CLEAN (Personal Reflection)

I see shattered

You see whole

I see broken

But You see beautiful

And You're helping me to believe

You're restoring me piece by piece

There's nothing too dirty 

That You can't make worthy

You wash me in mercy

I am clean

There's nothing too dirty 

That You can't make worthy

You wash me in mercy

I am clean

What was dead now lives again

My heart's beating, beating inside my chest

Oh I'm coming alive with joy and destiny

'Cause You're restoring me piece by piece

There's nothing too dirty 

That You can't make worthy

You wash me in mercy

I am clean

There's nothing too dirty

That You can't make worthy

You wash me in mercy

I am clean

Washed in the blood of Your sacrifice

Your blood flowed red and made me white

My dirty rags are purified

I am clean

Washed in the blood of Your sacrifice

Your blood flowed red and made me white

My dirty rags are purified

I'm clean, I'm clean

Washed in the blood of Your sacrifice

Your blood flowed red and made me white

My dirty rags are purified

I'm clean

I am clean

I'm clean

Oh You made me

You wash me

Clean

Oh You made me clean

[CLICK HERE if video does not load.]

I love worship music because it stirs my emotions, speaks to my heart, and awakens my soul. It shifts my natural inclination off love of self and focuses my attention on who God is and what He has done to save a wretch like me. In particular, worship music has the power to transcend barriers of society to the point where atheists even acknowledge the power of the lyric, as is the case with John Newton's, "Amazing Grace," written in 1779 and arguably one of the most popular and recognizable songs of all time across all genres (secular or Christian). However, there are more recent contemporary worship songs which echo the raw emotion and Biblical truth of ancient hymns many of us grew up singing and treasure to this day. For me, there is no greater song which infinitely blesses by heart and soul more than Natalie Grant's, "Clean" (video and lyrics attached below). It is difficult for me to express how much I love this song and this live performance video in particular because it captures the emotions I long to express but cannot find the voice to speak. Truthfully, I have been singing my whole life and have helped lead worship at various churches across the U.S. for years, and this is the ONLY song I cannot bring myself to sing along with when I watch this video, and that is because Natalie Grant's performance is literally angelic. The piano, the lyrics, the raw emotion and vulnerability of the vocal—all are simply perfection. It is what I imagine every born-again heart proclaims in it's own unique way when it accepts Christ as Lord and Savior, because this song encompasses what it meant for Jesus Christ to die on a cross for the sins of mankind.

For me, singing comes naturally, so it is a rare instance that I fail to sing along with any worship song. However, there are times when it is just as powerful to worship God in silent reverence and awe because He is worthy of praise, even when I am left speechless. Scripture affirms, "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God" (Romans 8:26–27). It is comforting to know when I cannot summon the words to express myself, the Spirit intercedes on my behalf. For those who read my devotions, lack of words has never been a struggle of mine (for better or worse), but there is something special when the power of a worshipful moment renders someone speechless. I believe this song has the power to shake the very core of anyone who listens to it because the message confronts spiritual warfare head on. The contrast of how we see ourselves compared to the vantage point of God is humbling. For as the lyric states, I see myself as shattered, broken and dirty, yet God looks down upon me through the lens of His perfect Son, not my dirty rags. That is the beauty of the Gospel message.

• "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation" (Romans 5:6–11).

I am always intrigued to learn the background of a song and what inspired its composition. I found an interview [click here to read] Natalie Grant gave where she provides the personal story and inspiration behind, "Clean," which centers around the impact traumatic, life circumstances have on our psyche. Whether the result of personal sin or sin committed against us, the necessity of being washed clean from painful consequences is a picture we all can identify with. Thankfully, there are numerous instances where Scripture speaks to the need of cleansing in order that we might identify with the authors and emulate their example of prayer and supplication.

• "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment" (Psalm 51:1–4).

• "O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more" (Psalm 10:17–18).

• "Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause. Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool" (Isaiah 1:16–18).

Make no mistake, Satan would have us believe there are things in our lives that are too dirty, too destructive, too selfish, or too evil to be forgiven and accepted by God. Yet God views us through the lens of unconditional love made possible through the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Consider the lyrics again. Because of Jesus, God sees us as whole, beautiful, restored, alive and clean. Therefore, we no longer have to live in fear of our past and shamefully carry our burdens like a scarlet letter. No longer are we bound and shackled to believe that our present circumstances deem us unworthy of God's grace, mercy, love and forgiveness. And no longer are we deceived to believe that any trial or tribulation that awaits us in the future will have any power to destroy the joy of our salvation which is found in Christ Jesus. 

• "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, 'For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.' No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:35–39).

