I just heard this marvelous quote by Martin Luther in 1518: “The love of God does not find, but creates, that which is pleasing to it.”

I thought I made a great discovery on why God loves us when I recently read Ephesians 2:4 which says, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.” 

Why does God love me? It’s not because I’m lovely, but because God is love. This was such a hard concept for me initially. If I love something, it’s because the thing that I love has some qualities about it. Some loveliness. Some beauty. Something that will give me pleasure. For example, I love coffee in the morning because it pleases me.

So then I got to thinking, “Why does God love me?” What is it about me that God loves? There must be some loveliness about me that God finds pleasing. Perhaps because I’m made in the image of God? Perhaps because I have made some sacrifices for God? Perhaps because I’m a little better than the next guy morally? (After all, I don’t drink, smoke, chew, sleep around, etc)

None of it is the reason. The reason God loves me is not with me but with God. God love me and you not because we are lovely but because God Himself is love. It is out of His abundant love that entirely resides in Himself that He loves me and you. There is nothing in us that entices God to love us. It is All Him and NONE of us. God’s love for us depends entirely on God being love. God loves me not because I’m lovely but because God is love!

This was such a new discovery for me that I thought I was the only one who knew this truth. But I found out that Martin Luther said it in 1518 – 500 years ago – so much more succinctly and brilliantly than me…

“The love of God does not find, but creates that which is pleasing to it.”

God does not canvass the earth to see who is lovely to set His love on her. But God’s loving her creates that loveliness in her. And if you ask why God loves her thus? I’d answer because God is love. The reason for love is in Him and not in her.

How freeing this doctrine is! If I ever question whether God loves me, I don’t look at my worthiness. I look at Christ, the source of love! I don’t have to doubt God’s love for me even when I’m at the lowest point of my life and I feel so ugly that no one can possibly love me. God’s loving me does not depend on me after all!

God loves you! Not because you are lovely. But because HE is lovely.

PH