Just Let God Love You

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Carl H. Stevens Jr. is pastor of Greater GraceChurch located in Baltimore, Maryland. PastorStevens is also chancellor of Maryland BibleCollege & Seminary and host of the internationalChristian radio program “The Grace Hour.” Thisbooklet was created from a message preached byPastor Stevens.

Pastor Stevens can be seen weekly on cabletelevision stations throughout the United States.Call us for information regarding programming inyour area.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the King James Version. Italics for emphasis are ours.

GRACE PUBLICATIONSP.O. BOX 18715

BALTIMORE, MD 21206

Printed in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.

Copyright © 1996

Grace Publications is a ministry of

Greater Grace World Outreach, Inc.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Chapter 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS

Chapter 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

JUST AS YOU ARE

Chapter 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

LOVE MAKES NEW BEGINNINGS

Chapter 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

NO IFS IN THE LOVE OF GOD

CONCLUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

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INTRODUCTION

What is the force that could heal us morethan anything in the world? We do everythingto be healed physically. We do everything to bewell. But the greatest force for healing is so mis-understood.

The first need in everyone’s life is this: to beloved by God. Do you know what the secondneed is? I’ll tell you: It is to be loved by God.And I will tell you what the third need is. It’s tobe loved by God.

Have I made that clear?“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but

that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the pro-pitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

“We love him, because he first loved us”(1 John 4:19).

I want you to know that God’s love was herefirst, so the first need for every kind of healingis to be loved by God just as you are. God lovesus just as we are, and He keeps on loving us just

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as we are. God’s love also never demands achange; instead, it produces one.

If you can grasp what’s being communicatedin these pages, His love will make tremendouschanges in your personal life, in your friend-ships, in your marriage, and in your family.

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Chapter One

WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS

“For when we were yet without strength, indue time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcelyfor a righteous man will one die: yet peradven-ture for a good man some would even dare todie. But God commendeth his love toward us, inthat, while we were yet sinners, Christ died forus” (Romans 5:6-8).

Jesus Christ commended His love for us bydying for us. Picture that for a moment. He notonly loved us, He did something about it. Wedidn’t do anything. We didn’t repent to makeGod love us. He loved us without our repen-tance. Am I suggesting that we can live in sin?No, I am not. I am saying that God’s love pro-duces a change but never demands it.

Be loved by God just as you are. Don’t try tolove God. Don’t try to love others. The momentyou try, you will fail. Just be loved by God.Receive a love that can never fail you, a love that

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will never change toward you.

He Rests in Love

“The LORD thy God in the midst of thee ismighty; he will save, he will rejoice over theewith joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy overthee with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).

Jesus Christ shed His Blood and died on theCross to pay for our sins. He was buried and Herose again and went to Heaven. Because of this,God now forever rests in His love toward us.That’s why Romans 9:16 tells us that His love isnot dependent on “him that willeth, nor of himthat runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.”John 1:12 says, “As many as received him, tothem gave he power to become the sons of God,even to them that believe on his name.” Hebegat us of His own will with “the word oftruth” (James 1:18).

Bad Relationships Made Good

Let me be very practical. How do I deal witha bad relationship? By worrying about it? Bycondemning myself? By feeling guilty about it?By making a fair display in my flesh (Galatians6:12)? No. When a relationship is bad I simplylet God’s Word be true and let Him love me.

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If I fail, I let God love me. I have no strengthto change; I let God change me. Does His lovefail? No, it does not. Will He change? No, Hewill not.

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Chapter Two

JUST AS YOU ARE

A man recently called me. He’s in a very badcondition, having tested positive for the virusthat causes AIDS. He failed in his weaknessthree times in fifteen years. The third time he gotHIV, and he wants to die. He was so ashamedwhen he told his wife about it.

What can he do? He already hates what hedid. Right now, this man needs to let God lovehim as much as before he knew he had HIV.

Letting God love us doesn’t produce law-lessness. To the contrary, it teaches us to denyungodliness and to live quietly with the Word ofGod dwelling richly in our hearts.

