God’s Love in Salvation:
It is critical that we get the gospel right and part of getting the gospel right is getting the love of God right. Often we think that somehow God loves us now that we are saved, when in reality it was the love of God that saved us in the first place. It was the love of God moving in history to secure for himself a people who would know his love and mercy. God the Father moved by his love for us sent the Son, who loved us and gave his life up for us, and the Holy Spirit who is the expression of the love of God regenerates us, sealing us as children of God. John 3:16, 1 Peter 1:3-5, Ephesians. 1:3-15, Romans 5:6-11
I love what P.T. Forsyth said on the topic in his work The Cruciality of the Cross: “The atonement did not procure grace, it flowed from it.” And likewise J.I. Packer expresses this truth wonderfully in his book Weakness Is the Way: “It is overwhelmingly awesome, almost beyond belief. It is holy love in action-the holy love of the Father, who sent his Son into the world to die for our sins; the holy love of the Son, love for everyone whose sins he bore; and the holy love of the Holy Spirit, who works in our hearts to create and sustain the faith that brings the blessing of reconciliation and acceptance home to us as the supreme gift of divine grace.”
From start to finish this is the gospel message - God does not love you because you are saved. You are saved because God loved you. Preach this gospel to yourself, and preach it just as often to others.
