We live in a constantly changing world with trials, challenges, and uncertainties. It's challenging to find something that remains constant in this life. But as Christians, God has let us know He loves us with an everlasting, unchanging, secure love.
Jeremiah 31:3 declares God's love for us, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." While this verse was originally part of God's promise to the people of Israel, it also holds a profound message that extends beyond the nation of Israel and speaks directly to each of us as individuals and the Church.
The Depth of God’s Love is Beyond Our Understanding
God's love is far beyond our understanding. In Ephesians 3:14-19, Paul prays that we would have the strength to grasp the incredible width, length, height, and depth of Christ's love for us. God's love surpasses all knowledge, yet we can continually experience and grow in it. His love is not conditional on our actions, successes, or failures but is rooted in His unchanging nature.
Though Jeremiah 31:3 was spoken to Israel, It's a timeless reminder that God's love is not for a specific group or nation but for all who are in Christ. Through Jesus, the promises given to Israel are now extended to all who believe, regardless of background. Just as the Lord declared His everlasting love for Israel, He declares the same over His Church (which is made of believers from every tribe, nation, and language).
One day, not long ago, I was struck by how much God loves each of us. I’ve had this knowledge for many years; however, it struck me anew how God’s love is so different from human love. It’s a love that’s both personal and universal (for those who love God). Through this incomprehensible love, God reaches out to each of us, inviting us to experience its fullness.
The characteristics of God’s love are foreign to us and hard to understand, nonetheless, He extends this love to each of us. We only have to reach out to God, and He will respond with the full depth of His unshakable love.
Nothing Can Separate Us from His Love
Romans 8:38-39 NKJV says, "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." This verse reminds us that nothing can separate ever separate us from God's love in Jesus.
God's love isn't only eternal but also unshakable. No circumstance, failure, or fear can take us away from the embrace of His care and affection. This truth holds for both the global Church and for every individual believer who rests in the love of Christ.
So, can illness, job loss, the death of a loved one, or any other situation separate us from God’s love? No. What about sin? Sin can’t separate us from God’s love in that His love is eternal, unconditional, and steadfast. However, sin can affect our relationship with God.
While sin doesn’t sever His love for us, it can create a barrier between us and our Lord in terms of fellowship and intimacy. Sin disrupts our fellowship with God. We may feel a sense of separation from Him in terms of communion or closeness with Him. When we sin, God feels distant, even though He is always near. But this separation is not permanent; it’s relational, not a severing of love.
Sin can disrupt our relationship with God, but He’s always calling us back to Himself. Through Jesus, He has given us a way to be reconciled with our Lord. 1 John 1:9 NKJV says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Through confession and repenting, God invites us to reconcile with Him, restoring that deep relationship He desires with each of His children.
The Demonstration of God’s Love—The Cross
This leads us to the greatest demonstration of God’s love—the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. John 3:16 tells us that God gave His only Son to die for our sins so that we might have eternal life. God did this while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8).
Our Lord loved (loves) us this much, and His love expects nothing in return. His love is given freely, generously, and sacrificially. His love is not bound by nationality or circumstance but is a universal truth for all who believe in Jesus. Through the cross, God made a way for us to enter into a personal relationship with Him.
God’s Love is Ever-Present and Unfailing
In Psalm 136:1 and Isaiah 54:10, we're reminded that God's love endures forever (depending on your Bible translation, the verse may use the word "mercy." This is the Hebrew word "chesed," which has a range of meanings tied to love: lovingkindness, mercy, steadfast love, grace, and loyalty.) Even in hard times, when everything around us seems to fall apart, His love remains. It's a love that won't fail or give up on us. Lamentations 3:22-23 assures us that the Lord's compassions are new every morning, providing us with fresh hope and strength every day.
This assurance is true for both the Church as a whole and for every individual believer. The love of God that was proclaimed in Jeremiah 31:3 is just as applicable to Christians today. It’s a love that never fails, never diminishes, and never departs.
How is God's love different from human love? Human love is often:
Conditional: based on physical attraction, shared interests, and reciprocal feelings. If these conditions change, love can falter or disappear.
Imperfect: we make mistakes, have mood swings, carry past hurts, and more. These imperfections can impact our ability to love consistently and perfectly.
Fickle: depending on circumstances, stress, and personal growth.
Limited: human have finite capacities. We can only give so much time, energy, and emotional support. Life’s demands and our own needs can leave us feeling depleted, making it difficult to love others as we desire.
Betrays: human love is also vulnerable to betrayal—broken promises, infidelity, abuse, or abandonment forms of betrayal. These experiences leave deep wounds and make it hard to trust or love again.
It's true that human love can be powerful and beautiful, but God's love is unique to those who seek Him.
On the other hand, God’s love is:
• Unconditional
• Perfect
• Eternal
• Unlimited
• Faithful
God's unfailing love offers hope and security, especially in our broken world where human relationships can be fragile and disappointing. His love offers a foundation for self-worth, knowing that our Lord always loves us unconditionally.
Our Response to God's Everlasting Love
As recipients of such boundless, eternal love, our response to God’s everlasting love is crucial. The love God has shown us—unfailing and unconditional—is the very foundation of our relationship with Him. It calls us to respond in faith, trust, and obedience.
While God’s love for us is constant and unchanging, the way we respond to that love impacts our fellowship with Him. The Bible is clear that our response should be both receptive and transformative. We are to receive His love in these ways:
Receive God’s love with gratitude and humility: the first step is to receive our Lord's love. His love is freely given; we can't earn it by our actions or achievements, but we are to receive it in faith. When we truly understand the magnitude of God's love, our hearts are filled with thankfulness and awe. It moves us to a place of worship and reverence. This gratitude fuels our relationship with God, as we recognize that we are deeply loved because of who He is, not what we've done.
Repentance and restored fellowship: even though sin can never sever God's love, it does hinder our relationship with Him. When we sin, it creates a barrier that affects our relationship with God. This doesn't mean His love has stopped. Rather, it means that sins come in between the closeness and intimacy of our walk with Him.
We may feel distant when we sin, but God is always ready to draw us near again. The call to repentance is not a punishment but an invitation to restoration. If we confess and repent of our sins, God is quick to forgive (1 John 1:9). Our fellowship with God is then restored. Our Lord is always waiting to forgive and embrace us, no matter how far we've strayed.
Live out the love we’ve received: God's love isn't meant to just be experienced inwardly; it calls us to live it out. Our response to God's love is to enjoy it for ourselves and reflect it to the world around us. This is the mark of a true follower of Christ—love for God and for others (John 13:34-35).
A Love That Never Ends
When we reflect on Jeremiah 31:3, we can rest assured that it's not just a promise for Israel but a declaration of God's eternal, unchanging love for His people, including the Church and individual believers. Our Lord's love is a rock we can stand on, no matter the season of life. No matter where we are, God deeply loves us, and His love for us will never fade or diminish.
My prayer is that God’s everlasting love fills you with peace, joy, and confidence as you walk through life. Know that His love will never fail. You are loved with God’s unfailing love, and nothing in this world can separate you from our Lord and His love.
God bless,
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