The most beautiful thing is to let God loveyou just as you are. I have a reason for repeatingthat statement, because letting God love you isthe only way the memory and the soul can behealed. The only way self-images and attitudescan be changed is by letting God love you. The

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reason some men cannot love their wives prop-erly is very simple: they don’t understand howto be loved by God.

Conformed to the Image of His Son

“And we know that all things work togetherfor good to them that love God, to them who arethe called according to his purpose. For whomhe did foreknow, he also did predestinate to beconformed to the image of his Son, that he mightbe the firstborn among many brethren. More-over, whom he did predestinate, them he alsocalled: and whom he called, them he also justi-fied: and whom he justified, them he also glori-fied” (Romans 8:28-30).

In His foreknowledge, God knew that withmy volition I would choose to believe on His Son.I was justified, sanctified, and glorified becauseGod was always for me. And He rests in Hislove toward me because my sins were paid forby the Son.

A person from another church called me. Hesaid, “I have attacked you, I have hated you, andI have fought God. At twenty-nine years old, Iam dying and I want to repent.”

I said, “The only thing I am interested in isthat you let God love you.”

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He said, “I have AIDS. I’m going to die.”“Just be loved, let God love you,” I told him.

“In the state you are in, just be loved.”He had done wrong, but the only thing he

needed was to be loved by God. I visited himevery day and kept telling him, “Let God loveyou.” Within twelve weeks, that man was outof the hospital, and he was baptized in thechurch he hated in the past. God changed him.This man’s thoughts, emotions, and decisionswere now being expressed according to theWord of God. His heart was changed, then hissoul was changed, and then his mind waschanged. He began to love the wife he had bat-tled for many years, and he started to love histwo daughters. As he began to love the church,he began to love the lost.

The key with this man was that he did notlove himself. Inwardly, he couldn’t love himself,and he didn’t think God loved him. He testifiedin church that his body was healed. Love can dothat in the will of God. The Lord didn’t demanda change, but He produced one with His love.

The more I let God love me without puttingmyself on trial, the more I let God love me with-out fear of failure, the more I let God love mewithout being resentful and angry toward others,

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then the more everything in my life becomeshealed. In the sovereign will of God, I will behealed, no matter what the problem is. Myheart, my soul, and my emotions will be healedby just letting God love me.

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Chapter Three

LOVE MAKES NEW BEGINNINGS

A twelve-year-old girl came to me about herterrible home life. The parents were seldomhome; one would leave on the weekends. Therewas screaming and fighting. There was alco-holism. She said to me, “I’m afraid to go homebecause I don’t know what to do. You’re mypastor, could you come to the house?”

I went to the house. Very uniquely, the girlsaid to her father: “I want you to listen to thepastor.” So I began to talk to him. “Do you knowthat thousands of years ago, Jesus knew that Iwould be here today as a servant of God?” I toldhim, “Sir, if I could put into words how muchGod loves you right now, I would. If I could putHis love into words and if you could possiblybelieve it, things in this home would bechanged.”

He told me how dysfunctional and destruc-tive the family was. “That’s true,” I said. “But

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first I want you to let God love you, withoutcondemnation. I’m not even going to ask you tochange your drinking habits. Just let God loveyou.” He cried like a baby right there.

That night, after church, we went out andthe man accepted Jesus Christ. He never tookanother drink. Later, his wife accepted the Sav-ior. They were baptized together and thattwelve-year-old girl had the day of her life. Thefamily had its picture taken and gave it to me.What a testimony of what letting God love youcan do.

Forgetting the Past

I didn’t go to that home to discuss how badthe father was. Genetically, psychologically, andemotionally, we could have found all kinds ofreasons for the way things were. But I wentthere to say that God created this man in Hisown image and to tell him how much God wasin love with him at that moment. There was nodiscussion of sins. I allowed the love of God toproduce repentance. That little girl’s daddy waschanged and given a brand-new beginning.

The love of God produced a new self-image.The love of God produced a new awareness.The love of God produced faith.

