What does God think about me?

We have the threefold blessing; peace, favour, and glory; then tribulations. How do I know He loves me? "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." He gave His Son for me. If I have the Holy Ghost I am enjoying the love (though that is no proof); but I know He loves me because He gave His Son for me when I was alienated. "God commendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." His love is emphatic here. God loved those ungodly sinners, who were in one sense a horror to Him. He gave the best thing in heaven for this vile thing on earth. So we joy in God. I have first got to know the blessings then the patience and goodness of God, and then I say, "Well, but what a God I have!" And that is everlasting blessedness. So I joy in God Himself. I have got to know God in this. Just think what a Father I have! My joy is in Himself, and though we have it in an earthen vessel, yet we have it still. Along the road to the glory, He never withdraws His eyes from me. What a wonderful God I have! I do not glory in myself, I glory in the tribulation, because it is a proof to me that God is thinking of me.

You are very insignificant, and, worse than that, you have been steeped in sin; but He who takes notice of every atom in the universe has taken account of you, and has had you, atom though you be, in His thoughts, and has purposed that you shall shine in the likeness of His Son for ever. And that Son, to whom you are to be conformed, has laid down His life for you as the witness of that love and of His own personal love also; and the Holy Spirit has been given to you that that love might be the strength of your heart in your pilgrim journey through the world and your portion for ever.

Our sins deserved unmitigated wrath, and the strong foes had to be destroyed, and Jesus both bore the wrath and closed in conflict with the foes. All Satan's power was put forth to withstand Him, and all God's righteous judgment poured upon Him, but He went through it all that He might prove God's love to us. He has done it, He has delivered the blessed despatch safely. He has accomplished His work, but it cost Him His precious life. His blood flowed, but that flowing blood was the seal of God's great love. "God commends His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8.) And now the Glad Tidings can be proclaimed to sinners everywhere: God loves them; His home is open to them; "Whosoever will may be saved."

Why should God give His Son for the world? There is but one reason, "God is Love." Does God love us? Us, sinners, haters of Him? "God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8.) It is not because there is anything loveable in the sinner that he is invited to come near to God, but because God has given His Son to die; a meeting place in the propitiatory has been divinely made. Has your heart been broken by a sight of the spotless Son of God dying for his enemies? Have you, by the sacrifice, learned that God is light and love?

The least of all saints can never be overlooked by Him, or distinguished from others, either in time or eternity. We are loved as individuals, saved and glorified as individuals. The truth is clearly taught in Luke 15, and John also speaks much of our individual blessing, the family of God being his principal theme, as the church of God is Paul's, and the wilderness journey Peter's; yet it is Paul who says, "Who loved me, and gave Himself for me." Paul here speaks as if he were the only one that Christ loved and died for. Faith appropriates what grace reveals. It is only in this way that the heart enjoys the revelations of grace. Understandest thou this O my soul? It is all important. This is the province of faith alone. It makes the blessing, however great, personal. No matter what grace reveals in Christ, as the children's portion, faith is sure to say, "It is mine." A. Miller.

But it is not sufficient, however, to say that God is love and that He loved us; it is important that the holiness of the love of God be safeguarded. It must not be thought that because God is love, sins are of small account in His eyes. If we say, God loves men, it must not be understood as implying that He overlooks their sins. That would be falsifying His character. Sin is abhorrent to Him. He cannot behold iniquity. His eyes are too pure for that (Hab. 1:13). As antagonistic to His nature, an infringement on His sovereign rights, He cannot possibly tolerate sin. But how can God's love to men and His hatred of sin be harmonized? How can He maintain the holiness of His love? If He loves us, does He not violate holiness and righteousness? Such questions show the need of a fuller statement. The character of God in His love to us must be expressed: hence in saying, "Not that we loved God but that He loved us," the apostle adds, "And sent His Son [to make] propitiation for our sins."

