By Humanity didn’t deserve the Cross. We weren’t entitled to it. Nevertheless, God’s big plan was to redeem the world, to set the world right. As we think about salvation, sometimes we only think about that big picture. Our part may be small, but it is comforting to feel like even a small part of the big plan, as this earth barrels forward in its transition toward the end and beginning of all things.
But there is a deeper layer to the story, something much more specific. There is a passion in God’s heart, and it is for people. It is me. It is you. It may be difficult to imagine a personal Savior who cares about being close to you, but that is exactly why Jesus came to earth. Jesus loves you. Jesus likes you. It is the consistent, never-ending attitude of his heart. Here are five verses that prove it:
Genesis 1:31 – The Designer’s Finest Work
“Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.” Gen. 1:31
Before you physically existed, you were a thought in God’s mind. He formulated you. He designed every detail of you. He loved you. In His words, the creation, your design was “very good.” When God Himself uses the word very, we should take it seriously!
Matthew 5:44-45 – A Recipient of His Good Gifts
“But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.” Matt. 5:44–45
If you don’t believe in God, and even if you actively oppose Him to His face, He still likes you. This love of His, love that spans the space from His best friend to His worst enemy, is not about fairness. It’s about how he feels about you. Because He likes you, he sends sunshine and rain, everything you need to succeed in this world.
1 Timothy 2:4 – The Desire of His Heart and Mind
“[God] wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.” 1 Tim. 2:4
God desires to be close to you. He wants you to be whole, fulfilled, loved, guiltless. He invites you to share in His wisdom and perfect truth, every lie of self-hatred dashed to pieces. You are His delight, and He paid everything in order to be close to you again.
Romans 2:4 – Someone He Will Wait For
“Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?” Rom. 2:4
It’s not a matter of time, and it’s not a matter of energy with God. He will wait as long as it takes for you to come home. If you feel that your heart is hard or that you’ve run too far from Him, take comfort in this truth. He is still waiting for you with kind and loving expectation, and He’s as close as ever.
Revelation 3:20 – A Friend to Do Life With
“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” Rev. 3:20
The long term plan? Live life. I imagine Jesus, every day, knocking on your front door, hoping that you will answer and having faith that you will. He’s there because He likes you. He likes spending time with you. There is no guilt or shame in simple friendship like this. There is simply a knock, an answer, an invitation and a sharing of hearts and lives.
When you invite Jesus in, you begin to think about yourself as he thinks about you. You see that you are valuable, and you know that you are beautiful. He tells you the truth about you, because He is the best friend you could ever have. He has so many good things to say about you.