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The love of God produced hope.The love of God revealed mercy.The love of God revealed grace.These parents personalized His love. They

internalized it. God’s love was imparted tothem, and it became a part of them. Is it anywonder that 1 Corinthians 13:8 says that lovenever fails?

Brought Forth into Light

“I will bear the indignation of the LORD, be-cause I have sinned against him, until he pleadmy cause, and execute judgment for me: he willbring me forth to the light, and I shall behold hisrighteousness” (Micah 7:9). Micah the prophetwas feeling down when he wrote this. He hadsinned, but he understood God’s love for him.He knew that God was right down there withhim. Micah knew that he was going to comeback because of the light of love, and he wouldreceive forgiveness.

The love of God guarantees that God lovesyou as you are, as a sinner without strength. Itjustifies you while you are ungodly (Romans 4:5).It makes you righteous apart from the law andworks (Romans 4:6). It sanctifies you. By Hislove, Jesus is made unto you “righteousness,

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and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinthi-ans 1:30). The love of God guarantees that youwill never be charged with another sin. It alsoguarantees that if you do continue in sin, thelove of God will discipline because of love, notoutside of it. The discipline comes to protect, toprovide the mind of Christ, and ultimately tobless.

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Chapter Four

NO IFS IN THE LOVE OF GOD

“The LORD hath appeared of old unto me,saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlast-ing love: therefore with lovingkindness have Idrawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3).

When God said this, the nation of Israel wasworshipping idols. He did not say, “I will loveyou if you get right.” He did not say, “I will loveyou if you stop worshipping idols.”

No, God said, “I have loved thee with aneverlasting love.” There are so many “ifs” in ourrelationships—so many ifs that hinder mentaland emotional healing, and that sometimes stopphysical healing. But God doesn’t say, “I willlove you if….” He says, “I have loved you, evenwhile you were ‘out there.’ ”

Didn’t the father love the prodigal son whilehis son was “out there” in the far country just asmuch as when he was right at home? Yes, hedid. The father’s love didn’t change when the

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prodigal was living in sin. His love just waitedpatiently to give his son grace. When his volitiondecided it was time to go back home, just as hewas, the prodigal received forgiveness andcleansing. The father gave him a ring, a robe,new shoes, and a welcome home party. Theykilled the fatted calf for the celebration, and it allhappened because the son came home just as hewas (Luke 15:11-24).

Think of all that has happened in society.Consider the depths of sin going on today. Con-sider the terrible dysfunction in families andindividuals. With all that goes on, the greatestthing the human race needs is to understandhow much God loves us. Dealing with sin isn’tthe great issue. Deal with how much God lovesyou, and God’s love will deal with the sin. Thelove of God will produce the change.

Shed Abroad in the Heart

“And hope maketh not ashamed; becausethe love of God is shed abroad in our hearts bythe Holy [Spirit] which is given unto us” (Ro-mans 5:5).

The Holy Spirit sheds the love of God abroadin the heart, and love is the fruit of the Spirit.When I receive His love, dealing only with Him

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loving me, then God’s disposition takes over.His temperament comes in. I may not even real-ize it, but I am receiving it as His nature comesin and begins to commune and fellowship withme. And God’s nature doesn’t sin.

Changing Course

“Wherein in time past ye walked accordingto the course of this world, according to theprince of the power of the air, the spirit that nowworketh in the children of disobedience: amongwhom also we all had our conversation in timespast in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desiresof the flesh and of the mind; and were by naturethe children of wrath, even as others.

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his greatlove wherewith he loved us, Even when we weredead in sins, hath quickened us together withChrist, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raisedus up together, and made us sit together in heav-enly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:2-6).

What you are walking in doesn’t matter. Intime past, we all walked according to the courseof this world. We were all controlled by theprince of the power of the air, as children of dis-obedience. But God, rich in grace, rich in mercy,has a great love “wherewith he loved us” (Eph-

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esians 2:4). And by that love the changes come.For every believer, God’s love was there for us.Getting to know how much we were loved ledus to be saved by grace through faith in JesusChrist. He came into our lives, and the love ofthe Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit becameinternalized and personalized.

