THE WILL TO LOVE - Vital Christianity

57While we have marred “the image of God” by our disobedience, this has not invalidatedHis love for us. Did not Jesus teach that even the wealth of the world could not equal the value ofone soul? “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Orwhat can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (16:26).Jesus gave His life, His all His best for us—fallen, sinful men--because we mattered toHim! We cannot say, “Christ died for nothing or nothings.”Muretus, a Christian scholar of the 16 century, became ill while he was traveling. Somedoctors were called in to treat him. They did not know him and, as he looked rather ordinary,they said, “Let’s try an experience on this fellow, for he looks of no importance.” From the bedcame the patient’s reply, “Call not any man cheap for whom Christ died.”Martin Luther rightly expressed the nature of our self image and self-acceptance whenhe wrote his fourth thesis:“God does not love us because we are valuable; we are valuable because Godloves us.”God did not wait to demonstrate His love to us when we would be worthy; He did itwhen we were unworthy. Paul testifies,“. . . at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for theungodly . . . But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While wewere still sinners, Christ died for us . . . when we were God’s enemies, wewere reconciled to Him through the death of His Son . . .” (Ro 5:6,8,10).