God loves each of us like an only child, St. Augustine observed. Do you believe this?
How can we really embrace this truth? One day at a time, one moment at a time. If you’re wishing you had some spiritual mentoring on how to know God’s love, how to ease the ache of spiritual loneliness, I hope you’ll read JoHannah Reardon‘s review of Deeply Loved, now up on the Today’s Christian Woman website. Please click over and read and comment on her review. And feel free to tweet about and share her review with friends.
BONUS: Read the chapter for free: here’s a link to a PDF of the first chapter of Deeply Loved. We’re having an interesting discussion in the comments section about this, so go read it and then hop into our little conversation: http://www.abingdonpress.com/forms/displayImage.aspx?pcid=2865547
Keri, that was a good review from Ms. Reardon. As you know, my wife appropriated your book so I haven’t had a chance to go through it myself. Once I can peruse it at length, I’ll get to review at my site too!
On Augustine’s observation, it reminds me of how people sometimes say that even if I were the only sinner on the planet God still would have sent his Son to die in my place. These are nice sentiments but how do we know they are true, how do we know they are biblical? The reality is that God did not in fact send his son to die just for me. God sent Jesus to “save the world through him.” (John 3:17, italics added.) The Bible is silent on what would have been God’s plan if I were the only sinner around.
Frankly, I think Augustine got it wrong – and believe me that I quake at even saying something like that about one of the most eminent theologians in history. Sure I am loved by God with an indescribable love (Eph. 3:18), but that does not equate to being loved as if I were the only child God has. The bottom line is that I am not loved by God as if I were the only shild of God there is, for the simple fact that I am not in actuality his only child. Again, the Bible is silent on how God would love me if I were the only redeemed child he had.
Cheers,
Tim
Tim,
Interesting thoughts. You’re right–Jesus came to save the world. But he also said that if one of his little lambs wanders, he would go and seek that one, leaving the other 99, and find it. The Bible rarely deals in “what-if'” constructs that our culture loves. There are examples in the Old Testament (Abraham’s bargaining with God about whether to save Sodom and Gomorah if he can find 100 righteous people, well, how about 50, how about ten, etc. comes to mind), of God being willing to err on the side of mercy for a very small number of people.
The thing I think Augustine is trying to communicate is not a “what if you were the only one” but rather, he was trying to find a way to get at is the infinite nature of God’s love. God does not have a finite amount of love, which he must divide into pieces. Each of us receives the full extent of his love. God’s love is not the sum total of each of the little bits of love he gives to each person. Each of us is offered the full extent of that infinite love. His love, when it seems it would be divided, actually multiplies. But I could be wrong. While I have found that quote all over the Internet, I’m going to do some research on the context–because that may tell us what he was driving at.
Great discussion. What do the rest of you think?
Yes, God loves me and I’m His favorite!
Okay, just kidding on that last bit but, yes, God loves me…wonder of wonders!
Another wonder…I totally accept His love yet don’t understand His love. I’ve thrown myself into His lap, He has become my sole protector and provider and I make no decision without discussion first, with Him. Daily, I remind Him of His promises because I need to be reminded. Daily, I meet with Him because we both desire it.
My faith is real because my God is real.
Hey, if anyone would like to read the first chapter of Deeply Loved, it’s available at http://www.abingdonpress.com/forms/displayImage.aspx?pcid=2865547
Read it and then join in our discussion.