IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Articles

Limitless

Date: Oct. 10, 2013

Author: Dan Bockenfeld

God's love is amazing. It doesn't have any limits and just when you think that there isn't any more room, God shows you just how much more there is.

Just over two weeks ago, my family celebrated the birth of our second child Lucas. Our oldest child, Ella, is now two and a half and she has been such a blessing to our family. We love her deeply, but as Lucas' birth drew nearer, we wondered if we could love another child like we love her. I mean, she is the dearest and sweetest little girl I have ever met. My wife and I have so much love for her. How could we ever have enough love for another child? It felt like we spent it all on Ella. However, when Lucas came, we didn't love Ella less, our love grew to cover the cutest little boy that the world has ever seen. Our love expanded to a size that we never conceived possible. I highly doubt that it was something within me that caused my love to expand. I have a tendency to be irritable when frustrated and use sharp words when my mind is focused on something else, not the best qualities for have expansive love.

This massive change in my life reminds me of something about God and how limitless his love is for each of us. I know that there are a number of people out there who wonder if God has any love left for them. They think that their sins and mistakes are so severe that God couldn't have any room for them in his heart. I know this because I was one of those people. I've never felt good enough for anything or anyone, especially God. Honestly, I'm not good enough for God. I can never live up to his standards, no matter how hard I try. It's impossible. No matter what I do, I will never be able to please God and earn his favor. It will never happen.

That doesn't seem very encouraging, but the wonderful thing about God's love is that it doesn't depend on us. I love my children, but they never did anything to deserve my love. In fact, my daughter tries my patience in her terrible twos, but I love her without limit. Likewise, despite who we are, God does love us more than we could ever fathom. The Bible says in Romans 5:8 (NIV), "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." God loves us so much that Jesus became our salvation; he became our healer. When Jesus died on the cross, he took our shortcomings and our sins, and makes us perfect, not by our actions but because God simply declares us to be. I am not good enough for God, but God says that I am good enough because of what Jesus has done for me.

I can never lose that salvation because it was never mine to gain in the first place. It was simply given to me because of Jesus and God's love for me. The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:8 (NIV) that "love covers a multitude of sins." God's love is so great that there is no limit to his forgiveness and healing. "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Joel 2:32, Acts 2:21, Romans 10:13) When we hold tight to Jesus, there is no limit to God's love and we are saved.

Intro Daily