“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,” - Ephesians 2:4-6
Anyone of my generation can probably recall those high-school American Literature classes and reading the works of Hawthorne, Melville, and Twain among others. But I recall a story written by Edgar Allen Poe which made quite an impression on me at the time - “The Cask of the Amontillado.” It was a terrifying story of the darkness of man’s soul as seen in revenge.
The victim, one roguish Fortunato, realizes he is being entombed in a wall and cries out to his captor - “For the love of God, Montressor!” His crypt-builder ignores his plea and continues to “wall” him in replying, “Yes,”(I said,) “for the love of God.”
Of all the invocations one could possibly make toward someone who wished them harm why would they appeal to “the love of God?” The answer, even to Poe, who was not known for his religious nature was easy: there is simply nothing in heaven or on earth that can compare to God’s great love for us. If anything could ever save us it would be the love of God!
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” - John 3:16.
As Paul tells us, God’s love for us is immeasurable and unconditional. It had to be for Him to send His own Son to die in our places. - “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” - Romans 5:8. That is the compelling nature of God’s love. That is the immensity of God’s love. That is the strength of God’s boundless and timeless love for us. That is why Poe used this plea of Fortunato to Montressor - because God’s love is simply so powerful! That being said, however, is not the end of the story. For if it were we would be preaching the Gospel of Universalism; all men would eventually find their way into heaven on the skirts of a Godly love which compromises the innate justice of God. There is no such love!
We are compelled to love God - “We love Him because He first loved us.” - 1 John 4:19. God’s love made it possible for us to return His love. But return it we must! It is a commandment of God that we love Him in return - “Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’” - Matthew 22:37. And how is it that we can know we return God’s love? “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” - John 14:21. Of course we can always choose to spurn God’s love for us. And should we reject the love of God we place ourselves into the winnowing pit of God’s justifiable wrath! From there we shall face the fire of His righteous anger. This is the reality of God’s love and justice - one cannot be subject to the other. Both God’s justice and love are attributes of equal proportion. One’s greatness does not exceed the other’s.
May we always be grateful . . . for the love of God.
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