The centrality of Christ in the Christian faith upholds a very important truth that we must not miss. Because God took the initiative to reveal Himself in the Person of His Son and because He “gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16), we can clearly see that God isn’t just interested in your behavior; He’s interested in you! We’ve quoted John 3:16 here, but so far we’ve quoted only a portion of it. Let’s quote the rest. It is no coincidence that John 3:16 actually begins, not with the words “God gave,” but with the words, “For God loved the word in this way: He gave….” (emphasis added). Love! Take note: real love is never aimless or purposeless; it has a target! God aimed His love at us—not at us collectively and generally, but at each one of us. Here’s the bottom line: God is a personal God who wants a personal relationship with every individual, including you! Don’t miss the point that God has taken extreme steps to demonstrate His love to you!
In Jeremiah 31:3, the prophet Jeremiah recorded God’s words: “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” This verse and the verses after it point to a future restoration of Israel to the promised land. Nevertheless, we see in in this statement from the Lord His very heart toward those who had strayed from Him, the lost whom Jesus came “to seek and to save” (Luke 19:10). Note that In Jeremiah 31:3, Jeremiah wrote that God “hath appeared of old” (emphasis added). God’s pursuit of you was no afterthought, no “Plan B” in the mind of God. You are the one He came looking for—even though you were born centuries after Jesus appeared on earth. Jesus has a way of finding you, despite the gap in time between His arrival on earth and your own!
In the article titled “God Has Revealed Himself in History,” we state that God’s speaking in history is an essential component of the Christian faith. Throughout history, every single “word God has spoken, every command he has given, every action he has taken has been a means to an end. Because behind God’s plan to conquer death is his desire to enjoy an everlasting and personal relationship with you, your children, friends, and loved ones. And the Incarnation [God’s coming into the world in the Person of His flesh-and-blood Son] shows God’s love in action…. The Incarnation demonstrates God’s desire to have a relationship with you. But the relationship God has in mind is not simply some casual acquaintance but one that relates to you on a deep and intimate level” (Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler, Beyond Belief to Convictions, [Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 2002], 86).
In John 15:4-5, God’s Son declared, “Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in Him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me.” It’s clear that in John 15:4-5 Jesus was speaking about a transformed life—but it’s equally clear the reason for the transformation was and is a close, intimate, purposeful relationship with Him. He invites you to come to Him and to connect with Him. Repent of your sins and receive His love. Note Jesus’ words in John 7:37: “If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me and drink!” Note too John 10:10, where Jesus said, “A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” You see, you are the target of God’s everlasting love. Let His love hit the “bull’s eye” of your heart!
Copyright © 2016 B. Nathaniel Sullivan. All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations in this article are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.