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Because He First Loved Me

Because He First Loved Me
By Dennis Huebshman

For those who believe that anything pertaining to our Lord and Savior is foolishness, I feel very sorry for them. Eternity is too long a period of time to not be right with our Heavenly Father, His Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Three entities, yet they are one, and known as the Holy Trinity. No one can totally explain how this is possible, yet we accept this as truth, and believe the Father will explain it when we get Home, if He chooses to do so. Jesus said in John 10:30, “The Father and I are One.” For the unbelievers, Paul warned in 1 Corinthians 1:18 that the message of the Cross is “foolishness for those who are perishing”. Jesus Himself knew that the majority would reject the message of Salvation, and there would be few that would truly come to Him. (Matthew 7:13-14 – any emphasis mine)

Considering this, I finally came to fully realize that going to Church, in itself. would not save me; and just knowing Jesus is real did not mean I was saved either. James 2:19, “You believe that God is one, well and good. Even the demons (and satan) believe that, and tremble with fear.”

Once I came to fully realize that I had to receive and accept Jesus as my one and only Savior (John 14:6), my attitude took a major turn. As with a lot of people, I thought I was fine with my lifestyle. Having a personal relationship with the Creator of the heavens and the earth seemed a bit far-fetched. My thought process was that I was a relatively good person who believed there really was a Jesus, and that should be enough for me to get into heaven.

You may have heard the expression “Having a ‘Come to Jesus meeting”; well, I had a ‘mind-opening’ experience that I attribute to several people that I found out afterward had been praying for me. God will never force anyone to accept Him, but that is not to say He won’t use methods to cause us to reconsider our beliefs. About 33 years ago, something told me I needed to look at myself much deeper, and was encouraged to read the Bible for myself. Up to then, I took the word of “preachers” as being true, but without personally checking their statements through God’s word. I realize now the Holy Spirit was giving me incentives to open the door and let my Savior into my heart. (Revelation 3:20) Because of some changes in my life, I was ready to respond to this invitation.

The words in the bible began to take on new life for me. After reading through several translations, I settled on one that was easier for me to learn from. When I read about Jesus, and why He really came to this earth, I knew I had to develop a new attitude about where I was, and where I was headed. My eternal address changed after this from eternal punishment, to having a home with my Jesus forever. This was not an overnight process, and I learned Jesus was destined to be our perfect “sacrificial Lamb” all the way back to the Garden of Eden.

We know that satan has done everything he could to keep Jesus from fulfilling His divine mission. He caused Herod to kill numerous male children in attempts to stop the Baby Jesus from growing up. Then, there was the temptation in the wilderness, when the human Jesus was at a weak point after 40 days of fasting. And finally, can’t you just see the joy that the evil forces felt when the human Jesus died on that cross? Problem is, then came Sunday morning. Satan has failed at every attempt, and in the end his failure will be revealed in the Lake of Fire.

The Old Testament is the lead-in to the coming of the Messiah. Because He didn’t arrive with full pomp and circumstance, most of the religious leaders did not accept Him. They should have seen through the manuscripts, that theirs was the time He would appear. By the way, the next time Jesus actually sets foot on this earth, there will be no question whatsoever, of just who He is, and why He is here.

As my relationship has grown over the past 33 years, my love and appreciation for Him has done nothing but become stronger each day. A King; the Creator of the heavens and the earth; someone who allowed Himself to become a fully human person, yet still be fully God; left His home in paradise to come to this sin-filled planet, to be mocked, abused and ultimately die on a cross. He knew long before what was in store for Him. God spoke through prophets such as Isaiah about what the Messiah would go through for us. (Isaiah 53:2-9). Yet, Jesus willingly came here and fulfilled the perfect sacrifice that was required for the forgiveness of our transgressions. (John 10:18)

It goes beyond my comprehension, that my Creator loves me that much. In fact, He loves everyone, even those that reject Him. Anyone who does not have Jesus as their Savior will be allowed to choose of their own free will, whether or not to accept Him. He gives us every opportunity to call out and be saved because He does not want anyone to fail. (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:9-13 and 2 Peter 3:9)

One song that is truly recognized as a Spirit uplifting hymn explains how I feel. Please consider the following:

(1) There is a name I love to hear; I love to sing it’s worth. It sounds like music in my ear, the sweetest name on earth.
(Ch.) Oh How I love Jesus. Oh how I love Jesus. Oh how I love Jesus; because He first loved me.
(2) It tells me of a Savior’s love; who died and set me free. It tells me of His precious blood; the sinner’s perfect plea.
(Ch.-3) It tells of One whose loving heart, can feel my deepest woe. Who in each sorrow bears a part, that none can bear below. (Ch.)

The Father, Son and Holy Spirit have known me even before I was born. I know it’s absolutely true that I was allowed to make my own choice, and if I had continued on the “broad path” that I was on, the Great White Throne judgment would have been my destination. (Revelation 20:11-15)

God listens to our prayers, and the prayer warriors I mentioned were asking for something to take place in my life to make me aware of where I was headed. I firmly believe the Holy Spirit opened my mind, and let me know I needed Jesus as my Savior. I called out, and began a real relationship with Him. He has led me to become an ordained minister, which my late mother had hoped for. After reading Luke 15:10, I’m happy that Angels rejoiced for me. How could I not love a Savior that loved me all the way to the Cross? He arose from the dead to conquer sin and death. How could I not rejoice over this?

Am I a perfect non-sinner now? Not a chance. No one will be perfect as long as we’re in these temporary human bodies that have the sin-nature embedded within them. Once we are taken up to meet Jesus in the air, we will have new immortal forever bodies and a mindset that cannot be tempted ever again.

Yes, I’m looking forward to this, and I hope you are also. Now, I pray for all our loved ones the same as I was prayed for, and hope they all have, or will, become a part of the Savior’s Flock. Please note, there is no one that God will not accept if they will truly call on His Son to be forgiven. Just remember, He loved us all. He asks us to love Him. The price of rejecting Jesus is given in Revelation 20:11-15 that I referenced earlier. You can avoid this terrible fate because Jesus first loved all of us.

Don’t hesitate, as He could come at any time. Consider each day a gift from the Father, and an opportunity to change your address. Jesus Himself will build a Home for you in Heaven. (John 14:1-3)

Come Lord Jesus!

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