Waves of love can flow through the cells ofyour body every day. It is not human emotion;it’s divine love.

“I have not done right,” you say.Just accept God’s love for what you did

wrong.“I don’t feel spiritual.”Accept love even though you don’t feel any-

thing.Just receive His love, and it will produce not

only love but also joy, peace, longsuffering, pa-tience, divine goodness, gentleness, faithfulness,meekness, and temperance.

The Easy Yoke of Love

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and areheavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take myyoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meekand lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest untoyour souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden

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is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).Do you know what His yoke is? It is love.

When I take His yoke upon me, I am simplychoosing to take His love upon me. “Herein islove, not that we loved God, but that he lovedus, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for oursins….We love him, because he first loved us”(1 John 4:10, 19). No wonder His yoke is easy.No wonder learning of Him produces rest untomy soul. The Father is resting in His love (Zeph-aniah 3:17). I take the yoke. I let Jesus love mejust as I am. And then He produces that changein me because of the power of love, the dynam-ics of love, the faith of love, the grace of love,and the presence of love. At last, the changecomes and I am healed.

First Love Yourself

There is an order to God’s love. I am not tolove others first; I am to love myself first. I can-not even love God unless I love myself. I mustlet God love me. That’s the way it goes. First, Ilet God love me. Second, I love myself. Third, Ilove God and, finally, I am very free to love youand everyone else—even my enemies.

When you love yourself, there comes a newself-image, a new self-awareness. You receive a

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new sense of being special, a new sense of beingmade righteous before God because of sanctifica-tion by Christ’s Blood. There’s nothing betweenyou and God. There’s nothing between you andanyone else. You are loved and you love in thepower of the Holy Spirit. I’m not talking aboutsentimentality or carnality, I am talking aboutwhat the Bible says about God’s love for uswhile we are sinners.

Oh, is it any wonder that David said that theLord’s mercies are great (2 Samuel 24:14)? Is itany wonder that Peter called Him “the God ofall grace” (1 Peter 5:10)? Paul called Him “theFather of mercies, the God of all comfort”(2 Corinthians 1:3).

“Abraham,” God called. “You haven’t spo-ken to me for thirteen years, but I love you.”

“Jacob. You have gone away and backslid-den for twenty years. But I still love you and Iwill use you” (Genesis 32).

“Gideon. You’re hiding and you don’t wantto be used,” He says. “But I love you right whereyou are. I will calm your fears and bring a greatvictory” (Judges 6).

“Samson. You did wrong with Delilah. But Ilove you. Now take back your power and de-stroy your enemies” (Judges 16).

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“Peter. You denied me and even cursedwhile you were doing it. Publicly, you forsookme, but I love you. You will preach this greatmessage to the multitude after the Holy Spiritcomes upon you” (Acts 1).

“Paul. You murdered Christians. Youwatched as Stephen was stoned. Still, I lovedyou. I saved you and will use you mightilyamong the Gentiles” (Acts 22).

In John 13:1, the Bible says He “loved themunto the end.” What does this mean? The end? Itmeans that nothing changed Jesus Christ’s lovefor His disciples. They backslid. They deniedHim. They forsook Him when He needed themmost, but that didn’t change His love. He lovedthem unto the end, so will He love you and Iunto the end.

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CONCLUSION

“Being confident of this very thing, that hewhich hath begun a good work in you will per-form it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippi-ans 1:6).

If you are trapped in sin, let God love youwhere you are, and let Him produce a purechange in your life. The issue is just respondingto His love, that’s all. My only hope is that thesewords have stimulated you to let Him love youand go on.

God is love. He is all forgiving. I have beenforgiven, you have been forgiven. We have beencleansed, purified by faith. His love never failsand it never fails to change us. Beyond that, Hislove will never fail to change others through us.It’s the most dynamic force in this world, so let’slet it loose!

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