A Christian Guidebook: Why Has God Saved Us? (1)

The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying:
“Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you. Jeremiah 31.3

So many gifts!

Sinful and self-centered as we are, it is easy to lose sight of the many and unsurpassable gifts the Lord has granted us. We who are nothing, less than worms, even enemies of God (Rom. 5.10). Yet He has abounded toward us in so much unexplainable, unfathomable goodness! Consider the gifts of God to you and me:

– He sent Jesus for our salvation. His own beloved Son!
– He has put the very Name of Jesus upon us: We are Christians!
– He has sent His servants to bring the Good News of Jesus and His Kingdom to us. And we are saved!
– He has transferred and conveyed us into His own realm, where righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit obtain. We are citizens and ambassadors of a Kingdom not of this world!
– By His grace He has saved us, through the gift of faith.
– He has given us eternal life with Him in perfect and complete joy forever!
– He spreads daily before us such a great salvation to grow into, possess, and proclaim. And His Word to guide us in this salvation and His Spirit to teach and empower us!

And yet there is more!

These are, literally, unbelievable gifts. Yet we have them all, and we are encouraged to enjoy them all with such consistency and gusto that others will see the hope we have and want to know how they might have it, too.

All of which raises the question: Why? Why has God done this? He does not need us. We consistently disappoint His purposes for us. The existential gap between us is infinite. And yet we have these glorious and joyful gifts! Why?

Made for love

From what I can gather, the answer is love. God is love. We are made for love. To know love. Enjoy love. Share love. Seek love. Grow in love. And do all things in love.