Here is what Jesus said in effect. " Because I love you so much I determined that I would pay the death penalty for you. But now I faced the most difficult part of the plan. Though I dreaded the horrible death on the cross as bad as that was, but it was the, -- I--can--hardly--say--this,  taking on me your awful load of guilt and sin so it could be figuratively be nailed to the cross. As I took it on I could feel the horror of your guilt and the dread and fear of death and hell.  I knew that my Father loved me, but how could he do this to me! How could he ask me, his Son, to carry this filthy sin the actually forsake me as I hang on the cross, just because he hates sin so much? I asked him if there was any way I could escape it.  He didn't answer.  I thought, no, if I abandon this plan there will be no way in heaven or on earth to save you , the one we love so much.  Yes, I could have called ten thousand angels to save me and let you suffer the full penalty for your sin.. But my love wouldn't let me do that.  However, the Father didn't leave me there!  I came back with victory over sin and death and  the grave!  I did pay the penalty for your sin!  My blood which flowed from the cross fully atoned for all your sin. It is my free gift to you. All you need to do is to confess your sin and turn from it and it will all be forgiven and forgotten. The angels will have a party in heaven and rejoice because you have come home"

This is it! Gods ultimate message of love is, Jesus being born as a man, living without sin, and giving his life as a ransom for us. "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace." [Eph 1:7] This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ lay down his life for us. [1 John 3:16a] How can this change our lives? It begins when we realize how much God and Jesus Christ the Son of God really loves us. John put it this way: This is love: not that we loved God ,but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. [1Jn 4:10] He went to the cross for you and me! When it breaks our heart to realize that we have rejected him and his way and we now become willing to forsake our way and our sin, ask his forgiveness and follow Him the miracle of the new birth occurs! It is a miracle because something supernatural happens when we confess our sins and yield to Jesus. This is the beginning of our love affair with our Saviour. It makes us feel like we love everybody in the whole world.

The love of God is the basis for our faith. If all that we know is that he is the all-powerful creator and judge we have fear and not faith. Many of  us were brought up in an environment in which the fear of God had more influence on us than the love of God. We were threatened by God's wrath and his judgment. Trying to live up to all the "laws" of God, the "do's" of the church, and the "don'ts" of our parents made hell seem a certainty for us. What was expected of us was the exact opposite of our natural human tendencies-- the selfish, sensual, sinful  desires we inherited from Adam.  I believed that I had the God given right of "free choice" . It made me angry when anyone, especially God, tried to force their choices for my life on me. I did not want to be told what was wrong or right to do! As evil as the devil is, he seemed less of a threat. He encouraged me to do what I felt like doing. I felt God was unfair. Why was I being  made to feel guilty for being myself? I hadn't asked to be born! . I wish that I had known the truth about God's love as I grew up. I might have trusted him much sooner.

When I did not realize that God loved me I could not put my trust in Him. How did I come to think he loved me?  I began to notice that some people who were Christians did things and said things that showed they really cared for me. One older lady in our church had been an evangelist in her younger years.  When she prayed you could feel the love, the compassion, and her sincerity.  Privately, so as not to embarrass me,  she would ask "When are you going to give your heart to the Lord."  I would tremble inside every time her words echoed in my heart.  I knew she was praying for me and I knew she cared.  But why?

I was a busy young man with a wife and two small children .  I was a rural mail carrier and also had a radio repair business.  My good intentions of "doing right" fizzled out as I gradually became a compulsive liar and a petty thief. The guilt I carried was unbearable.  I was convinced that I could never be a real Christian and I decided  never to try.  I'm sure God had other plans.

 An evangelist came to our church. He was the son of the largest beer distributor in the city of Pittsburgh, PA . He had come to know the love of God through a girl  he wanted to date, the daughter of a  Pastor of a small church.  He was so filled and thrilled with the love of God that he just couldn't keep it to himself!  I attended a service and  it seemed he talked directly to me. He told how much God loved him and how much God had done for him. He must have seen the unhappiness in my eyes for he came and talked to me and  invited my wife and me to ride in his new Buick and share a meal with him. I was fascinated by him!  He was so enthusiastic! And he cared about us, even though we were strangers.  Could God's love do that for me?.
The bible tells us "God so loved the world". He is my creator.  He is faithful and He will complete what he has begun. I know he loves me because: He promised a saviour, He sent Jesus his Son, I have heard the Gospel, I believe in his death and resurrection,  Jesus gave his life for me. why shouldn't I love him and trust him?
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Faith is the confidence we have that God will keep his promises to us.  Faith is believing even though we don't have all he facts. These are the facts we do have:
1. He made preparation for our redemption.
2 .We have examples of great faith in the bible and in history.
3. We see living examples of his work in other lives.
4. He is persistent in his dealing with us.

 Faith is obtained when we respond to his love that has been revealed to us.  We can read the Bible, or hear the gospel preached, or we may observe the reality of the love of God in the lives of others and be convinced of God's love through Christ. If we accept His love, faith will be kindled.  Faith actually starts working when it dawns upon us that God really does love us so much that he sent Jesus, his sinless Son, to suffer and die to atone for our sin. Then we know he keeps his word for we have faith. We Know who he is. We know what he said. We know he loves us. As this faith comes  we will sense that we owe a debt of gratitude and loyalty to Jesus and to the Father who sent him. Then our hearts will respond with love and thankfulness. We will trust him to forgive our sin which we are now ready to confess.  "If we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive us." [1John 1:8]  When we realize that our sins are forgiven and that Jesus really does love us, we have a joy in our hearts we never knew before.

If you do not know that you are "born again" pray now: Dear Jesus I confess that I am a sinner. I need You. Forgive all my sins and come into my life so that I can love you as I should. Amen.

 Believe he does what he said he would do. He cannot break his promise.

 When we listen and obey every word of his teaching each obedient response strengthens our friendship with Him and we grow in love and mature as followers of Christ. Paul describes this love in 1 Cor 13:4-7 which I paraphrase here: Love is patient, kind, unselfish, humble, self-sacrificing, even-tempered, forgiving, hates evil, delights in truth, protects, trusts, hopes, endures. Is not irritable, not fault finding or vengeful, not self-centered, not boastful, not proud, not rude, not easily angered, carries no grudges, has no delight in evil, does not put down or blame others, is not suspicious, does not worry, is not a pessimist, never gives up. This is the kind of love Christ lived and we have the opportunity to have the same kind in our lives. In fact John says if it is not like this it is not the real thing. 1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 1:9  Love is the antidote and deterrent of every kind of sin and evil, and every benefit, blessing or gift that comes to us is provided by the love of God. Every human virtue is produced by or enhanced by the love of God that he has implanted in us. Every bit of real and enduring hope, joy or satisfaction in human experience is produced by love.