The biggest lie we can ever fall victim to believing centers around our identity. In Christ, we have all the joy, peace and sufficiency we need to endure our past, present and future struggles, whether by self-inflicted sin or the result of another's offense against us. Therefore, it is imperative we hold fast to the Lord because He promises in His Word, "I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten" (Joel 2:25a). In other words, our identity is not our sin, not our shame, and not held captive by fear or doubt. Rather from God's righteous and holy perspective, our identity as born-again believers is found in Christ Jesus, bathed in the blood of his miraculous sacrifice on our behalf that we could be reconciled to God if we accept His gift of salvation. That is the power of the Gospel which destroys strongholds established by the enemy to tempt our minds into thinking we are too dirty for God to heal and restore us to Himself, and that is the assurance we need to never lose hope in the midst of the storm.

• "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).

• "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:17–19).

In the end, restoration from brokenness is dependent upon us trusting that God is forever faithful if we hold fast to His unconditional love which calls us home. I know from personal experience there were moments in my life when I felt so dirty for sins I committed that I considered whether taking my own life was a viable solution to atone for it. In other words, the consequences that come from volitional sins or sins committed against us (as is the case for abuse victims) can so overwhelm us that we are overcome with what appears to be unquenchable guilt and grief. We feel condemned by our circumstances and identified by them as a result, but those are the moments when the Spirit of God intervenes with CONVICTION and HOPE. When we've reached the point where we're sick and tired of being sick and tired, the Holy Spirit convicts us with the absolute truth of God's Word in whatever form or fashion He deems appropriate in order to draw our attention toward the unending hope of His grace. For me, God often chooses music as a form of direct communication to my heart, reminding me who I am as a child of God in Christ Jesus. And that is why a song like Natalie Grant's, "Clean," is so precious to me, because it meets me in the valley, reminds me I am valued and treasured by my Father in heaven, and lifts my gaze toward the amazing promise of His healing power and unconditional love. May it be an anthem of restoration and praise we continually preach to our hearts, that we may never forget our true identity in Christ Jesus as sons and daughters of the Most High God (2 Corinthians 6:18).

• "I (Jesus) have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world" (John 16:32–33).

CONVICTION vs. CONDEMNATION (Personal Reflection)

Many people struggle discerning the voices in their head. What do they mean? Where are they coming from? Why am I hearing them? All are valid questions. However, WHO is speaking is perhaps the greatest question we must answer, because discerning the messenger far outweighs unlocking the message. From a spiritual perspective as a follower of Christ, distinguishing the Holy Spirit's voice from Satan's is absolutely critical because their motivations and intentions are polar opposite. For example, the Spirit seeks to build up; Satan aims to tear down. The Spirit exhorts reconciliation; Satan promotes dissension and division. The Spirit speaks absolute truth; Satan tempts with twisted lies and relative half-truths. How then do we discern who's voice we hear speaking to our hearts and minds at any given moment? The answer hinges upon CONVICTION vs. CONDEMNATION, because it draws a line in the spiritual sand and reveals the true motivation of the messenger. Without distinguishing between the two, we are bound to remain confused and frustrated as we navigate the highs and lows of our thought life devoid of a compass. However, with its wisdom we are empowered with the tools necessary to invoke positive change and healthy decision-making in our lives, without being tempted to abandon God's provision in favor of a false gospel. The key we must remember is that the battleground of our faith exists in a spiritual realm we cannot see nor fully comprehend. "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12). Therefore, it is imperative we grasp the enormity of this distinction that we may be well equipped to guard our hearts from the schemes of the devil, just as Simon Peter was once tested before us. "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I (Jesus) have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers" (Luke 22:31–32).

In order to gain better understanding, we must define how conviction differs from condemnation. For a born-again Christian, conviction is the voice of the Holy Spirit reminding us of our true identity in Christ and guiding us to obey and apply God's Word unto righteousness for our ultimate benefit. In contrast, condemnation is an indirect tool Satan uses to break us down when we are most vulnerable, masked by confusion and doubt. Condemnation lures the mind to obey our flesh and question God's Word when temptation consumes us, to give up when trials arise, and to believe we will never measure up to God's standard nor be worthy enough to receive His grace, mercy, love and forgiveness. In other words, condemnation views life from an outwardly and hopeless, human perspective, whereas conviction shifts our attention from the heart directly towards heaven and God's perspective. "For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7b). The easiest way for many of us to distinguish Satan from the Holy Spirit is in the whimsical caricature of a miniature, red devil on one shoulder tempting us to obey our fleshly cravings, while a white angel on the other shoulder provokes our conscience to consider the impending dangers of yielding to our flesh. What we must comprehend in the moment is that conviction exists at the forefront of our minds BEFORE we choose to sin and immediately AFTER we have committed the act, whereas condemnation is a byproduct fueled by the act of sin itself which inevitably leads to impending destruction. Scripture reminds us, "But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death" (James 1:14–15). Let us be clear: Sin is NOT the moment where eternal death comes to fruition. Rather, death comes when we abandon God's promise that He can and will forgive us when we own our sin, repent of our disobedience to His Word, and seek reconciliation with Him and those we have sinned against. Condemnation is simply the result of seeds of doubt, regret, shame and blame-shifting that fester in the mind, establish roots in our heart, and tempt us to believe there is no hope we can be forgiven, that we will never change for the good, and that we have no value or identity with God. Keep in mind, guilt can be a tool of conviction the Spirit uses to shift our attention to fully recognize our sin from God's righteous vantage point, but the end result differs from condemnation in that the Spirit seeks to reconcile us to God, not sentence us to eternal death as Satan desires.

