“But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” Romans 5:8

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

“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 once thought it’s how I love others that determines whether or not God accepts me at any given time. But I have discovered it has nothing to do with how I love but rather how He loves and He loves me unconditionally. He loved me by sending His Son, Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for all my sins, yesterday, today and tomorrow. Now that I am confident of this truth, knowing there is nothing that can separate me from His love, ever, I feel free to love others. Romans 8: 38-39

I can not add anything to what Christ accomplished on the cross by what I do or don’t do. After He suffered the consequence for every sin, He proclaimed that the work He came to do was Finished. His love was so perfect; His Work so complete that there is nothing I can do to add to His Perfect Salvation. To do so, is to not believe in His work but my own. But all my righteous acts are filthy in comparison to His pure love which has nothing selfish attached. (Isaiah 64:6) If it required any good works of my own, then it was in vain that Christ died, and therefore the work He came to do in reconciling me to the Father is incomplete.

Why are all of our righteous acts considered filthy rags? 

So what is perfect love. Perfect love is unconditional, complete,lacking nothing. He first loved me. When I accept His unconditional love, by faith in His salvation through Jesus Christ, then I also accept His gift of eternal life. 1 John 4: 18-19

What person after given a perfect gift of love, says, I cannot accept it as it is, it’s not good enough, let me add something to it to make it more acceptable?

But we have not been given an inferior gift, but one which was taken right from the bosom and heart of God – His Beloved Son.

Now I know why the Apostle John referred to himself as the one in whom the Lord loved. He discovered His unconditional love and was content to simply accept it, and was confident in it  lest he forget. “Jesus loves me, this I know.”
John 13:23

There have been occasions while receiving a gift I’ve felt guilty or because of my pride I could not accept it unless I could give something in return. To simply receive a gift and enjoy it is hard for me. I have no problem giving gifts. In fact I delight in it.

God has given His very best through sending His Son, Jesus Christ to die for my sins, and then sending me the gift of His Holy Spirit to guide and direct me in all my ways.
John 14: 16-17

How could I say to Him, no, I can’t accept your gift unless I can give you something in return. What could I possibly give Him to equal what He has given?

What could I possibly give back to God in exchange for His Great Salvation? How could I possibly match His Love?

In all  I do or don’t do, God can’t love me any less or more because His Love is not determined by who “I am” but WHO HE IS. John 8:58, Exodus 3:14

And as I allow His Love each and every day take hold of all I say and do I pray I can express His Great Love to others. John 14: 15-17

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,”
Ephesians 3: 14-17