God's Everlasting Love For Us

1. God made man in His image.
Man is the most precious work of God's creation. He was created in God's own image. You and I bear the image of God.(Genesis 1:26-28).

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.

So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
(Genesis 1:26-27)

You and I do not bear the image of any wild animals or dead objects. We have been created in the image of the eternal, Almighty, All-wise God. When God created the vegetation and animals of the world, He saw that what He created was "good" (Genesis 1:12,18,21,25). However, when man was created, God declared that His creation was "very good" (Genesis 1:31).

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
(Psalm 139:14)

As God is spirit, so are we. And with our spirit, we can commune with God (who is spirit) and have fellowship with God, unlike animals or plants (John 4:24). They cannot commune with God because they do not have a spirit. God made man to fellowship with Him.

God is spirit, and His worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth.
(John 4:24)

Because we are made in God's image, we are precious to God. Every person's life belongs to God and is holy before Him. In other words, we have been created for His use. Therefore, we are all of eternal value to Him. It is for this reason that no man is allowed by God to murder another man, for every person on earth is made in God's image (Genesis 9:5-6).

And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man."
(Genesis 9:5-6)

Therefore, none of us should ever say that he is ugly, or stupid or worthless. We should never compare ourselves with others and put ourselves down. In God's eyes, you have been wonderfully made. And you are precious to Him. Out of His wisdom and love, He made us to be like Him.

2. God gave the best of everything for the man He created. Before God created man, God prepared a paradise for him to live in, a place called the Garden of Eden. God put man in the Garden to work in it and to take care of it (Genesis 1:8-17).

God provided for man food to eat, and a suitable helper for him. God Himself fellowshipped with man (Genesis 3:8). There was nothing that man lacked. God continues to watch over His creation today and to provide for man's needs. God withholds nothing good from man (Psalm 145:9,13; 84:11).

The LORD is good to all;

He has compassion on all He has made

The LORD is faithful to all His promises


and loving towards all He has made.
(Psalm 145:9,13)

For the LORD God is a sun and a shield;


the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does He withhold

from those whose walk is blameless.
(Psalm 84:11)

Even after man sinned against God and was driven from the Garden of Eden, God still provided for him. God continues to watch over His creation, even up till today, pouring down His blessings upon both the wicked and the righteous (Matthew 5:44-45). And for those who obey God and turn to Him everyday for their needs, God promises to bless them abundantly and generously (Deuteronomy 28:1-6).

But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
(Matthew 5:44-45)

If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all the commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. ALL THESE BLESSINGS will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God:
You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock -- the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
Your basket and kneading trough will be blessed.
You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
(Deuteronomy 28:1-6)

3. God redeemed man from His sins.
When man disobeyed God and sinned against Him, God still loved him. Although the punishment of sin is death and the eternal fires of hell, God provided a way for man to be redeemed from his sins. God redeemed man by sending His only Son to die on the cross for man's sins.

Jesus the Son of God willingly went to the cross to suffer the punishment of man's sins, because He loved us with love beyond compare (John 15:13). In this way, when a person believes in Jesus as Savior, God forgives him his sins. God also give the believer eternal life. God does all these because He loves man, whom He has created in His own image (John 3:16; 1 John 4:9-10). He does not want any man to die in hell (2 Peter 3:9).

Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his friends.
(John 15:13)

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.
(John 3:16)

This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
(1 John 4:910)

He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
(2 Peter 3:9)

If God had not loved us and sent his Son to die for us, there is only the fearsome fires of hell waiting for each of us, for all of us are sinners (Romans 3:23; 6:23). But God loves His creation, and has offered us salvation freely through His son. What amazing love! What amazing grace!

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
(Romans 3:23)

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:23)

4. God called us to be His sons and made us heirs of His kingdom.
Not only did God save man from sin and death and hell and give him eternal life, God also calls every believer a son. Everyone of us is a son of the King of kings and Lord of lords. Almighty God our Creator has made us his sons. Almighty God Himself is our own Father. This is a profound demonstration of God's love for sinners like you and me (1 John 3:1; John 1:12).

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!.
(1 John 3:1)

Yet to all who receive Him [Jesus], to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.
(John 1:12)

And together with sonship in God's kingdom, a child of God is also an heir of God's kingdom riches (Galatians 4:4-7; Romans 8:16-17). In other words, all the riches of heaven belong to every child of God today (Ephesians 1:3). In sharing with us His kingdom riches, God shows His great love for every one of us. God's wisdom and revelation, power and strength, joy and peace, health and healing, wealth and prosperity, protection and guidance. God's fellowship and presence -- all these are ours today in Christ.

But when the time has fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights as sons. Because we are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hears, the Spirit who calls our "Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.
(Galatians 4:4-7)

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now, if we are children, then we are heirs -- heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may share in His glory.
(Romans 8:16-17)

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
(Ephesians 1:3)

5. God has called everyone of us to serve Him.
Having made us His sons, God has also appointed us to be His representatives on this earth to serve Him. Everyone os us now represent the King of kings to all men on earth. We are now ambassadors of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20; John 20:21).

We are therefore Christ's ambassadors.
(2 Corinthians 5:20)

Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."
(John 20:21)

We are sent forth in the power of God to proclaim His love and salvation to all men, to heal the sick and to cast out evil spirit (Mark 16:15-18). We are also appointed to encourage and strengthen the people of God.

That God should appoint us to represent Him is indeed an awesome measure of the honor God has placed upon us. Everyone of us by our old nature is frail and weak and unworthy to serve God. Yet God has saved us, chosen us, appointed us, and empowered us to serve Him. What a calling! What an honor! What a privilege!

6. God has given us His love to love others.
Not only has God shown us His love in Christ, He has also given us His love through His Spirit in order that we may love others with His love. Our own love for others is a selfish love. Our own love for others is limited in patience and kindness. We can never bear the strain of loving others with our own love. We all need the love of God is us to love others. And God has given His love to us to love others so that our love will never fail. (Romans 5:5; John 17:26; 1 Corinthians 13:8).

God has poured our HIS LOVE into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.
(Romans 5:5)

[Jesus prayed]: "I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the LOVE you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."
(John 17:26)

God's love has been given to us so that we may love others as God would love them. We have the same capacity to love others as Jesus loved men. The same love that the Father had for Jesus is now in us. We are responsible to walk in God's love everyday. The choice is ours.

7. God love toward us and through us is unending.
God's love for His creation, including man, never ceases (1 Chronicles 16:34,41). His love never comes to an end (Lamentations 3:22-23). We can always depend on God's love in all situation, at all times. We only have to ask and believe, and His love will flow unceasingly into our lives.

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good

His love endures forever.
(1 Chronicles 16:34)

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases,


His mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;

great is thy faithfulness
(Lamentations 3:22-23)

Nothing can separate us from God's love (Romans 8:35-39). No one can snatch us from God's loving hands (John 10:28-29). No power on this earth can ever stop God from manifesting His love in our lives, whenever we call upon Him. God's love for us is everlasting (Jeremiah 31:3). Only our sins can stop God's love from reaching us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 8:35,38-39)

I have loved you with an everlasting love;


I have drawn you with loving-kindness.
(Jeremiah 31:3)

As we walk in God's love, His love will flow through us as rivers of living water through His Spirit who lives in us forever (John 7:38-39; 14:16; 2 Timothy 1:7). And God's love for us will continue to flow through us as we obey God and walk in His love.

Your thought:

1. Why is it that many believers find it hard to believe that God loves them with an everlasting love?

List out all possible reasons.

2. How can we as children of God enjoy God's love and bless others with God's love everyday?

List out some simple practical steps that can help us achieve these objectives.