The Bible is clear regarding Satan's identity and motivation. "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). From the beginning of time, Satan has always sought to tempt mankind to obey fleshly desires in order to break our fellowship with God. It was the tactic he used to tempt Eve in the garden of Eden, and it has been his most successful tactic in promoting condemnation in the hearts of every man, woman and child since creation. In other words, isolation leaves us vulnerable to attack, and we are no different than Eve because free will allows us ample opportunity to choose which path we will take in life at any given moment. Satan isolated Eve and tempted her to question God's authority and character by twisting her into thinking God's motivation was self-serving and not loving, and he uses the same strategy on us today. "Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”" (Genesis 3:1). Yet in the midst of this discussion, Eve affirmed to Satan what she remembered God saying as if convicted by the Holy Spirit to not abandon the security of God's command. "And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die’”" (Genesis 3:2–3). What is most interesting is that Satan's response did not refute the validity of what Eve remembered. Rather, he tempted her to question the intent of God's command from a fleshly perspective. "But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil”" (Genesis 3:4–5). What happened next is simply when opportunity meets fleshly desire, because once the seed of doubt had taken root in Eve's heart, acting upon her natural inclinations was only a matter of time because she had made her choice to believe Satan's condemning lie over the absolute truth of God's Word. "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths" (Genesis 3:6–7).

We would be foolish to ignore where the Bible does indeed speak of God condemning man, however that form of condemnation is manifested in the eternal judgment of unbelievers. "The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned" (Psalm 34:15–22). Scripture warns us that a slippery slope exists from the protection of God's care manifested by the Holy Spirit's conviction, to abandonment of salvation when we pridefully dismiss His Word and its validity altogether. Case in point, many self-proclaimed Christians today minimize salvation to an empty "repeat after me" salvation prayer which inevitably produces no genuine heart transformation because faith never took root. In other words, no bud nor fruit blossomed from the seed that was planted because it fell on barren soil (Matthew 13:1–9). Conviction fell on deaf ears and recognition of sin never took root, therefore condemnation is stored up for the day of judgment because of unbelief. "But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed" (Romans 2:5). What we must remember is that timing is crucial, and continually ignoring the conviction of the Spirit in our lives is a recipe for disaster when we lose perspective of who God is and His desire for all mankind. "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed" (2 Peter 3:9–10).

Bottom-line, discerning between the convicting voice of the Holy Spirit and the condemning whispers of Satan hinges upon how deeply rooted God's Word is planted in our hearts. For when discernment is most needed, how can we know who's voice is speaking if we do not sift or filter the message through the colander of God's Word? And how can we know what God's Word says if it is not planted firmly in our hearts, replenished daily through quality time reading it? And how can we understand the Bible's meaning if our hearts are not right with God? And how can we reconcile our hearts with Him if we're not faithfully in prayer, humbly asking Him to forgive our sins and illuminate the truth of His Word? Keep in mind, the apostle Paul warns us that "even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14), in order to confuse conviction as condemnation. Therefore, the only wise and discerning solution at our disposal is a complete surrender of our will for God's—that we would not only accept His Word as absolute truth, but believe in its power to discern who is speaking to us. "For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:3–4). In the end, our spiritual survival depends upon our relationship to God THROUGH His Word. It has taken far too many years for my stubborn and prideful heart to recognize that truth, but the scars of past sins in my life testifies that my success or failure in discerning conviction vs. condemnation is 100% dependent on the position and prominence of God's Word in my life. Does that necessarily make it easier for me to pick up my Bible and read it? It should, but regrettably I struggle like most people getting into God's Word daily and spending quality time with Him in prayer. If I peel back the layers of self-protection around my heart, I confess that in many ways reading the Bible has become more of a chore than a privilege, a "have" to do rather than a "want" or "get" to do, which is truthfully pathetic considering how many Christians worldwide are being martyred for their faith in Jesus while I risk nothing in the comforts of my home. Therefore, I believe an attitude adjustment is in order, and that begins with a daily dose of Psalm 119 which affirms the role God's Word must play in my life for survival, and the corresponding perspective and attitude I desire in order to intimately know my Creator and discern the convicting voice of His Spirit—that I may live for righteousness and destroy the condemning words of the enemy with "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:17b).

