Love Didn’t Save You

Many songs and sermons in the Church today focus on the love of God. And rightfully so! Without His love, where would we be? John 3:16 has been the backbone of countless Sunday school lessons, youth group retreats, and means to witness to other people because it encompasses the Gospel. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.” It is central to every facet of the Gospel. Take the cross as a key example. What was once a representation of sheer agony, suffering, and death has been transformed by the Son of Man’s obedience to it. Now it represents hope, freedom, and life for many.

But was it love that saved us? Is love what saved you from darkness? From certain death and eternal separation from God?

What would you say if I told you it wasn’t?

Love didn’t save me and it didn’t save you.

Are you wide-eyed and ready to call me out on some blasphemy?

Just stick with me for a bit. Let me shed some light on what the Lord has been reminding me this past week. A refreshing and sobering reminder.

I’ve been going through this Bible reading plan called The Bible Project (it’s awesome, you should go check it out: https://thebibleproject.tumblr.com/readscripture. I am just finishing up Numbers. If you’re like me, Numbers and Leviticus are not first choice when it comes to digging into the Word. They are notorious for all the laws, festivals, offerings, and measurements and descriptions of the Tabernacle, making it hard to get through – much less get excited about.

But this time around, there’s a phrase repeated in varying forms throughout the wilderness to the Israelites that struck me,“You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.” Leviticus 20:26

“Keep my commands and follow them. I am the Lord. Do not profane my holy name, for I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the Lord, who made you holy and brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord.” Leviticus 22:31-33

You see, God loved His people and brought them out of slavery and into freedom. To be set apart as His nation, a great nation – as He promised Abraham back in Genesis. God loved them so much that He wanted to be with them Himself, to dwell with them! But here’s the thing: God is God.

He is Yahweh, the Almighty Creator of the world. He is HOLY. We saw what happened when sin entered the Garden of perfection – Adam and Eve were cast out from Eden because they could no longer be in God’s presence. Not because God stopped loving them, but because of His holiness. He cannot be around sin.

So, this time around reading in the Original Testament about all the particular laws and cleansing rituals for the priests and the offerings and the festivals – down to the exact numbers and types of animals, what is clean and unclean – hit me in a much different way. God still loved His people – that has not changed since the beginning and it never will. He wanted to be with them.

ALL the love God possibly had to give could not blot out sin – it took countless sacrificial offerings to cover it. Blood was the required payment. The only payment that would cover it.

All the love in the world, even all the love of the Father (which is mind-blowing in and of itself to think about) isn’t enough to cover the chasm sin created between us and Him. So as I was reading all of these instructions and regulations for the offerings, festivals, and the Tabernacle it hit me: these things had to be put into place in order for God to dwell with His people because of His nature, because of His holiness! In the same way, under the new covenant, no amount of love would ever be enough to take care of the sin problem.

It took the blood of the only Son of the Living God to make atonement for all sin once and for all. Jesus’ obedience struck me this week. At any point He could’ve just thrown up His hands and said, “I’m done – I want out!”

But He didn’t.

It isn’t Your love that saves us – it’s Your blood Jesus. 

Hear me: love is most definitely the source and driving motivation, but it is not the payment.

Papa couldn’t waive the fee but He could pay it Himself. And He did.

He was the only hope there was – the only payment that could ever be enough would have to come from God Himself.

Jesus did just that – laying down His divinity and living a life of perfection and obedience to the Father – even to the point of suffering unimaginable agony. For you. For me. For the glory of the Father.

What was broken in the Garden is now redeemed and being restored – all because of His blood.

That is Your Kingdom come here on earth Lord – restoring and healing the destruction of sin.

Mmmmm. Jesus.

I challenge you to take some time this week and meditate on the magnitude of Christ’s payment and what it means for you.

Here’s a couple songs to help focus your mind:

Please share anything the Lord reveals to you or reminds you of this week in the comments section below. Let’s encourage each other!