The Love That Saves

 

"Lord, I know my love could never be enough to save them--but I know without a doubt that Yours would."

Have you ever known a lost soul that led you to pray that specific prayer? Someone who touched your heart in such a way that left you with a sense of desperation and determination. 

Maybe it's a friend or a loved one. Or an acquaintance who left a powerful first impression. Watching people in the world today can be truly heartwrenching as so many are oblivious to what waits for them in eternity as they sit comfortably in their sin. You stand by as as outsider and watch as their life trends downward, traveling down that broken and wayward path. 

Knowing that while your love could never save them, the love of Christ is their only hope. They need to know of and experience the power of His mercy and grace; the freedom found in the forgiveness of sin.  

I've had this thought on my heart for some time and I kept thinking about Christ and all of the rejection that He experienced (and still does)

He loves every sinner, no matter what they have done or who they are.....yet there are so many in the world who choose to repeatedly reject Him. The world encourages us to look for happiness and fulfillment in all of the wrong things. They are living in filth and darkness with no thoughts of leaving it behind.. 

Maybe you're situated in a place of still praying for that lost family member or trying to witness to them openly. The best (yet sometimes the most difficult thing to) is to be honest with them in sharing the truth of what an eternity spent without Christ would entail.

How does the Bible describe Hell?

Eternal Separation: The continual rejection of Jesus Christ will eventually lead to eternal separation from God, in fiery flames of torment forever without the hope and peace that only He can give. 

"And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:15 KJV)

Eternal Suffering: This could be interchangeable with my other point, but it's important to double down on the fact that Hell is not a place where everyone is having a party and it is a VERY real place. Hollywood loves to either glamorize it or cut out its existence altogether, but you don't have to go there. You have the choice, and when it comes to eternity, that's the most important decision you will ever make.

"And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name." (Revelation 14:11 KJV)

Eternal Sorrow: Continual rejection of Christ will lead to an eternity spent in eternal sorrow. The Bible tells us specifically that there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth---pointing to rememberance of the rejection and sorrowful self reflected anger and regret. 

"And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth" (Luke 13:42 KJV)

"There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out." (Luke 13:28 KJV)

If you're in a place of worrying about someone you love, keep praying for them & keep doing everything in your power to witness to them and to be an example of who Christ is in their lives. 

Or maybe, you're lost and searching or in need of something to wake you up. Honestly, you won't find the peace you're looking for in this world. You'll never know what fullness of joy means because rejecting Him will keep you from all of that. Your heart will forever feel empty and you'll never know of the long-lasting comfort that He can give, even on the best of your worst days.

All of the love in the world---every ounce of good that you do would never be enough to save you---but Jesus will if you simply call upon Him.

He doesn't care about coming up into your mess, the very place where you've been hiding away. He wants to meet you where you are. He'll come sit with you and gladly come into your life if you will ask Him to save you and to come into your heart.

For His love is the love that saves. 

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8 KJV)

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13 KJV)

 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9-10 KJV)