The Cross: Love

(We have just finished our series “Supernaturally Natural”. I hope you were blessed by it. A wonderful reminder of how close God is and how close we are to experiencing miracles and breakthrough in our lives. As we approach Easter, we are starting our new series called, “The Cross” starting today. I hope you hear God’s heart through every post.)

Back in Sunday School (kids church) I had to learn one verse and commit it to memory and I learnt John 3:16 which says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

As a child, I understood that God loved me but not only me, He loved the whole world and He sent Jesus to die for us. It is funny how something we understand as children can get tainted as we grow and our minds narrow down and we try to make God exclusive like He died for one group of people and not the other.

Jesus died for the whole world. Granted not everyone understands it or wants to know about Jesus. But none of that changes the fact that Father God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for the sins of the whole world. Every single person who has ever lived, is alive and will live has had their sins nailed to the cross. We only have one small part to play. We must believe in Jesus so that we may have eternal life. Sin leads to death, believing in Jesus leads to eternal life.

The cross is the greatest symbol of love there is. God shows us through the cross that He does not discriminate. No matter your ethnic, political, socio-economic or cultural background, there is a God who loves you and who died for you. No matter your past or your present, God loves you. We must understand that God hates sin because it destroys lives and God created life so He is pro the things that give us life, joy and peace. On the other side of that same coin, we must understand that God loves people. Love is who He is.

We, as His children, must learn how to love people. God always operates in love and we must endeavour to do the same as we walk in Christlikeness. We are God’s representatives on Earth. Just like Jesus came to show us who the Father is, His nature and His character- we must do the same and show people around us God’s loving nature. His mercy. His kindness. His gentleness. The Bible is one beautiful love story being interwoven together which ends with Christ, the Bridegroom, being joined together with His Bride, the Church (everyone, everywhere, who has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ). I pray that as we receive God’s love into our hearts, we also release love to those around us.

Love is what made our Father send Jesus to Earth. Love led Jesus to the cross to die. Love is what kept Jesus on the cross. Love is what defeated sin and resurrected Jesus so we could live in His victory. Love is powerful and God is love. We think we know love, but until we know God we do not know love. May we get to know God that we may know love and reflect love in this broken world.

Love and Blessings,

Melissa Tsingano.