Dear Faith Family,

"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are," 1 John 3:1.

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure!
That He should give His only Son,
To make a wretch His treasure.
How great the pain of searing loss!
The Father turns His face away;
As wounds which marred the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory.
Behold the man upon a cross:
My sin upon His shoulders;
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers..., (Stuart Townend)

Right about there. My lips kept moving but my voice gave out. Across the room were the faces of my three precious grandchildren. Tummies full? Check. Squeaky clean? Check. Teeth brushed? Check. Jammies on? Check. And there they were singing of the Father's love! It was more than my heart could bear. The words echoed within. How deep the Father's love for us!

That love. That love of the Father. That love is a gift. Given. Not purchased. Given. Not earned. Given. Not deserved.

That love. That love of the Father. That love is evident. Seen. Not hidden. Heard. Not silent.

That love. That love of the Father. That love is costly. To give such love is expensive.  To evidence such love is expensive. Jesus embraced humility and became one of us. He lived without sin. And He died. That's right, died. Separated for the first time in all of eternity from His Father! That love is costly.

Ok. Ok. So you already know all that. Can I ask you a question or two? Are you seeing? Hearing? If you are, then you know that in Christ you are rightly identified as children of God! Such an identity is nothing less than the love of the Father.  Go ahead. Play "How Deep the Father's Love for Us" and sing along. Let the depth of His love echo all the way down to your heart.

In the mean time: "I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God," Ephesians 3:14-19.

Beholding the Man upon the cross,
Pastor Karl

Sent from my Galaxy Tab® S2