“To love at all is to be vulnerable.  Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung, and possibly be broken.”—C. S. Lewis

This is the year 2022. Today is the day before Valentine’s Day, the one day of the year that the world seems to go crazy with the notion of “love,” but REALLY, what is LOVE?  To some, the displays at the local department stores reveal true love:  stuffed bears holding hearts, boxes of candy, balloons saying ‘I Love You,’ a piece of jewelry, a red and white card, or even a purchase of a combination of these items.  Friday, I had the pleasure of walking through a department store, noticing the crowd that congregated around these aisles.

***Now, let’s pause to say that there is NOTHING WRONG with the celebration of this important calendar day, but let us propose for a moment.

WHAT IF THIS WAS THE ONLY LOVE AVAILABLE?

What if the only love known to mankind was the love we could buy?

What if the only love we could give was the love we gift-wrap and hand to another?

What if the only love died once our hearts were crushed by another?

What IF?

Thank goodness for What If because then there is another, more important, more real, more spiritual, more everlasting LOVE available to mankind—a LOVE that cannot be purchased, shopped for, gift-wrapped, written upon, or picked up in the local market.

THAT’S RIGHT.

THERE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LOVE AFFAIR THAT CAN BE SHARED!

THERE IS A BEAUTIFUL LOVE UNLIKE ANY OTHER LOVE!

THERE IS A LOVE THAT LOVES US—JUST AS WE ARE—IN OUR SINFUL STATE—A LOVE THAT WASHES US CLEAN—A LOVE THAT COVERS ALL OUR GUILTY STAINS WITH HIS LIFE-GIVING BLOOD—A LOVE THAT SAVES OUR SOUL—THE LOVE OF GOD!

One-time, self-proclaimed, atheist, C.S. Lewis had much to say about the word—LOVE.

Let us define what Lewis proposed to be—An “atheist.”  That’s right, this world-renowned author, speaker, and theologian once believed and proclaimed for the world to hear:  There is no higher power, no spiritual deity, no God.

Then he believed, and that made all the difference!

In searching out the definition in the dictionary, the term “atheist” describes “a person who disbelieves or lacks belief in the existence of God or a higher power or a spiritual force of any kind.”  An atheist does believe, though.  An atheist believes that life comes to a full-stop at death, that there is no possibility of an after-life.  So, the atheist claims—If there is NOTHING AFTER THIS LIFE—then what is there to fear.

The Apostle Paul gave the best response, the best counterclaim to this untrue notion of NOTHINGNESS.  Let’s pause to see what a man, the one-time atheist, the one-time, unbelieving man—the Apostle Paul—had to say.

SEE WITH ME GOD’S WORD.

“I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what does it profit me?

If the dead are not raised, LET US EAT AND DRINK, FOR TOMORROW WE DIE.

Do not be deceived:  Bad company corrupts good morals.

Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God.  I speak this to your shame.”

(1 Corinthians 15: 31-34)

Real love is a sacrifice.

Real love is something we cannot buy.

Real love is something not found sitting upon a shelf at the local department store.

Recent statistics revealed that by the year 2050, 1 in 5 unbelievers will know a believer, a follower of Jesus, a Christian!  Hear that statement again.

• Twenty percent of the people in the world (1 in 5 of the world’s population)—UNBELIEVERS—WILL KNOW A  BELIEVER!
• Unbelievers will know a believer, a follower of Jesus, a Christian!
• 1 in 5 unbelievers will have the opportunity to hear the Gospel message of Jesus.

Nevertheless—

How can an unbeliever hear the Gospel message of Jesus if a believer, a child of God is quiet about his faith?  &

How can an unbeliever hear the Good News of God’s love for the world if the Christians are not steady in their faith?  &

How can an unbeliever learn the Truth of the Bible if the believers remain silent?  &

How can the believers, the Christians of the world, know that they are sharing the Truth?  &

How can the believers, the followers of God, know that what they are sharing is not one big lie?  &

How can believers know that they have not allowed themselves to be tricked into believing something—into believing in someone who is false?

These questions are easily answered & These questions are easily put to rest within a person’s heart.  LOVE.

JESUS—HE IS THE RESURRECTED CHRIST!

Again, the Apostle Paul gave the best explanation of God’s gift of Love to the world and the answers to the world’s questions.

When they ask—When the unbelievers ask—

How do we know Jesus Christ raised from the dead?  &

How do we know Jesus is the Savior of the World?

The Word of God can be our response.

“Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised;

and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.

Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.

For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised;

and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.

Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. . . .”

(1 Corinthians 15: 12-19)

Christ Jesus died.

The Son of God was buried.

The Savior of the world was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.

He appeared to many—Cephas & then to the rest of the apostles, to more than 500 people at one time, to James, to all the apostles, & to the Apostle Paul.

(1 Corinthians 15: 3-8)

“Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,

in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet;

for the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. . . .”

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law;

but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

(1 Corinthians 15: 51-57)

It’s so amazing that God gave us the breath of life, and It’s also so amazing that God will Walk With Us In The End, whenever we take our last breath.

I heard someone say the other day:

The BEST way to share Valentine’s Day in 2022 is to share the LOVE of JESUS with someone.

That gift of GOD’S LOVE can be shared every day.

That gift can be shared every Valentine’s Day.

That gift is the GIFT OF LOVE—FOREVERMORE!

LET US SHARE JESUS WITH THE WORLD OF LOST SOULS!  LET US PRAY & SEEK GOD’S WILL EVERY SINGLE DAY, EVEN TODAY!  LET US DIG INTO GOD’S WORD, DILIGENTLY STUDYING, AS WE PREPARE OURSELVES FOR THESE DIVINE ENCOUNTERS!

Real love–God’s love–cost us more than time & money spent shopping. Real love cost us ourselves. When we share Jesus, we give of our heart, and that’s when we enter the place of REAL LOVE–JESUS!

“God So Loved” by We The Kingdom is a most beautiful melody

“For God so loved the world that He gave us

His One and Only Son to save us

Whoever believes in Him

Will live forever.

For God So Loved, For God So Loved—the World.

Bring all your failures,

Bring your addictions

Come lay them down at the foot of the cross

Jesus is waiting there with open arms

See His open arms!

For God so loved the world that He gave us

His One and Only Son to save us

Whoever believes in Him

Will live forever!

The power of hell forever defeated

Now it is well

I’m walking in freedom

For God So Loved—God so Loved the World.”

“God So Loved”

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

(1 Corinthians 15: 58)