How do we know that God loves
us? The first answer that probably comes
to mind would probably have mention of Jesus dying for our sins, but let’s
expand our thoughts regarding this.
Another oft-mentioned answer is: Because I’m alive, or because I’m on
this side of the earth. Does that mean
that, when we die, it is because God does not love us? Of course not. Another oft-mentioned answer is going to deal
with feelings.
I do not dismiss feelings
unequivocally in that sometimes they give us encouragement when it seems
nothing else does. However, I do not put
much stock in feelings because, first, our feelings are fallen and are not entirely
accurate. Sometimes we feel fear when
there is nothing to be feared, or we don’t feel fear when we should fear. Secondly, feelings come and go. We may have a strong feeling of the love of
God one time, and then the feeling goes away, perhaps never returning. Then, it may be that we dismiss the initial
feeling as being “a figment of our imagination.” On the hand, the initial feeling may cause us
to believe that we are “okay” in the eyes of God and drift off into mortal sin,
insensitive to the knowledge that we are offending the God who loves us. So how does one that God loves us?
I am sure that people can come up
with a myriad of ways, but I am going to choose only one: The wicked are still
alive. Many people use the evilness that
is in the world as a reason to not believe in God or to believe that God is
doing nothing. The wicked remain living
because God does not take their life away, giving them every opportunity to
repent. It is not his will that any man
should perish but wills to have all men
to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.[1] This is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from
unchastity; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness
and honor, not in the passion of lust like heathen who do not know God; that no
man transgress, and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an
avenger in all these things, as we solemnly forewarned you. For God has not
called us for uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore, whoever disregards this,
disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.[2] Therefore,
He gives us the Remedy, His Only Begotten Son.
The fact that God has not destroyed mankind for these thousands to
millions/billions of years because of his evilness proves that He loves us,
yearning that we turn to him for salvation.
Have I any pleasure in the death
of the wicked, says the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his
way and live?[3] The
fact that the wicked are kept alive in order that they repent proves
emphatically that God loves us, is merciful, is longsuffering.
Although he is not speaking of the
love of God here, but belief in God, I still think it goes to our topic,
speaking to the point of taking God’s love for granted or dismissing the love
of God altogether, Pope Benedict teaches us: “The question about God is
inescapable; it admits of no abstention. This leaves us with the further question: Is
there, then, no answer to the question about God? And if there is an answer, what degree of
certitude can we expect? In his Letter
to the Romans, the Apostle Paul found himself confronted with precisely this
question. The Apostle’s answer to the
metaphysical and moral cynicism of a decadent society ruled only by the law of
power is astounding. He asserts that in
reality they do know about God: “… What can be known about God is plain to
them, because God has shown it to them” (Rom 1:19). He supports his statement by pointing out that
‘Ever since the creation of the world his [God’s] eternal power and divine
nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the
things he has made’ (Rom 1:20). Paul
concludes from this that they are therefore ‘without excuse’ (ibid.). The truth was available to them, but they did
not want the obligation it would entail.… People oppose the truth that would
place demands upon them—demands such as the worship of God and the giving of
thanks (Rom 1:21). The moral corruption
of society is for Paul but the logical consequence and the exact mirror-image
of its fundamental perversion. When we place our own will, our own pride, our
own comfort above the demands of truth, it is inevitable that everything will fall
ultimately into decay. God, to whom
worship is due, will no longer be worshipped; instead, images, appearances, the
prevailing point of view will hold humanity in thrall. This universal distortion will spread to all
walks of life. What is contrary to nature
will become the norm; the individual who lives contrary to truth, lives
contrary to nature. His ingenuity will
no longer be at the service of what is good, but will be used instead to devise
original and artful forms of wickedness. The relationship between husband and wife,
between parents and children, will be dissolved and the sources of life will
consequently be thwarted. It will no
longer be life that has dominion, but death; a civilization of death will be
established (Rom 1:21–32).”[4]
When we see that, out of love, God
does not immediately destroy the wicked, then we should constantly remind
ourselves that everything that occurs to us is God working for our
sanctification—because of his love for us.
When we begin to drift into doubt, let us be encouraged by the fact that
God has not destroyed the wicked but yearns for his salvation.
[1] The Holy Bible,
Translated from the Latin Vulgate, (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible
Software, 2009), 1 Ti 2:4.
[2]
Catholic Biblical Association (Great Britain), The Holy Bible:
Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, (New York: National
Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, 1994), 1 Th 4:3–8.
[3] Ibid.,
Eze 18:23.
[4]
Joseph Ratzinger, Co-Workers of the
Truth: Meditations for Every Day of the Year, ed. Irene Grassl,
(San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1992), 213–214.
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