God’s Great Love Reaches Out to Us
By Whitney Hopler
Bible Reading:
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved.” – Ephesians 2:4-5, NIV
When I was in high school, I decided to explore various world religions as a way to seek God. I read books about various religious beliefs and talked with people I knew – including a Muslim friend and Buddhist friend – about their experiences with God. Through all my spiritual exploring, what stood out the most for me was God’s great love through Christ. All the religions I learned about, except for Christianity, emphasized people trying to reach God through their own efforts. But Christianity showed me the power of God’s love reaching out to people – meeting them wherever they are and helping them with whatever they need. All the flaws and failures of the people I knew (including myself) convinced me that only God’s great love could truly save any of us. Soon after that, I prayed for Jesus to save my soul, and I’ve experienced God’s great love in countless ways ever since.
Ephesians 2:4-5 reminds us that God loves us greatly – and it’s because of that great love that God reached out through his Son Jesus Christ to make our salvation possible. No matter what weaknesses we have or what mistakes we’ve made, we’re loved completely by God.
The passage reminds us that we didn’t seek God first. In fact, we were “dead in transgressions”, and dead things can’t move toward life on their own. They must be revived by an external force. God’s great love is that force.
This means we don’t have to achieve a certain level of holiness before God steps in. God’s love compels him to meet us where we are, no matter how lost, broken, or sinful we may be. God doesn’t wait for us to do anything to earn his love, and no amount of good behavior can be enough to earn our salvation. God loves us just as we are, and he saves us by grace. It’s a pure gift, freely given by a God whose great love reaches out to us.
God, in his great love, came to us in the person of Jesus Christ, lived the perfect life we couldn’t live, and took the punishment for our sins on the cross. This is the core of the Gospel message: God’s love reaches down to lift us up. God’s love isn’t passive or distant. Instead, it’s active and personal. God meets us wherever we are spiritually, shining light into our darkness and offering us eternal life with him. All we have to do is accept it.
Because salvation is entirely a gift of grace, we can be sure of God’s love for us. We don’t need to work to earn God’s approval or fear losing God’s affection. We already have God’s great love, and it’s ours to keep, forever. When we understand this reality, it frees us to love God back – not out of obligation but out of gratitude.
So let this truth sink into your heart and mind: God’s love for you is not based on your performance; it’s based on God’s character. God’s love is a love that reaches out, saves you, and makes you alive in Christ. That’s something to celebrate!
Intersecting Faith & Life:
As you consider the power of God’s great love, reflect on these questions:
- How does it make you feel to know that God’s love for you doesn’t depend on anything you do?
- In what ways have you tried to earn God’s love? In what ways have you been afraid of losing God’s love? How can you change your perspective to rest in God’s grace instead?
- Think about a time when you felt God’s love reaching out to you in a personal way. How did that change your life for the better?
- What steps can you take this week to remind yourself daily of God’s love and grace?
Further Reading:
Titus 3:5
Romans 5:8
John 3:16
Psalm 103:8
1 John 4:9-10
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Pornyot Palilai
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