(Psalm 119:9–16)

"How can a young man keep his way pure?

By guarding it according to your word.

With my whole heart I seek you;

let me not wander from your commandments!

I have stored up your word in my heart,

that I might not sin against you.

Blessed are you, O LORD;

teach me your statutes!

With my lips I declare

all the rules of your mouth.

In the way of your testimonies I delight

as much as in all riches.

I will meditate on your precepts

and fix my eyes on your ways.

I will delight in your statutes;

I will not forget your word." 

CONDITIONAL LOVE or UNCONDITIONAL LOVE (Personal Reflection)

Recently, I have been gripped by the chorus of a new song by Lauren Daigle called, "Love Like This." [Listen by CLICKING HERE.] It is a beautiful melody of praise and worship to God which simply begs the question, "What have I done to deserve a love like this?" In many ways, it is extremely difficult for me to wrap my head around the enormity of that question and unpack its meaning without becoming very emotional and vulnerable. When I look back upon my past failures and the see the wake of destruction my sins have caused over my lifetime, I am hard-pressed to find any semblance of justification why God would not only forgive my sins but save a wretch like me. The reality is that God has saved and redeemed me by His own volition because He loves me with a love that is indescribable, unfathomable, priceless and eternal—and truthfully, I deserve none of it because I'm not entitled to it (quite the contrary).

However, I am foolish if I do not recognize that His saving love is both UNCONDITIONAL and CONDITIONAL, which is not how most people view God's love. In our present culture which dismisses God's wrath or minimizes it as if the fire and brimstone sermons Jonathan Edwards or Charles Spurgeon once preached were non-relevant in today's society, love is the overwhelming alternative to God's character that most people cling to and focus their attention upon when it comes to eternity. No one wants to accept that God would ever sentence anyone to never-ending torment in hell where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, because that in and of itself seems as unloving as it gets. Yet the Bible is clear that God is just and will judge mankind when we pass from this earth according to the decisions we make, especially as it relates to our relationship (or lack thereof) with Him. In other words, His love is magnified because of His wrath toward sin.

• "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil" (2 Corinthians 5:10).

• "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth" (Romans 1:18).

• "For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, 'As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.' So then each of us will give an account of himself to God" (Romans 14:10–12).

The clear takeaway from Scripture is that each one of us will give an account on judgment day to Almighty God, the eternal judge and ruler over all creation. And whether we enter the gates of heaven or perish in hell to be tortured and tormented for all eternity hinges upon whether we have accepted JESUS as our personal Lord and Savior, which is not an exaggeration or scare tactic—that is simply the cold, hard reality of eternity as presented in Scripture, the absolute truth of God's Word.

• "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:1–10).

Jesus said, "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36–37). Whether we like it or not, God can, does and will judge the sin of man, and we are left with the monumental decision of whether we accept eternity on God's terms as stated in Scripture or choose the alternative. Again, Jesus clearly warned, "Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters" (Luke 11:23), because rejecting Christ is rejecting His free gift of salvation based on faith alone so no man can boast that he saved himself. In other words, our response to God's love is CONDITIONAL, yet His love in an of itself is UNCONDITIONAL because it is not contingent upon our response. It existed before we did, and it is the reason He chose to not only send Jesus to preach the Gospel message of salvation for all mankind to hear, repent and believe, but sacrificed His sinless Son unto death on a cross to provide a way of escape for mankind to be reconciled to Himself.

• “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God" (John 3:16–18).

Therefore, "What have I done to deserve a love like this?" The answer is nothing because His love is UNCONDITIONAL in that He sent Jesus to die on our behalf to justify His righteous wrath against sin, but CONDITIONAL in that we must respond in faith by accepting God's free gift of salvation and surrendering our pride and selfish will at the foot of the cross. The sad reality is that gift is perceived as an ultimatum for many to justify their rejection of God and declare Him unloving for mandating conditional, non-negotiable terms regarding His grace. They determine salvation is not free at all and they are correct, because an immeasurable price was paid which we cannot fathom.

• "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:4–11).

Bottom-line: "We love because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19), and the unconditional love that existed before creation has been poured out to those who conditionally receive salvation by grace through faith alone. Granted, people will willingly choose to reject God's saving love despite the warnings passed down through the generations by the prophets, disciples, and Jesus Himself, but we must choose for ourselves whether we will submit and obey what the Bible teaches and receive eternity in heaven, or hardheartedly embrace relative truth by rejecting God altogether and even the notion that heaven or hell exists. Therefore, let us choose wisely for we have been forewarned according to Scripture as to the conditional, unconditional love God graciously provides those who place their eternal trust in Him.

• "And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:15).

• "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them" (Deuteronomy 30:19–20).