritually paralyzed. In this case, you are actually hopelessly bound to your sin and unable and unwilling to part with it. But because you feel guilt and remorse, proves that there is a God-inspired tenderness and hope still in your heart. God is upholding you so you can win the wrestling match with your selfish habit.

“For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who has subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” (Romans 8:20-21)

God loves His enemies

To put it bluntly, everyone in the lake of fire will be loved. Sinners are killed, not because they are hated, but because they are loved like everyone else in the universe. God has been forced to choose to lay some of His children in permanent sleep because He needs to protect His other children.

You are probably not desiring to be God’s enemy, but I bring up this extreme example to show you that you cannot escape God’s love. God loves you, whether or not He is happy or disappointed with your behavior and attitude.

I am insignificant

If you really are too small and insignificant, then it costs God nothing to love you. However, He has already paid the infinite price just to buy you some time in this world to survive and experience His providence and choose to accept His love.

I can’t be converted

I’ve been where you are. You feel that your heart is too dark to be filled with light. You think your record is too long and too inconsistent to ask God one more time to help you. But these are just feelings. Like Paul after He was knocked down on the way to Damascus, sit still in the darkness with God and let the Spirit perform invisible heart surgery on you.

“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. However for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.” (1 Timothy 1:12-16)

Notice that God counted the murderer faithful before he was put in the ministry. God saw Paul’s past, but He also saw Paul’s future. God sees your future and will enable you.

This passage is “worthy of acceptance.” Accept it as speaking to you because you are one of “them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting.” Take advantage of God’s grace. (Grace is not grace unless you feel you are taking advantage.)

The pain in the neck argument

But God can’t love me because I cause Him so much pain, and I fail Him so much, and I am such a hypocrite, and etc….

Yes, you are a pain in God’s neck. The Bible agrees with you. “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” (Isaiah 53:11) You are a pain in God’s neck, His hands, His feet, His heart, and His soul. This is exactly why He died for you. He did not die for those who don’t cause Him pain. He died for you so that you can see ultimate pain and so He can save you from it. To withhold yourself from His loving arms now is to add insult to injury.

Quotes

“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.” – C. S. Lewis

“’God is love‘ is written upon every opening bud, upon every spire of springing grass. The lovely birds making the air vocal with their happy songs, the delicately tinted flowers in their perfection perfuming the air, the lofty trees of the forest with their rich foliage of living green — all testify to the tender, fatherly care of our God and to His desire to make His children happy.” — E. G. White

“Though our feelings come and go, God’s love for us does not.” – C. S. Lewis

“One who has been touched by grace will no longer look on those who stray as “those evil people” or “those poor people who need our help.” Nor must we search for signs of “loveworthiness.” Grace teaches us that God loves because of who God is, not because of who we are.” — Philip Yancey

“God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.” — Augustine

“God proved His love on the Cross. When Christ hung, and bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, ‘I love you.’” — Billy Graham

“When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly… But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8)

“And we have known and believed the love that God has to us. God is love; and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him.” (1 John 4:16)

Reader comments

“I used to think I was insignificant or that I just didn’t matter to God. But now! I know He loves me regardless of mistakes and repeat offenses. However, I have come to the point where I don’t want to hurt Him anymore! I want to bring Him joy! Whenever the lies of the enemy attack me now, you’re not good enough or you’ll never get it right or what you do doesn’t make any difference, why bother; I remember that I may be the only picture of Jesus someone sees and even if that’s just a smile it’s worth something to Him! I don’t want His sacrifice for me to be in vain and by God’s Grace, it won’t!!!” — G.C.