Last night Bellshill Salvation Army Band visited Parkhead Salvation Army to provide an evening of musical praise and worship, to raise money to support the Salvation Army’s work in UkraineI. During the time of reflection in the programme, I shared some devotions. I’d like to share those with you tonight.
Amazing love! How can it be, That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Imagine someone you love is in a dangerous life-threatening position, where the only way to save them, is by putting your own life on the line instead of theirs – Would you do it? Giving your life to save the life of someone you love, would be the ultimate sacrifice anyone could ever give. That is true love!
I was reading an article earlier this week, where children aged between 4 and 8 years old were asked what true love is? They got some interesting answers – here’s a few of them.
- When someone really loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth – Billy age 4
- Love is when your puppy licks your face even although you ignored him all day – Ailsa age 4
- Love is like an avalanche, where you have to run for your life – John, age 9
- I’m in favour of love as long as it doesn’t happen when I’m watching Disney” – Olivia, age 6
- If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend you hate – Theo age 8
Wise words from Theo, aren’t they?
Just as those children understood the meaning of true love in different ways, so God’s love for us can be shown in different ways. However God didn’t distinguish between whose who believe in Him and those who don’t, when He willingly sacrificed His only Son, Jesus, at Calvary.
He canceled out every legal violation we had on our record and the old arrest warrant that stood to indict us. He erased it all—our sins, our stained soul—he deleted it all and they cannot be retrieved! Everything we once were in Adam has been placed onto his cross and nailed permanently there as a public display of cancellation.
Colossians 2:14 (The Passion Translation)
Jesus future was decided long before He came to earth to live as one of us. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, that meant each of us were destined to be sinners. For that reason Jesus willingly gave His life to save us, to ensure we were forgiven of our sins.
If the only way to save those you love, was to take Jesus’ place on the cross, would you have willing take His place, knowing the pain and the agony that lay ahead?
He left His Father’s throne above So free, so infinite His grace— Emptied Himself of all but love, And bled for Adam’s helpless race
Our future changed forever when Jesus died on the cross. But can you imagine what life would have been like today if Jesus hadn’t died, and then risen again? Thankful we don’t have to imagine that as our debt was paid by Jesus, when he paid the ultimate price for us.
It can be hard for us to fully comprehend the sacrifice God made so willingly for us, but it should be easy for us to recognise God’s amazing love for us, because Jesus’ death cleared our debt forever.
What amazing love!
Here’s a recording of New York Staff Band playing ‘And Can It Be?’, which we played immediately after my thought, last night.
The Distinct Dot 