Words Matter

Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. - 1 John 4:10

Did Jesus die for our sins?

Yes, in that our sins were part of the cause; yet, He died not just that we would be justified (declared innocent) before the Father, but primarily that we might escape the Father's wrath. The word "propitiation" has to do with the removal of God's divine wrath. God's love is defined (comprehended or understood) by Christ's propitiation.

The horrible truth of the Cross is that God's wrath fell upon His own Son. In light of this unselfish sacrifice, should not Christ-followers then love more than those those who do not follow the Savior? After all, we alone know the true meaning of the word. Our love, be it for the world or for each other, is the only love that is firmly rooted in the acceptance and understanding of the depth of God's love we have received.

A shallow understanding of biblical truth will often lead to a surface expression of it. Words matter.

Our love to God is measured by our everyday fellowship with others and the love it displays. - Andrew Murray