God Pursues a Love Relationship with You

Experiencing God (3): God Pursues a Love Relationship with You
Rev. Mark Kosko
(Romans 8:35, 37-39)

 I. Expressions of Love
People have their individual preferences of how they like to feel loved by others
God provides his love in all manner of thought, word and deed
God also calls on us to express our love to Him in Christ

 II. God desires an intimate relationship with Him beyond our human relationships
Sometimes examples of human relationships aren’t ideal
Example: Father- son dysfunction: constant criticism, impossibly high standards, hurt and rejection
But our human relationships in Christ give us a glimpse of what could be

 III. But what distracts us from a deep relationship God desires?
“Sin causes us to follow our own selfish desires, but in doing so we reject God’s best for our lives.” – Experiencing God
Does God’s love truly conquer all?
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? . . .37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:35, 37-39
Love is an unconditional gift from God:
“That does not mean you will never do anything to express your love for him. God will call you to obey Him and do whatever he asks. However, you do not need to be doing something to feel fulfilled or to be a person of worth in God’s eyes. You are completely fulfilled in a relationship with God.” – Experiencing God

 IV. Reflection:
How do we like to feel loved by God by purely human standards? We would like gifts as well as acts of service from God for sure while we’re here on this earth. But does our perspective change when compared with the real gifts and ultimate act that God has already provided us through his Son Christ Jesus?