Because He first loved us

You are LOST if you believe, “God made my decision for me.”

“We love him, because he first loved us.

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:”

YES, God does make the offer pretty tough to turn down, because love isn’t what anyone ever will reject, yet, remarkably, some do. But that picture above is wrong, both in it’s content and tone. Paul was not FORCED to believe God.

God made the choice for me to repent and trust in Jesus VERY easy; He was VERY patient to take SO MUCH TIME with me. But, in the end, I still had to BELIEVE Him, or not to, to DECIDE if what He says is TRUE – and so must you. God will not force you to believe, because love never forces itself on you:
Love is always an offer.
Keith Green said it this way. “If you want to love with me, love with me then…”

EXACTLY.

See, I knew all I needed to know, had gone through all the Scriptures, for years and years, with some very patient people. And, one day, I realized I knew enough, didn’t have one more question. He, God Himself, had proven to me, to me of all people, that He loves me. God HIMSELF proved to me that all the people in my life who did not love me, LIKE THEY SHOULD HAVE, were wrong. To love is the right thing to do, always. And God, YHWH Himself, proved to me, through many trails He saved me through, and many sorrows He sustained me in, that He cares what happens to me. But one day He made it very clear to me the time was up, He made me realize I had a choice to make:

DID I BELIEVE His care for me was why He provided a Savior? Or didn’t I?

And so I knew, that day, that I did. I DID believe Him. And I said so to Him, and to myself, no one was there with me, that I trusted Him. Now, and forever more, with no more waffling, no more indecision. He is God, He cares for me, and His own SON offered me His gift of salvation for my sins; Jesus offered to pay my fine FOR me, and I said “YES, I will receive His atoning work for me!”, I received His gift. I said, essentially, “I do.”, and I NEVER LOOKED BACK. Why? Because I KNOW GOD HIMSELF loves me.

I love Jesus because, “Love never fails.” and “Perfect love casts out all fear.” and He is the One Who proved that to me.

Don’t you dare ever say to me God made me believe. He proved Himself, proved His love, He did not MAKE ME. One is love and the other is coercion, and those are VERY DIFFERENT THINGS.

Why do I take the time to say this?

Because I have had evil men and women FORCE ME to do things, I have been enslaved, and I have had people who LOVED ME offer me freedom: I know the difference. I hope for you to know as well.

Do you?

I PRAY you do understand the difference between coercion and love, for the difference is Heaven and Hell. Those who continue to teach God coerces runt he risk of DAMNING themselves; I pray they stop.

His love breaks through where NOTHING ELSE WILL.
Patrick Burwell, OnlyJesusSaves.org