For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Romans 3:24-25
Grace, mercy and love all have one thing in common – they’re free. There’s no way to truly love someone, or show them grace and mercy if you have conditions connected. Don’t you wish all relationships worked with a “No strings attached” understanding. When we love someone as God loves us, we love them for who they are, just as they are. We don’t love them “if” they’ll change for us.
Sadly, many people enter relationships and deal with others with all kinds of strings attached. Some give money to charity only if it will be used the way they think it should. In relationships people often withhold love and emotions until the other person acts or performs as they think they should. When we act like this we’re manipulating people and events in an effort to control them, and that’s not real love.
Aren’t you thankful God doesn’t love us like that? St. Paul tells us that God’s love and grace flow freely in waves of mercy to ALL sinners, through the redeeming sacrifice of Jesus Christ. God doesn’t wait for us to be perfect to love us. The very definitions of grace and agape love (God’s love) mean that they are undeserved, no strings attached. We’re all sinners, yes everyone, but God loves us where we are, as we are. Of course, He doesn’t want us to stay in our sin, but still His love for us is there.
St. John, in his first epistle tells us how much God loves us even in our sin; “This is real love–not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (1 John 4:10 NLT) God’s love is real love, and it always comes with no strings attached.
Grace and Peace,
+Pastor Brad
Prayer
Father, thank you for loving me even in my sin with no strings attached. Help me by your grace and mercy to rise above my sin and to live a life of real love for you and others. Amen.
Image credit: https://englishhelponline.me/2010/08/15/idiom-no-strings-attached/