February 14, 2009
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God's Valentine to sinful men: "Nadie te amo como Yo"
What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul.
(Alexander Means, 1835)One morning while sitting in the car and waiting in traffic, I saw a large decal on vehicle window in front of me: a picture of Jesus sitting on a cross and praying with the following words below the picture:
I asked one of my friends who is a native Spanish speaker (gracias, K) to help me out with the details of the translation. She told me this would mean either:
Nobody loved you I did
Nobody loves you like I doAnd then she explained, "If there was a cross, well then it refers to Jesus. It's also the word "love" to the highest power. It's the kind of love you use for a husband and wife; mother and child. You wouldn't use it for just anyone, if this makes sense."
Makes sense to me. Well, as much as a holy God loving sinners with such an infinite love can really make sense to my finite mind! Can we really fathom such love?Because we have sinned to the highest power, we need "love to the highest power" for only love to the highest power could purchase eternal redemption for us and save sinners like us completely, to the uttermost!
Only love to the highest power
does not punish us as we deserve
but punished His Son in our place!Only love to the highest power
shed His blood on the cross
so our sins might be cleansed and forgiven!Only love to the highest power
made Christ to be sin for us
so we might become the righteousness of God!Only sin to the highest power
takes sins which are like scarlet
and makes them white as snow!Only love to the highest power
takes our sins
and removes them as far as the east is from the west!Only love to the highest power
can make dead souls
alive in Christ!Only love to the highest power
takes away our stony hearts
and gives us hearts of flesh!Only love to the highest power
can make those who were not God's people
God's people!Only love to the highest power
can make those who played the harlot with false gods
Christ's bride!Only love to the highest power
can make children of wrath
Children of mercy!Only love to the highest power
can make children of disobedience
God's children who walk in good works!"Nadie te amo como Yo."
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
–Romans 5:6-11Do you know the Father's love which sent His Son to die as a sacrifice for sin so you might be saved from you sin?
Do you know the love of Christ which suffered, bled and died to save sinners like you and me?
Does the Spirit bear witness to you that you are a child of God, that you have peace with God and are no longer under condemnation?
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
–John 3:16-18Do you know this love to the highest power — God's love for you in Jesus Christ?Have you trusted in Jesus Christ and Him alone?
There is salvation in no other name but Jesus' name.
There is salvation in no other power but Jesus' power.
There is salvation in no other love but Jesus' love.
"Nadie te amo como Yo."Jesus has come not to save the righteous, but sinners like you and me. No sin is too big for Him. His arm is not shortened that it cannot save even the vilest sinner. If you have never done so, will you receive His gift of repentance and forgiveness and love this day?
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
–John 1:12-13Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD. 2 Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. 3 If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. 5 I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. 6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. 7 Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. 8 And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
–Psalm 130, KJVWhat Manner of Love
Daniel S. Warner, 1911
Behold, what love, what boundless love
The Father hath bestowed on us,
That we should be the sons of God,
And share His righteousness.
Refrain:
Behold, what love, behold, what love
The Father hath bestowed,
That we should be the sons of God,
Through Jesus’ precious blood.
Oh, wondrous grace! how can it be
That we, who were conceived in sin,
Should rank with heaven’s family—
Of God be born again!
When sons, we are the heirs of God,
And rich joint-heirs with Christ the Son;
When sanctified through Jesus’ blood,
Our heritage we own.
All sons of God must holy be;
All do our Father’s image bear;
None but the pure in heart shall see
His face, and heaven share.
Scripture quotations unless otherwise indicated are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.
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