When I read John 3:16, I ask God, “Do you really love me?” He answers, “Yes! More than you can imagine!”

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

I’m a pretty simple guy. If something looks right, feels right, and is vetted, then I’m good with it and will adjust to whatever it is rather than trying to manipulate it into something that fits what I want. Take, for instance, Genesis 1-11. These chapters tell us where we came from and the early years of our ancestry. When I say “vetted,” I’m talking about being able to back up what is being offered. Let’s look at some facts:

• The text is written in Hebrew and is in narrative form, not poetic form, so it’s not metaphoric in nature, but literal truth.
• To believe that God CAN create the heavens and the earth, I must believe that He can do it in an instant; six days is nothing to a God that big.
• More and more, science is finding out:
  • That time works differently in space, so we cannot use star light as a chronometer for how old the universe is (when away from gravitational influence, time speeds up considerably).
  • Most astronomers do not believe in the Big Bang theory anymore because of its inherent problems that cannot be reconciled. In fact, many concede in a Master Design, although they will not admit to a Master Designer (weird, huh?).
  • Mount St. Helens pretty much proved that the Grand Canyon could be created in days (one about a 50th of the size was created in hours in Washington).
  • The moon’s surface and the floor of the ocean do not have NEARLY enough dust/residue on them to be more than a few thousand years old.
  • All thirteen of the earth’s major rivers, where they empty into their respective bays or oceans, have only enough sediment to account for about 4,000 years.
• Jesus proved the historicity of Adam and Eve:
  • He mentions them in Matthew 19:4, “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’”
  • In order for Jesus to be our representative and take upon Himself the penalty of sin, which is death, Adam had to be our first representative–and a real person–concerning sin, “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—” Romans 5:12. “But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!” Romans 5:15. “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!” Romans 5:17.
  • The Coming of Messiah was foretold in Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between you [the serpent, i.e. Satan] and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

There is much more evidence, but I think I’ve made my point. There’s quite a bit of the OT that I don’t understand, but I do know that if I need to understand, the Spirit will enlighten me.

I mentioned John 3:16 and my question at the beginning of this post. There is something else the Spirit does for me when I ask Him if He loves me: He brings to mind other verses where He has told me how much He loves me. Two, in particular come to mind:

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39

We validate Scriptural truth with Scripture. It sounds like circular reasoning, but it’s not because the Bible as we now have it was written over a period of 1500 years, by 40 authors, in several countries, in three languages, and from people in all walks of life. It must be one cohesive story–and it is!

So, do I believe that God loves me? You bet I do! He told me so, both in His Word and in my heart.

Abba, thank You for loving me! You have made it plain every day of my life, although there was a time when I wasn’t looking for it, and others when I couldn’t see it because I was looking at the wind and the waves. I’ve learned since then to keep my eyes fixed and focused on You, because You are the Author and Perfecter, the Beginner and the Ender, of my faith. Keep talking to me, Lord; I’m listening. Amen.