The Unshakeable Foundation of God's Love

# The Unshakeable Foundation of God's Love

There's something profoundly transformative about understanding the depth of God's love. Not the superficial, greeting-card version we often settle for, but the raw, sacrificial, world-changing love that stands at the very center of the Gospel. This love isn't just a nice idea—it's the foundation upon which our entire faith rests.

## When We Were Without Strength

Romans 5:6 presents us with a startling reality: "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." Let that sink in for a moment. Christ didn't wait until we cleaned ourselves up. He didn't require us to prove our worthiness first. He came precisely when we were at our weakest, when we were still ungodly, when we had nothing to offer.

Every single person enters this world in the same condition—separated from God, enslaved to sin, without the strength to save themselves. Romans 3:23 reminds us that all have sinned and fallen short. This isn't meant to shame us, but to help us grasp the magnitude of what comes next.

## Perfect Timing, Perfect Love

God's timing is always perfect. When the fullness of time had come, as Galatians 4:4 tells us, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law. Jesus didn't appear as a fully-formed adult, bypassing human experience. No, He entered our world the same way we all do—as a vulnerable infant, subject to all the limitations and challenges of human flesh.

Why does this matter? Because Jesus can fully relate to every struggle, every temptation, every pain we experience. He lived a fleshly life just like us. He was born under the same law, faced the same challenges, and walked the same dusty roads. God covered all the bases, leaving no room for us to say, "But You don't understand what it's like."

## A Sweet-Smelling Sacrifice

Ephesians 5:2 describes Christ's sacrifice as "an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour." This language takes us back to the Old Testament, where Noah built an altar after the flood and offered burnt offerings. Genesis 8:21 records that "the Lord smelled a sweet savour" and remembered His covenant with humanity.

Throughout Leviticus and Numbers, we see God establishing various offerings—burnt offerings, grain offerings, drink offerings—all described as sweet-smelling to the Lord. But here's the critical point: God isn't impressed by empty ritual. Your heart matters. Your intentions matter.

Isaiah 65 paints a sobering picture of people who went through all the religious motions—sacrificing, burning incense, following rituals—yet their worship was like smoke in God's nose, irritating rather than pleasing. Why? Because their hearts were far from Him. They lived in rebellion while claiming spiritual superiority.

## The Danger of Smoke Worship

This ancient warning echoes into our modern church pews and worship services. It's entirely possible to sing the songs, raise your hands, even shed tears during worship, while your life remains unchanged. If you harbor unforgiveness, if you refuse to deal with issues God has clearly shown you, if you walk in the ways of the world while claiming to worship God, your worship becomes smoke rather than a sweet fragrance.

John 4:24 is clear: "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." Truth demands alignment between what we profess and how we live. It requires that we forgive as we've been forgiven, that we love as we've been loved, that we walk worthy of the calling we've received.

## Love That Defies Logic

Romans 5:7-8 presents the most astounding truth: "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

Think about this logically. People rarely die for bad people. Occasionally, someone might die for a good person. Perhaps someone would lay down their life for a truly righteous individual. But Christ died for His enemies. He died for those who were the very reason He had to die in the first place. He died for sinners—for rebels, for the ungodly, for those who didn't love Him.

First John 4:10 captures this perfectly: "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." Jesus is our propitiation—our atonement. He is what brings us back into agreement with God, reconciling us after our enmity, redeeming us and paying the price to return us to the Father.

## The Holy Spirit: God's Presence in Us

Because of Christ's sacrifice, believers receive the Holy Spirit—God's actual presence living within us. This isn't just poetic language; it's a tangible reality that changes everything about how we live.

The Holy Spirit teaches us, bringing God's truth to our understanding and recalling it when we need it most. He convicts us of sin, not to condemn but to lead us toward righteousness. He empowers us with supernatural strength, with power to serve and witness, and with the very life of Christ flowing through us.

The Spirit intercedes for us, praying in ways we cannot, communicating with the Father in the language of heaven. And remarkably, the Holy Spirit serves as our "earnest"—our down payment—a preview of the inheritance that awaits us.

## Walking in Love

Understanding God's love isn't just an intellectual exercise. It's meant to transform how we live. We're called to walk in love as Christ loved us—sacrificially, unconditionally, even toward those who don't deserve it.

This is impossible in human strength. That's precisely why God gives us His Spirit. The question isn't whether we can love like Christ; it's whether we'll surrender to the Spirit who enables us to do so.

Where do you stand today? Have you truly grasped the depth of God's love for you? Are you walking in the newness of life that love makes possible, or are you offering smoke instead of sweet-smelling worship? The invitation stands: come, receive, and be transformed by love that defies all logic.