By: Rex Stump
What is the greatest gift you received on Valentines? Was it sentimental, expensive, unique, or exactly what you had been wishing for?
Maybe Valentines has been a big disappointment for you. Maybe you’ve never heard the words, “I love you.” Maybe you’ve heard the words, but you have not seen the proof of that love.
Here’s a remarkable, true, sentimental, out-of-this-world valentine for you.
It comes from Romans 5:8. “But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!”
Slowly read this love note from God again! The creator and owner of the world, powerful and holy, forgiving, and loving God, loves you!
God doesn’t just say, “I love you.” He proves it. He demonstrates it, He shows it! Those two words, “prove it”, remind me of a childhood argument I would have with anyone who said something that was too good to be true.
We would brag about a victory or an accomplishment and someone would say, “prove it!” When playing the basketball game called “Horse”, if you won, you had to “prove it” by making the final basket twice. Action had to follow up the claim to show evidence of truth.
God says He loves us, then He proves it with action! 1 John 4:9-10; “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him.” This is real love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”
HE paid for it! God’s love is not cheap. Read Romans 5:1-10 and you will discover six times the price tag of God’s love for us – His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus died for us! We deserve the cross, but he took our place.
He became the substitute. When you consider a substitute, you may think schoolteacher. You may think of something like a sugar substitute. In sport we replace an athlete with a sub.
In this case, God replaces us, the sinner, with Jesus, the sinless substitute. Jesus died in our place; He took our spot!
He died for the ungodly, the bully, and the annoying evil people. He died for the hurting, the abused, and the needy. He died for everyone! Christ died for us!
If God were sending us a valentine, it wouldn’t be a card in a box. It was his son, Jesus Christ. It wasn’t a box with a red bow, it was His Son on a cross, where his red blood flowed for us.
God loves you. He proves it. He paid for it. I encourage you today to respond to His gift to you. He gave it all…what will you give Him?
Love is more than words, thoughts, or good intentions. I encourage you today to SHOW God your love for Him.
Matthew 22:37, “Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’
———————–
Rex Stump is the Area Director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and serves as a Pastor at True North Church in Wauseon, Ohio.
