Have you ever felt like you didn’t deserve God’s love? Or maybe you have been told that because you are broken, a sinful person, you don’t deserve God’s love or even belong in heaven with Him. I know there have been many times I have felt as though I don’t deserve God’s love because of what I had done or because I know that I have the disease of sin in my life.
But then I asked a question… “Where in the Bible does God say, “I am not worthy of God’s love or that I don’t deserve my love?” Yes, the Bible says we fall short of His glory and His holiness (Romans 3:23). But does it mean that, “I don’t deserve God’s love?”
Imagine if my son or daughter (or one of your children) came to me after disobeying or failing at something I asked him to do, or that I expected her to do, and they said to me, “Dad, I screwed up; I don’t deserve your love.” As a Father who deeply loves my children, I would never say, “Yeah, you are right, you are not worthy of my love nor do you deserve my love.” But, instead, I would say, “Are you kidding me? You are my son/daughter, I love you regardless of how you feel, or what you did. You deserve my love for the simple fact that you are my child.”
If we look throughout scripture, God’s love has never been contingent on my sinful nature, actions, or even how I view myself. What can we discover through Jesus’ life and teachings about God’s love?
The Prodigal Son, (one of my favorite stories told by Jesus) when he returned to the Father, said,” ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'” (Luke 15:21). What does the Father do? He proceeds to throw him a party and tells his servants, “For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” Did the son feel unworthy and undeserving of his father’s love? Yes! (so do I at times) But it didn’t matter what the son thought, felt or said; it only mattered what the Father thought and said. The Son was feeling shame, but the Father was extending love, grace, mercy.
In Luke 5, Jesus tells him to let down his nets again after Peter had fished all night, not catching anything. With some resistance, Peter puts his nets down again, only to make one of the biggest catches of his life. As soon as Peter realizes what is happening, he falls at Jesus’ feet and says, “Depart from me; I am a sinful man!” In other words, I am unworthy, undeserving of your love. But what does Jesus do just a few verses later? He calls Peter to follow Him. Jesus wouldn’t call someone to follow Him if he wasn’t deserving. (Guess what, Jesus calls you to follow him too.)
Time and time again, Jesus called and expressed love to the most sinful people, the most unclean person, the most unloveable, unwanted person, to those who I’m sure felt they didn’t deserve His love.
He never told them, “You don’t deserve my love.” or “You are unworthy of my love.”
It is true, we might feel as though we don’t deserve God’s love (I know I have felt this way often), but God says and acts differently. What God says is all that matters.
But, if you are like me, you struggle with this truth and might even ask, “Why am I deserving of God’s love? Phil, you don’t know what I’ve done. You don’t know my lustful, angry, deplorable, vile thoughts.”
You are right, I don’t. But what I do know is this:
John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world (everyone)…”
Romans 5:8 – “But God demonstrates his own love for us (everyone) in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 8:38-39 “Nothing can separate us from the love of God.” (in greek “nothing” literally means – nothing)
Genesis 1:27 – “God created mankind (every person who has ever lived)…”
Psalm 139:14 – “I am fearfully and wonderfully made…”
The person who created us determines our value and worthiness of love, not the thing or person who was created.
Therefore, no matter how you feel or think about yourself, God says you are worthy and deserving of His love. It is this unconditional, unmerited, love that I hope will move us to live as God has called us to live, to turn from my way of living towards the life God has created me to live. It will be this love that will move us deeper into a relationship with Him, not because I should, but because He loves.
Phil Steiner 