February 20
We Are Not Loved Because We Believe — We Believe Because We Are Loved
Every Christian tradition affirms that we must respond to God’s grace. Faith matters. Repentance matters. Turning to Christ matters. But none of these things create the Father’s love for us. They awaken us to the love that has always been there.
We do not earn belonging through our belief. We don’t trigger His affection with our repentance. As John writes: “We love because He first loved us.” —1 John 4:19
Faith is not what makes us lovable—it is what allows us to finally receive the love that has always been ours in the Father’s heart.
A Love Beyond Measure: Page 20
Every Christian tradition affirms that we must respond to God’s grace. Faith matters. Repentance matters. Turning to Christ matters. But none of these things create the Father’s love for us. They awaken us to the love that has always been there.
We do not earn belonging through our belief. We don’t trigger His affection with our repentance. As John writes: “We love because He first loved us.” —1 John 4:19
Faith is not what makes us lovable—it is what allows us to finally receive the love that has always been ours in the Father’s heart.
A Love Beyond Measure: Page 20