Evidence of Love – June 4, 2021

For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (CSB)
John 3:16

Evidence of Love

How can you tell if someone truly loves you? Is it enough if that person simply says, “I love you?” Or would you like to see more evidence of their love than just those words? No one can deny the importance of hearing someone say, “I love you.” But far more powerful and meaningful are actions that demonstrate the love that the person says they have for you.

Part of the reason that actions demonstrate love much better than words is that it’s harder to fake sincerity through actions. People often say things they do not mean. How many politicians’ promises do you really trust they will keep? And a person’s actions can easily contradict the words that they say. But if someone willingly sacrifices themself to serve you, you have more powerful evidence of their love than mere words could ever give.

The triune God tells us repeatedly in the Bible that he loves you. And, since God cannot lie, those words truly would have been enough to convince us of his love, even if he had done nothing else. But God wasn’t content just to tell us that he loves us. He also demonstrated his love for us in the most powerful way possible.

Here is how God demonstrated his love for us: He gave his one and only Son. He sent his Son, Jesus, to live a perfect life in our place. On the cross, he punished his Son, Jesus, instead of punishing you, me, and every other sinner who has ever lived. He willingly sacrificed his Son as the perfect payment for the sins of the world. And he did all this so that everyone who believes in his Son will live with him forever.

God’s giving of his Son provides us with clear and incontrovertible evidence of his incredible love for us. The triune God truly does love you. Both his words and his actions prove it.

Prayer:
O triune God, thank you for demonstrating your love for me through the giving of your Son. Amen.