39 Having come, then, to this great point, that God giveth not the Spirit by measure to His Son, we have another immense and hitherto unopened truth: "The Father" (for such Jesus manifested, being the Son whom God loved, proved by the Spirit given fully), "The Father loveth the Son." This is the blessed and glorious truth which shines upon and crowns the whole, the great crowning and all-comprehensive discovery in Christ, the essence of revelation; as one said indeed, "Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us." But He not only showeth us this, but that He loveth the Son, and this also through all the humiliation; and, further, we know by the Spirit He hath given all things into His hand; therefore "he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son," not obeying Him to whom the Father hath given all things, "shall not see life, but the wrath" (not of the Father, there is no wrath there, not an atom, perfect fulness of blessing, of love; He is Father, always Father, and nothing but Father in love and perfectness, "the Father loves the Son" but) "of God." He is not recognised in the Son, nor is a son. The contrary is disobedience to Him whom the Father honours in the place of a Son, giving all things into His hand. He is not in the relationship of a son; he is not therefore before the Father, as it were; but besides, he actually disobeys Him on whom the Father has conferred, and in whom the Father claims, all honour. "The wrath of God abideth on him"; for whenever a sinner meets God, wrath must be on him, for he is by nature the child of wrath. God so loved that He gave His only begotten Son. Whoever therefore meets Him in Him meets perfect love, and finds God his Father. Nor is it right to say God is reconciled, for He meets the world in perfect love, in the activity of His own love towards them that are lost. But this is not dealt with by the sinner; nay, either he rejects the authority of Him in whom it is expressed, who speaketh the words of God, so the wrath of God, as of love and authority passed by, abides on him. What else can? for apeithon is not merely "believeth not," but it is the accumulation of evil in one act, is not subject, pisteuon. The Son is believed in as of the Father, and having all things given unto Him. He is disobeyed, or not believed, as speaking the words of God; for if He were seen to be the Son, and so believed in, the Father and His love would be seen also (for He indeed was a Man, and we also), and that is eternal life; and then as alive in Him we should receive the Spirit also.

The Lord is constantly solicitous concerning the spiritual education of each of His own. To this end He deals with us individually. He has a present mind concerning us, each one according to the progress we have made in our schooling. To understand the activities of His love we must grasp this. It is a most marvellous fact that He Himself learned from the things which He suffered, though He were Son (Heb. 5:8). He lives now, and lovingly watches our progress. If it is true of an earthly father, “He that loves his son chastens him betimes,” for he seeks his good; it is also true, “Whom the Lord loves He chastens” and we know it is “for our profit.” If we are without this educational dealing, we have no part in His love at all. He loves His own too well to leave them alone.

Psalm 139 shows the complete exercise of heart that belongs to God's ways. Though the faithfulness of God perfects all His purposed blessing, not a thought escapes God. There is, morally speaking, no staying in His presence; but there is no getting out of His presence, nor where He sees not, though conscience might be glad to flee. But this brings in another aspect. He knows all, because also He has formed all. This connects us with the taking perfect notice of us in goodness. He cares for us, watches over every member that is formed, as He knows our every thought; if He does, He has His own too, and these are precious to us. This is just the change and working of faith. It begins necessarily by conscience under God's eye; for it brings us into His presence, and then gets at God's thoughts, who has formed us for Himself, and then unfolded boundless spheres of His own blessing and ways. God watches over him in the silence of sleep: waking, therefore, he finds himself with God.

What is the remedy for this unhealthy spiritual condition? We know of only one. Confidence in God must be restored, and this can only be as we dwell afresh upon His great love and infinite wisdom. How wonderful are those words of the Lord, “Even the very hairs of your head are ALL numbered.” Those small details of our lives that are too insignificant to be noticed by us, like a simple hair of our head, are matters of interest to God. It is wonderful that He who upholds the universe should be so minute in His care for those whom He loves. The knowledge of this and of the fact that His will is never against us but for us, should encourage us to wholly trust in Him.