But does he really like me?

I know God loves us all.

               I know He loves me.

In spite of all these years of trusting God for my forgiveness and thanking Him for making me a part of His family, I still sometimes wonder, "But does He really like me?"

I remember my mother saying to me, "Yes, you know I love you...but I just don't like you right now!"

As I recall her words, they were certainly justified!
I was not displaying lovable conduct at the time.

Now I think I have brought that idea into my adult life.

Sometimes I wonder, "But God, how can you like me today? I have not behaved in a godly way. I know I disappointed you several times. I keep pestering you with selfish requests.  You must be displeased with me. I keep worrying about things I know you said you would take care of....I am anxious and difficult to reason with...how can you stand it?

This is about sin - not someone else's sin against me and not about my sin against another. It is about my own sin against God, against my Father.

That sin, daily, I am afraid, brings a sense of guilt and deep regret.

I think I know the answer. It's about the gospel -

Too often we are short-sighted when it comes to the good news - we think of it gratefully as bringing us into God's family, as the door that brings the unsaved into His kingdom, but fail to realize the gospel is what we need every day.

We need to preach the gospel - the good news of God's forgiveness - to ourselves - every day!

It's not a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It's not for the unbelievers only.

This is what I forget:

     Not only has God forgiven us our sins, He also
     credited us with the perfect righteousness of
     His Son. This is what we call the "Great
     Exchange" - He took away our sins and gave us
     righteousness. This forgiveness includes all sins --
     past, present and future - ALL OF THEM!

PAST - We have been saved (freed) from sin's guilt

PRESENT - We are being saved (freed) from sin's power

FUTURE - We will someday be saved (freed) from sin's very presence.

HAVE BEEN - ARE BEING - WILL BE

Past -  Present - Future

     There is nothing I can do to make Him love me
     less and nothing I can do to make Him love me
     more.


His love is not only eternal, but day to day - He is always waiting for me to return to Him, to run into His arms and seek His love and compassion for our frail, misguided attempts to lead the life He wants for us.

An old popular pioneer hymn, written about the time of the American Revolution, proclaims it:

I will arise and go to Jesus,

He will embrace me in His arms.

In the arms of my dear Savior,

O, there are ten thousand charms.

Why would our loving Savior, who brought us into His family, foreseeing our earthly journey before us, knowing we would constantly fail, not also keep loving us day to day? Yes, loving us, and liking us....day in and day out...always waiting for us to return to His arms.

Every morning when we awake, every evening when we fall asleep, and throughout the day.....let's preach the gospel to ourselves!


Remember 1 John 1:9 was written, not to unbelievers, but to Christians:

           If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just
           and will forgive us our sins and purify us from
           all unrighteousness.

That's really good news!