God’s Original Love Letters
God's original love letters were displayed at the cross, a profound testament to His unconditional love and sacrifice for humanity. In that moment, the cross became the ultimate symbol of hope and redemption, revealing the depth of God's grace and commitment to His creation. Each nail that pierced Christ's hands sent messages of forgiveness, while the bloodshed resonated with promises of healing and restoration. Sin is messy. Trauma is painful. Jesus was innocent and endured abuse, trauma, rejection, character malignment, alienation, etc. He knows what we are going through because He has gone through those feelings, too.
As Jesus bore the weight of the world's sins, He illustrated the lengths God would go to reconcile us to Himself. The pain He endured was not in vain; it was a deliberate act of love, demonstrating that no wound is too deep to be healed by His merciful touch. God invites us into a relationship through these love letters, reassuring us that we are cherished, seen, understood, and valued.
Jesus’ words from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” ~ Luke 17:3-4
At the cross, the narrative of brokenness transforms into one of hope. Every tear shed is tucked into the fabric of His compassion, reaching out to mend our fragmented spirits. In moments of despair, we can turn to the cross and discover the reassurance of His promises—reminders that His love never fails and His grace is sufficient.
These letters beckon us to ponder our own stories of pain and to recognize that even in darkness, God is present, ready to comfort and guide us. He replaces our sorrow with joy, our confusion with clarity, and our despair with purpose.
“Weeping may endure for a night… but joy comes in the morning.” ~ Psalm 30:5
Through His original love letters, we are encouraged to embrace the new life found in Christ, wholly sustained by His enduring love.
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ forgave you.” ~ Ephesians 4:32
We find peace when we release bitterness and anger toward a grievance we have been clutching onto. There is freedom in handing it over to God in surrendering to His control to handle the situation. We are not God and are only punishing ourselves and the relationships close to us by surrounding our thoughts with negative thoughts we were not meant to hold on to. It doesn’t help anyone. His ways are not ours; in essence, we are standing in the way of God to do His work.
“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But your Father will not forgive your sins if you do not forgive others.” ~Matthew 6:14-15
This is a stern warning that our obedience to forgiving others is dependent on God’s forgiveness of our own sins. There can’t be one without the other. God has been gracious to us, and we should extend that grace and compassion to others. We certainly did not deserve God's forgiveness.
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice” ~ Ephesians 4:31
Do any of the words above look positive? What will that do to our spiritual walk and interactions with others if it's all negative thoughts? There is truth to positive thinking!
“See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God: that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it, many become defiled.” ~ Hebrews 12:15
We are called to forgive because it eats us up inside and damages more than just ourselves but also our relationships with others around us. It damages our testimony to others who don’t know God yet. If God extends grace to us, we should extend grace to others. In a world that is focused on the seen, we may be the only representation of Jesus that they may come across and certainly don’t want to leave a lasting negative impression, being judged by God at the Bema Seat Judgement. This is not a battle we will win by holding onto unforgiveness and is certainly not something we want to play games with regarding our salvation—our own forgiveness by God on the line.
“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” ~ Matthew 5:44
The Bible teaches us that God is and will ultimately bring justice to those who do evil or have wronged others. We are to show love to our enemies as God showed goodness to us when we were still sinners. Our prayers should be for God to change our hearts in how to respond to others so that they may be drawn to that same goodness of God who gave us grace and forgiveness. We are called to be more like Jesus, not the world. It’s not do unto others as they do, but do unto others as God tells us to respond.
“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.” ~Romans 12:19
When we read Scripture, we can better understand how things are connected. Either we trust God in His Word, or we do not. This doesn’t change who He is, nor does it change that He ultimately tells us these things for our own good. The choice is up to us, but nothing good comes from anyone harboring unforgiveness. We either surrender everything and let Him do the leading by trusting in His wisdom and promises or we don’t. That is a free-will choice, but as always, choices come with a price and consequences. Wouldn’t it be better to trust God who knows everything than rely on our own limited wisdom?