TODAY’S SIGNATURE VERSE ••• Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began… (2 Timothy 1:9 NKJV)
PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• Have you ever asked a question and the only answer you got was “yes” or “no,” and when you tried to drill in with a “why,” all you got was a “because?”
That used to frustrate the snot out of me. “Because” isn’t a complete sentence, I would argue! But nonetheless, I’ve heard “Because” more than once in my lifetime.
“Because” is an interesting word… we all know what it means, but I would guess few of us could readily define it. “Because” means… because! In all seriousness, I did the homework, so you don’t have to (you’re welcome) — the dictionary’s definition for “because” is “for the reason that.” Or “since.”
So let’s put a pin here for a few minutes…
This week, I was reading 2 Timothy 1:8-9, which says, “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began…”
A beautiful passage that must have been so encouraging to Timothy when he read it… But for now, let’s hone in on this phrase: “according to His own purpose and grace.” In reading this passage, I cross-checked my commentary*, and I absolutely loved what it said about this phrase…. “The reason for His action did not lie in us. Rather, it lay in His own great heart of love. He loved us because He loved us.”
That’s it. “He loved us because He loved us.”
I called my friend Tracey because her word of the year is “love,” and I knew she’d love this. We had multiple conversations about this and specifically this grammatical bombshell: in this case, “Because” is a complete sentence.
He loved us. Because. He loved us.
I am going to switch to present tense:
He loves us.
Why?
Because.
Because why?
He loves us.
We know this. We’ve heard it a million times — God loves us. Why does He love us? It’s not because we deserve it… it’s because He is love!
1 John 4:16 says, “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. GOD IS LOVE, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” (Emphasis mine.)
Friends — “because” God is love, He loves us. We don’t deserve it. We can’t earn it. We are often unloving and, frankly, even unloveable. Yet, He loves us.
Because.
Reflect on the simplicity of that word in this context. It fits the definition from the dictionary: “for the reason that.” Or “since.”
He loves us for the reason that He is love.
He loves us since He is love.
He loves us because He loves us.
I hope that hits you as hard as it hit me this week.
Today, as you pray, just simply thank God for His love. Thank Him for loving you so much that He “…demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Actually — let end on an activity… because you know God loves you because… verse map Romans 5:8…. Put your name in the blanks…. “But God demonstrates His own love toward ___________, in that while ___________ {was} still {a} sinner, Christ died for ___________.”
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you live in the confidence of God’s because.
*”Believer’s Bible Commentary” by William MacDonald. Page 2178.
SHARING ••• My Grace-Full Life is written by Denise Heidel. You are welcome to share anything I write, but please credit my writing and graphics accordingly. Visit www.MyGraceFullLife.com to read past blogs. Subscribe through my website to have My Grace-Full Life delivered to your email. You can unsubscribe at any time. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the NKJV translation.
