"Do you love me no matter what?" That's the question my kid asked me while lying in bed. "Of course. Nothing could stop me from loving you."
"Well, if you were dead, you wouldn't be loving anybody." He had a point there.
I think my son's question is something we wonder about God. Does God really love us even when we sin in BIG ways?
Listen to how John describes God's love for us. "We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world" (1 John 4:16-17).
We can have the perfect assurance that God loves us completely. Nothing we say or do can change God's love and the assurance of our salvation. Yes, when we sin, we must confess it to God. But nothing changes God's love for us.
Reflect: Read 1 John 4:7-21. Love is mentioned 27 times in this passage. What can you learn about: Its origin? Its relationship to God? Its relationship to us?
Respond: How does God's perfect love cast out fear? How can you demonstrate that same love?