The Cross of Love

I need to be loved! It is deeply rooted in my heart, as in the hearts of all humans.

We all need to feel respected and worthy as well, but I believe the most important need that creates a huge vacuum in every heart is the need for love. Many of the human actions and reactions relate directly to this basic need. However, we cannot find love, or more precisely the kind of love that will really satisfy us. All kinds of relationships break up every day due to lack, or even total absence, of real love. In many cases, what some people call "love" is not but passion or infatuation. Love is probably one of the most spoiled words all over the world and throughout history. It is confused with many other fleeting and delusive emotions.

Love, according to the Holy Bible, is not an uncontrollable emotion. It is an action of the will. However, I do not intend to talk about the differences between the four kinds of love. This is a lesson we can gain from C. S. Lewis' classic "The Four Loves". Lewis' conclusion, in brief, is that "Affection" (natural love between family members), "Friendship" (based on common interests), and "Eros" (romantic love), cannot survive alone by themselves without "Agape" (the Love of God). Human love will surely come short at a certain point without the supernatural divine Love!

The Bible tells us that God showed us His love by sending His Only Son to the world: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16). It is just one of the greatest truths ever! God, out of His pure LOVE for us, sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross of Calvary instead of you and me.

While what many people see at the cross is just the suffering of a Good Man who died as a victim, we, enlightened by the Word of God through the work of the Holy Spirit of God, see at the cross on which our Lord was crucified, a love that is "so amazing, so divine".

I solemnly urge you, my dear reader, to open the eyes of your mind and see the One who gave Himself for you, who died in your stead in order to give you the opportunity to escape "the coming wrath", the eternal condemnation in hell forever! I pray that you may heed the Word of God, see how much LOVE God has given you, and obtain the life of God without which you are dead and separated from the Source of LOVE and LIFE!